I'm working on a new website (more about that soon ) and I'm wondering if terms and conditions are absolutely necessary? I used a fairly standard lot (of legal gobbledygook) on my hosting site, but I'm wondering if it's applicable on my new site, as I've noticed a lot of web designers in my area haven't even bothered with terms/privacy policies at all.

If I do go for terms, can I write this myself or must I use all of the legal mubmojumbo to make it binding?

Yours in confusion,
Dan

I am under the impression that a privacy policy is required in the US and GB.

The TOS is optional.

Certain buzz-words need to be present but the lawyereze can be omitted. Some where I saw simple explanation but I do not recall where. You are welcome to use mine as model. If I don't have one on one of the sites in my sig PM me.

OK well I made a short privacy policy on my site - that was the easy part. The terms I put on my hosting site are stupidly long - I got them from a free legal docs site. I really think they are overkill, particularly as this site isn't really going to be very commercial.

Don't put in any legal "mumbo-jumbo" if you don't know what it means

It doesn't matter how terms are expressed, in "normal" language or in "legaleze" - if they are enforceable under the laws of your jurisdiction, they will be valid.