Consumerist
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payola
FTC Says Bloggers Can't Hide Endorsement Deals
For the first time since 1980, the FTC has updated its rules about endorsements and testimonials, and they've added blogging to the books. Now bloggers who don't disclose that they've been somehow compensated—either with cash or with free services or products—can be fined up to $11,000. More » -
talk radio
Finally, A Personal Finance Podcast For People Who Don't Want To Listen
The blog Personal Finance Hour is the home to a weekly live audio show with personal finance bloggers over whatever topics they like. Sometimes the conversation turns inward and focuses on trying to blog for profit, or blogging as a part time job. Sometimes the conversation is about things like remodeling your home or planning for a vacation. More » -
shoes for your soul
Don't Try To Use Your Blog To Extort A Pair Of Crocs
Here's a story that will teach you a little something about how not to behave. According to George Smith, who does online marketing for Crocs, a blogger at the BlogHer conference in Chicago tried to extort him out of some shoes. This is not a good idea. More » -
Hey, look! Comcast has their very own blog! It features mostly regular company news about Comcast services and the adventures of employees and executives, but at least it allows comments. Even Consumerist favorite Frank Eliason, Director of Digital Care (aka @comcastcares on Twitter) has joined in the fun.
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blogging
FTC Wants Bloggers To Reveal When They're Being Compensated To Promote A Product
You know what's worse than not having a big bag of M&Ms on your desk to enjoy while you work? Having to read a blogvertisement disguised as editorial content! Hold on, I have to eat some more M&Ms. Good gravy these are delicious. Did you know M&M's cure malaria? It's true! Anyway, the FTC says bloggers should reveal when they're being compensated in some way to promote a product, and I agree. More » -
comcast
Comcast Loves You So Much They Keep Billing You... 4 Months After You Canceled
Oh Comcast, you romantic. You were so sorry to see Michal leave that you pretended he didn't. We get it: he bikes, he blogs, he helps toddlers learn Polish. But after four months of him repeatedly asking you to stop billing him, when you still won't stop it begins to look a little stalker-ish. Your computers can't always be down. More » -
real estate
Would You Judge A Real Estate Broker By His Blog?
The Washington Post reports that consumers are starting to judge real estate agents by their blogs. Almost 10% of real estate brokers are apparently blogging, a number that is likely to rise faster than that sketchy "up and coming" neighborhood you've heard about for years. More » -
comcast
Comcast Frank Is Real And We Have Photographic Proof From The New York Times
Comcast's Twitter-jockey has his own New York Times story. Awww. We love Frank, even though we probably make his life really crappy by posting lots of Comcast complaints. Oh well! Sorry, Frank. More » -
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consumer advocates
Blogger Who Wrote About A Business Wins Defamation Lawsuit
Considering the lifeblood of The Consumerist is publicizing stories of bad businesses and bad business practices—including drawing attention to personal stories on other peoples' blogs—we were happy to read that blogger Philip Smith won the federal defamation and trademark dilution lawsuit brought against him by a company he wrote about on his personal blog. Although it doesn't guarantee that other angry business owners or their legal teams won't come after you for writing about your unpleasant experiences with them, it cheers us to know that, at least in this case, a federal judge felt that Smith should be protected from retaliation for telling his side of the story. "It's not about the title, it's about the content, said Judge Henry Hurlong, Jr.; a journalist turns out to be anyone who does journalism, and bloggers who do so have the same rights and privileges under federal law as the 'real' journalists." More » -
nonstop flight to the blogosphere
Delta Starts A Blog!
Delta Airlines has started blogging! You should check it out, if only for the excellent comments from Delta's real-life actual customers. More » -
brooklyn
Where 311 Fails, Will Blogging Succeed?
Sigmund, a resident of Brooklyn, is hearing a piercing alarm-type sound that lasts anywhere from minutes to hours on end. The sound can be heard with the windows closed. Upon complaining about this noise to the police and local authorities,Sigmund was told that unless other people complained... nothing could be done. More » -
black friday
Hotels: Nature's Free Blogging Oases
PINEVILLE, NC - This morning we blogged from a Best Western just down the road Best Buy. The hotel came in really handy, as our diagram illustrates. More » -
blogs
Krempasky vs. Consumerist Blog Roundup
• Krempasky's personal blog reports disappointment. Scott Womack comments with vigor. Krempasky parries tactfully tact and offers to take the conversation private. Sound familiar? More » -
blogging
Whither Krempasky?
Despite breaking a non-disclosure with a PR rep (above, far left), we slept soundly last night. More » -
blogging
Krempasky, Walmart Apologist, Responds To Consumerist Outing
Blogosphere hall monitor for Walmart, Mike Krempasky, took the time to reply to our post disclosing emails we exchanged about a meeting we had several months ago. A meeting he would rather we not discuss, but we did anyway on behalf of the No Respect! podcast. After the jump, his remarks and our ripostes, wherein we ponder the ethics of lying to a PR flack... and whether that's even technically possible. More » -
walmart
Walmart Is Mad At The Consumerist
Earlier this summer, we did an interview with the No Respect! podcast. They asked us about The Consumerist in general and Walmart in particular. Especially of interest was our meeting with Mike Krempasksy (above, center, tie), who runs the Walmart blog war team at Edelman PR. After a series of disapariging posts, Mike wanted to meet up with us for drinks. He opened the meeting with, "This is all off the record." The next thing out of his mouth was, "What can we do to get you to stop writing about our companies?" You can hear more about it in this episode of the No Respect! podcast. More » -
target
Target Targets Blogger
It seems our buddy Target Corp. doesn't like it when bloggers post store policies on the Internets. Their rational response? Duh, lawsuit. More »
blogging
New York, 3:13 AM
Thu Nov 12
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