Consumerist
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fakes
How To Identify Astroturfers And Front Groups
Everyone likes to hate on spammers, but they're basically the houseflies of the Internet. Far more insidious and damaging are astroturfers and front groups—those corporate-funded, agenda-pushing people who don't disclose who they're really working for while they participate in online culture and the media. The Center for Media and Democracy has put together a list of tips to help you identify them from real grassroots movements, while Free Press has created a widget that reveals front groups for five large companies you frequently see on Consumerist. More » -
It's like the dot-com boom is finally over. Time Warner is spinning AOL off into its own company once again by the end of the year. AOL will get most of the terrible customer service in the divorce. [Bloomberg]
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automakers
Toyota Posts First Loss In 59 Years
Here's a story that we missed late last week, probably because we were busy having nightmares about snake heads. Toyota lost $7.74 billion this past quarter. That's more than GM (though less than GM pre-bailout), and much more than predicted. It's the company's first annual loss since Elvis was in the Army.
The reasons for this are pretty obvious. Toyota's troubles are caused by a bad economy, the North American credit crunch, and a strong yen. Falling gas prices also make the Prius seem way less cool.
Toyota Posts Big Loss, Signals More to Come [Wall Street Journal] (Thanks to everyone who sent this in!)
(Photo: blue_j)
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the law
Corporate Lawyer To Corporations: Stop Suing Websites!
A well-respected lawyer has a simple message for corporations: stop suing disgruntled customers who start websites to air their grievances. Though William Pecau of Steptoe & Johnson thinks that online gripers are "self-righteous narcissists with time on their hands," he also realizes that "shutting down a gripe site generally is not easy, often cannot be done, and often is counterproductive." Pecau goes on to explain exactly why most online gripers are safe from over-hyped takedown notices... More » -
copyright
Leaked ACTA Treaty Will Outlaw P2P
ACTA—the misleadingly named "Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement"—is the worldwide copyright treaty that's being negotiated behind closed doors, and that will create a sort of global DMCA if continues in its current state. Now Wikileaks has posted a draft of the treaty, and Boing Boing's Cory Doctorow gives his take:
More »Among other things, ACTA will outlaw P2P (even when used to share works that are legally available, like my books), and crack down on things like region-free DVD players. All of this is taking place out of the public eye, presumably with the intention of presenting it as a fait accompli just as the ink is drying on the treaty.
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tax burden
Corporations: "Tax-es? What Are These Things You Call Tax-es?"
Hope you enjoyed your tax burden this year, because you're helping carry the weight of loophole-savvy corporations that enjoy many of the legal benefits of real, live human citizens, but exist in a weird, semi-tax-free world.A 2004 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found that 61% of American corporations, including 39% of large companies, paid no corporate income taxes between 1996 and 2000. Last year, corporations shouldered just 14.4% of the total U.S. tax burden, compared with about 50% in 1940.
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law
Exxon May Have Its Punitive Damages For Valdez Spill Cut In Half By Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is currently considering whether to halve the punitive damages levied against Exxon for its massive 1989 oil spill from the Exxon Valdez tanker, from the current $2.5 billion to something more like $1 billion. Exxon claims the higher number amounts to excessive punishment. According to the New York Times, the decision may come down to a tie with four justices on either side; Justice Alito is not participating because he owns Exxon Mobile stock. The Exxon Valdez disaster "caused a 3,000-square-mile oil slick and still affects Alaska's fisheries after nearly 19 years." More » -
identity theft
Employees Play With Your Private Data And There Is Nothing You Can Do About It
Why play solitaire when you work for the utility company and can look up the mayor's phone number? An Associated Press investigation reveals that casual snooping is widespread among employees who have access to large customer databases. According to one utility executive, it would be "difficult, if not impossible" to ferret out employees who use sensitive data for identity theft. More » -
corporations
Chiquita Restructures, Cuts 160 Management Positions
Militia-funding banana company Chiquita has announced a big restructuring plan that will eliminate 160 management jobs, including 21% of the top three tiers of management, for a savings of $60-80 million dollars in 2008. The company says it will use the savings to pay down debt. It doesn't mention, however, that last month it was fined $25 million for financially supporting both left- and right-wing paramilitary groups in Colombia from 1997 to 2004. More » -
public relations
Has Procter & Gamble Hijacked Amex's $5 Million Members Project?
Accusations are flying that Proctor and Gamble has hijacked Amex's "Member's Project," in an attempt to sell water purifying technology. The project is a contest in which Amex will fund one charitable project (proposed by its members) to the tune of $5 million dollars. More » -
helvetica
The Font Of The 20th Century
The miscellany gods at Slate have compiled a slideshow describing how companies such as American Airlines, Sears, Target, ConEd, Verizon, and the New York Subway system use the font Helvetica to convey a sense of "modern efficiency with a human face."Ultimately, Helvetica is a cipher—and this is the key to its success. It can be authoritative or ironic, sober or idealistic, corporate or cozy. It's the tofu of typefaces: bland in itself but ready to absorb whatever flavors you add to it. It's clean, legible, and well-designed, but its real power lies in its uncanny mutability.
Though we seldom think of many of the companies using Helvetica as efficient, it's nice to know what they were striving for when they chose their font. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER More »
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