FAST FORWARD'S HELP FILE Rob Pegoraro

QDo you have advice about how to make sense of the terms of service and license agreements we have to accept before joining a Web site or installing a program? They seem to be total gibberish.

AThese documents can go for thousands of words, but they usually come in a form that permits selective skimming to find the parts that might cause you trouble.

The first thing to do is to find the license or terms of use. On a Web site, look at the bottom of the home page for a link titled "terms," "agreement," "license" or "policy." In a program, try searching for the same words in its help file.

Then look over the section headings for the standard-issue boilerplate you can ignore. For example, nearly every consumer program or Web site's license includes a "disclaimer of warranty," relieving it of any obligation to function as advertised. You can also skip over sections such as "Limitation of liability" and "Export controls" (which tend to fill the tail end of license documents and run in all capital letters).

The stuff to watch out for generally comes higher up. Look for headings like "Use" and "Usage" to discover that, for instance, Microsoft Word 2007 allows you to install it on two computers. An "Upgrades" paragraph can reveal that a program will install new updates automatically. A "Territory" section can state that you can't use a Web site's services outside the United States. "Disputes" or "Arbitration" clauses can require you to give up any right to sue and instead accept binding arbitration.

Finally, never skip the "Privacy" section, even if it refers you to a separate document.

A free Windows program called EULAlyzer (http://javacoolsoftware.com/eulalyzer.html) can analyze the text of a license agreement and flag "interesting" passages for you, although it can still miss noteworthy details.

Rob Pegoraro attempts to untangle computing conundrums and errant electronics each week. Send questions to The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071 or robp@washpost.com. Turn to Thursday's Business section or visit washingtonpost.com anytime for his Fast Forward column.