The Phoenix Site, our database, where we review the Terms…

In this topic we’ll look at the different kinds of stuff you can do, aswell as different tips and tricks.

If you have any questions, feedback or suggestions, don’t hesitate to contact the ToS;DR Team, or create a new Topic!

Functionalities of the Site

Types of Users

There are currently two types of users on the Site:

  • Reviewers
    As a reviewer, the main catch is to read Documents (ToS, PrivPol, Cookie Policy, etc.), so that the user may highlight a certain text and assign a Case to it, one by one. The point is then submitted for review, which gets us to the next type of User…

  • Curators
    Curators serve the same purpose as Reviewers, but with the ability to Review other users’ points (not their own). A Curator has the responsibility both to provide the necessary feedback in their reviews, and also to review a point correctly.

Review States.

In the Phoenix Site, there are five review states that Points can have:

  • Approved: The point has been approved and is clear of caveats, so now it affects the Rating for its respective Service, and will be uploaded to the ToS;DR Site 7 through the API ASAP. Only Curators can give this Review State to other users’ points.

  • Changes-Requested: The point has a generally solid structure, but some caveats have been found by a Curator while reviewing it. The user has two months to change the point, or else it will be switched to Declined (To avoid clutter).

  • Declined: The point has been deemed not valid and therefore it won’t display as highlighted text in its respectide Document. Reviewers can mark their own point as declined aswell.

  • Draft: Reviewers can mark their own points as Draft, usually to modify them later, or even for testing purposes.

  • Pending: When creating a new point, this state will be the default for that point. It indicates that the point is up for review. It can also be assigned manually by the owner, specially after changing their own point.

Definitions

What does each word mean? Let’s take a look:

  • Case: A category which specifies either keywords or concepts. Cases arise usually from common wordings throughout ToS.
    A Case is made of:

    • A Rating: Good/Bad/Neutral/Blocker. These will indicate, essentially, how the weight affects a Service’s Class (whether good, bad, none, or extremely bad, respectively).
      More info → 4

    • Weight: A ‘score’ which tells our Database how is a Service’s Class assigned, aswell as their positioning on the Service’s Listing.
      Check the Displayed Services → 7

    • Keywords/Content: ‘What does the case tell you?’ ‘What keywords does it need?’
      This is what a Case’s Name tells you.

  • Point: A quoted text from a Document which has been assigned its appropriate Case, carries a certain Weight and may even have some additional information.
    Check our points for reference →

  • Document: Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, etc… It’s the actual ToS, and other legal documentation, that each Service provides; i.e. The biggest lies on the web.
    Check the Documents → 2

  • Topic: Cases are split into their own ‘Categories’ pertinent to their respective common themes. There, ‘Categories’ are the Topics.
    Check the current Topics → 1

  • Service: Facebook, Google, Microsoft, etc. In essence, the company that provides their respective ToS, and host their respective websites/products.
    Check the current Services →

Do’s and Don’t’s

For additional context, I’d suggest you read @Peepo 's Topic!

Rules

To ensure both a good workflow, and accurate data, our rules are:

  • No spam.

  • No illegal content.

  • No harassment/discrimination.

  • Be civil, there is no need for hostility.

My Advice

While the following points are optional, I personally believe they will be useful for everyone contributing:

  • If you have any doubts, don’t hesitate to ask! Your questions are excellent both to inform and to improve!

  • When adding a Service:

    • Always look for different domains (e.g. ‘http://bbc.com ,http://bbc.co.uk ’…), usually found when switching Language, or Signing Up.

    • Search the Phoenix Site for the Service you’re adding. We want to avoid duplicates!

    • Double-check for a Service’s Wikipedia Article.

  • When annotating Documents:

    • Avoid creating duplicated points. They will be declined when reviewed, otherwise.

    • Use CTRL + F (shortcut used to search within a webpage) each time you review a Document, so that keywords are much faster to find!

    • Be sure to actually quote the Document, don’t rely on transcripts!

  • When reviewing points (for Curators):

    • Always state a a reason for Declining a Point, or Requesting Changes to it.

    • Check all the existing points for a Service, in case you find duplicated points, or incongruent ones!

Epilogue

Reviewing Terms is a mighty task, some would say, and it’s best when communicated properly!
If you have any feedback on this Topic, please let me know!

Also, thank you for your contributions!