Can subscribe to newsletter without checking “I agree to receive information”

[matthewpaulthomas]

1. Go to blog.ubuntu.com.
2. In the “Newsletter signup” form, enter an e-mail address.
3. Leave the “I agree to receive information…” checkbox unchecked.
4. Click “Subscribe now”.

What happens: “Success: Thank you for subscribing! You will begin receiving emails as new content is posted. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking the link in the email.”

What should happen:
3. the checkbox isn’t present if it has no effect; or
4. the subscribe button is disabled when you haven’t checked the checkbox; or
5. clicking the button produces an error and highlights the checkbox.

[anasereijo]

Hi @matthewpaulthomas just checked and it's still happening.
@anthonydillon @caldav how can we fix this? (tagging you both as I am not sure which one of you can help)

[anthonydillon]

We need to make the checkbox required.

[caldav]

It's supposed to be optional, it's an opt-in for Marketing communications other than the specific fields and form they are signing up for.

[matthewpaulthomas]

Sorry to be a nuisance, but … Apparently all three of us in the Web & Design team assumed this was just a bug in a checkbox that was supposed to be required. If it isn’t supposed to be required, that strongly suggests the checkbox is mislabelled.

it's an opt-in for Marketing communications other than the specific fields and form they are signing up for

Does that mean, if you check the checkbox, it doesn’t matter what topics you choose, you’ll get news about all of them anyway? If so, then we shouldn’t get you to waste time making any other selection. Instead move this checkbox above the others, relabel it “All topics”, and whenever it’s checked, disable+check the others.

If it still does matter what topics you choose, the label should change so that “information” does not seem to refer to the topic newsletters above. For example, “Also send me {description of other things}”.

[caldav]

The checkbox certainly doesn't override the choices of the Newsletter sign-up, but it allows us to notify users, when needed, of other communications outside of the monthly newsletter cadence and/or scope, such as an event, a webinar, a product launch, etc. I agree that the wording needs to be clarified.

[matthewpaulthomas]

Okay, so maybe:

• Cloud and server
• Desktop
• Internet of Things
• Tutorials
• Events and new products

Or:

• Also notify me of events and new products

(If you hold your nose, webinars could be classed as a kind of “event”.)

[nottrobin]

My problem with this checkbox, which also applies to other forms with this same checkbox, is that the wording that starts with "I agree" tricks the user into thinking this is a required checkbox. It looks like every participant on this issue until @caldav arrived fell into this trap of thinking this must be required.

Required T&C checkboxes are everywhere, but every user fundamentally feels T&C checkboxes are a waste of time. So what I do, and I imagine what plenty of people do, is tick any "I agree" checkbox on autopilot, without reading them. (It doesn't help that the "If you don't want spam, tick here" dark pattern is so common in the wider world as well, compounding the "just tick the box" muscle-memory).

I don't think we're deliberately trying to trick the user here at all, but this nonetheless feels to me like a dark pattern which we've inadvertently fallen into, and I imagine others will interpret it that way as well.

So I'd be delighted if we could change the wording on the checkbox to make it much more skimable and obvious up-front that it's an optional checkbox about marketing. How about:

Tick here to receive information about Canonical’s products and services (optional)