The trouble with most documents is the language used in them. Legal documents especially are a hassle, though they have a reason to be. Some are naturally convoluted because legal matters depend greatly on accuracies (and pedantry...). They protect the people they are drawn for by defining every single thing that might be of concern, thus the term ‘air tight contract’.
Unfortunately, lawyers aren’t the most trusted profession in the world. Overly wordy texts tire people and make them doubtful of the document’s intent. Maybe that’s just my own paranoia speaking, but I wouldn’t sign a jargon filled 50 page document without consulting one of my brainier legalese savvy friends either.
Still, most of these documents are intended for people who already understand the inherent terminology. The problems arise when people on the street are faced with the situation of agreeing to this or that document—although the aim is to inform and obtain consent, the document has already failed the first objective and cannot expect the everyman to agree to its terms.
A better example would the End User License Agreement or EULA which you are confronted with every time you install a new program or video game on your PC. Let’s be real here; no one reads that stuff. No one is going to sit down and read the lengthy description of the company is and isn’t responsible for, everyone just wants to play World of Warcraft or Counterstrike: Global Offensive. It’s a whole bunch of tl;dr (too long; didn’t read) to them.
This is why people aren’t generally held accountable for violations of the EULA, or when they are, it’s met with positive outrage.
I leave you with this clip from the movie version of “V for Vendetta” in which V introduces himself to Evey Hammond.
Not only because it demonstrates witty hyperbole, but because he’s really, really cool.
via Writing to Communicate
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