This is just a notice in case anyone didn't see the various Meta StackExchange posts about this...
StackExchange changed its Terms of Service effective May 2nd, and one of the changes included in that is a new arbitration provision. This is similar to other arbitration provisions in other contracts that have become more popular recently. The provision limits your right to sue StackExchange in court, and instead requires you to make use of a neutral, third party arbitrator.
This change can be opted out of, within thirty days of it taking effect, by following these instructions:
Send an e-mail to [email protected] with the subject of 'opt out of arbitration' and a link to your profile in the body. That's it, we'll handle everything from there.
We're looking at something possibly more robust, but the ability to do it via email should hopefully address one of the larger concerns. As e-mail is the most basic and intuitive method, it'll always remain a valid method to opt-out, even if something new is introduced.
Or by sending regular mail with the same information to Stack Exchange, as laid out in the terms of service.
This post is solely for informational purposes, and is not intended to solicit debate on the topic; if you have concerns, please address them at Meta StackExchange in a new question or in one of the above linked questions.
Follow up Meta post on some concerns raised by community members here: Electronic opt-out, correcting miscommunication, and additional questions answered about the 2018 ToS update
