So yes, this morning when I opened my inbox I saw a message that had a wisely chosen subject line: The best Terms of Service update you’ll ever read. I read it and guess what: it really is very well organized and eloquently written so thumbs up StumbleUpon!
In a friendly approach, StumbleUpon lets its users know that they have made some changes, launched in the UK, created personalized suggestions http://www.stumbleupon.com/blog/stumbling-gets-better-with-personalized-suggestions/ and offered some updates for their iPhone and Android apps.
In what their new privacy policy, they are very transparent about it: “We know you (usually) enjoy reviewing legal forms as much as you enjoy doing your laundry, but please take some time to read through these changes (perhaps while you’re doing your laundry).” And they present a list with the changes that will subsequently affect users. Moreover, they say – and it is true, I verified – they have inserted headings in both the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for ease of reference.
The new Terms of Service will be effective for existing starting October 15, 2012, thus users have enough time to read them carefully. The update to the Privacy Policy is effective immediately.
I like StumbleUpon and have been using it for quite a while. I also appreciate how they present themselves and how they communicate with users. For example, their About us page, after an introductory video, uses the clever wording – We’re glad you asked. Do you know of another site that has a similar approach?
As a user, I admit I like the fact that I don’t receive a great number of emails from them. I also admit I am a huge fan of this recent email, and given the huge debate over Google’s Privacy Policy changes, this was a bold move, but a very inspired way of communicating. Simple, yet eloquent, so way to go StumbleUpon!