One reader called to complain about Citi raising credit card interest rates:Pretty neat. Give us a call and let your voice ring out!

(Photo: savagecat)

Consumerist Meetup
Wed. 11/4/09 6-9pm
Botanica Bar
47 Houston St, NY NY 10012

Happy hour special all night long
Free drinks until our $500 bar tab runs out

Via Subway:
BDFV to Broadway/Lafayette
6 to Bleeker St.
NRW to Prince St

From NJ:
NJT or PATH To Penn Station, walk E. to 34th St, Herald Square, take BDFV to Broadway/Lafayette

From Connecticut and so forth North:
Metro North to Grand Central, 6 to Bleeker St.

If you're driving, there's a parking garage at 284 Mott between Houston and Prince. Most on-street parking opens up at 6pm.

Here's a map that shows on-street parking:

View Larger Map
And one that shows nearby garages:

View Larger Map
And here's what Botanica Bar looks like!

(Photo: e.Bergquist)

(Photo: C.Barr)

7. Free drinks until our $500 tab runs out, happy hour drink special all night (even during the tab).
6. Free tshirts sporting the brand-new Consumerist logo.
5. Cool videos shown by the Internets Celebrities crew.
4. Possible appearance by a famous person.
3. Special surprise gift bestowing!
2. Hang out with Meg and Ben and Consumerist gang.
1. Meet other Consumerist readers - put a face to a commenter name!





It all goes downnnn

Wed. 11/4/09 6-9pm
Botanica Bar
47 Houston St, NY NY 10012

Should be a good one, see you there!

View Larger Map

Yessir It's The First Consumerist Meetup
11/4/09 6-9pm
Botanica Bar
47 Houston St, NY NY 10012

Someone emailed me asking what sort of people would be there and whether there would be snacks. To the first, I say, I have no idea. A few Consumerist readers came when we did that panel several months ago and they seemed young and nice. To the second, I say, no, there will be no snacks. Snacks are messy. Go eat a sandwich beforehand if you're worried. We will, however, be underwriting the liquid refreshment.

I noticed in previous posts a call in the comments for meetups in other cities. Consumerist Meetup across the nation is a very appealing idea, but we're just going to get this new york thing, a thing we can easily stumble home from using public transit, right first.

(Photo: urbanartcore.eu)

UPDATE: For those of you who are still getting redirected to the old feed, we are working on it.

Announcements:

1. Add your email to your commenter profile. (see this post, "If You Do Not Add A Working Email To Your Profile By Sunday You Will Lose Your Account." We are getting a new site probably Oct 27 and this is part of it.
2. First Consumerist Meetup, Wed Nov 4th, NYC. The "Internets Celebrities" (not us, these other guys who make cool videos like this one about check cashing places and this one about bodegas) will be showing their videos and talking about the joys of quarter water.
3. Observe giant plaque.
4. New cat! His name is Tigre.
5. Cash4Gold hit with class action lawsuit, dramatic reading ensues.

We're putting the finishing touches on our shiny new site, and we'll be ready to show it to you in just a few short weeks (if you want a preview, come visit us at the Consumers Union Annual Meeting, this Saturday!). Before we launch the new site, we need to ask you for something, if you want to keep commenting using the same name that you're using now: your email address. Hit "profile" at the top when you're logged in, then click "edit my profile" and add your email there. Here's why.

When we relaunch, we'll be on a new platform, and all current commenters will have to reestablish their accounts. To do this, we'll be sending you a one-time email, with a link to reset your password.

We're doing our best to make this as simple a transition as possible, and we know you have some questions. The FAQ below covers most of the questions we've received so far. If you have other issues, please add them in the comments, and we'll do our best to get the answers to you.

Account Transition FAQ:

Q: Why are you moving to new servers?

A: When Consumerist was acquired by Consumer Media in January, Gawker agreed to continue hosting the site for up to a year. That year's almost over, so we need to move.

Q: Will you be keeping or adding x Gawker feature?

A: Gawker has its own platform, and some features are unique to it. Some features we'll be keeping are threaded comments, user profiles, and the ability to follow your favorite commenters. Oh, we'll also be keeping disemvoweling and banning.

Q: Why do I need to reactivate my commenting account?

A: Right now, your account is a Gawker network account. It will only work on Gawker-hosted sites (and will still work there after we're gone). Consumerist accounts will need to be reactivated when we move to the new platform.

Q: Why do I need to give you my email address?

A: Since we won't be able to transfer your password, the only way you can prove that you're you is by letting us send you an email to allow you to reestablish your account.

Q: What if my email address is already part of my profile?

A: You don't need to do anything, unless you'd like to use a different email address.

Q: How do I add an email address to my profile?

A: If you're not logged into the site, first login with the "Login" button on our menu bar. Once you're logged in, click on the "Profile" link in the menu bar. That will take you to your Profile page. From there, click on "the Edit My Profile" link next to your name. On the next screen, you'll be able to add an email address to your profile.

Q: Why can't you transfer my password?

A: Passwords are encrypted on Gawker's servers, and nobody can read them — not us, not the Gawker technical staff, nobody. So, they can't be transferred over to our new platform. From a privacy standpoint, this is a good thing, even if it means a little extra work to make the transition happen.

Q: What if I don't give you my email address now?

A: Your commenting ID will be deactivated on Consumerist (though your old comments will still be available). You'll be able to open a new account any time, by re-registering, though you may not be able to get the same user name.

That's it! Post any questions we haven't answered in the comments, and we'll do our best to answer them.

(Photo: adam reker)

It will be a great opportunity to mix with fellow and hang out with Consumerist writers. Open bar until we use up our tab, happy hour drink specials, so this event will be 21+ only. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

(Photo: The Joy Of The Mundane)

"It's really nice that you got us two plaques. Now we don't have to fight over who gets to keep it.

First Meghann and I would really like to thank the UCC and OC, Jim Guest, John Breyault and Sally Greenberg of the National Consumers League, and our bosses Kevin McKean, Marc Perton, without whom we would probably not be here today, and Everett Parker, in whose honor this event is held, and who graces us here with his presence.

Between this award and Consumers Union buying us this year, we now have 173 years of consumer advocacy vouching us. We are grateful and honored to accept this award.

We can't believe that we've gone from running a tiny blog three years ago to standing here today, accepting an award for Consumer Education and Leadership. It's mindblowing, really.

Particularly, because we can both honestly say that we had no idea what we were talking about when we first started at Consumerist.com. But we worked hard every day, with a mix of curiosity and skepticism and eventually started to figure it out. Mostly that came from listening to our audience. Their non-stop comments let us know when we stray and when we're on track. Tips emailed directly from consumers spur 95% of the stories we write. Their approval and disapproval decides whether we stay relevant, online and off. Feeding their interest is what gets us up in the morning.

We see Consumerist's role as bringing the awesome power of the internet to bear on important consumer issues of the day and expose them to the spotlight of the over 2 million people who read us each month. We seek to create awareness, by unorthodox means if necessary.

The playing field is leveling. Consumers are forcing transparency on companies simply by connecting with each other. When consumers can easily compare notes, patterns emerge, which can then be acted on. These conversations are the first steps towards real change. In our 25 new stories each day, it is our privilege to try to help facilitate these discussions."

To this end, we've always found it critical to authentically engage with our readers, our constituency. They are quite literally, that which constitute us, the parts that form the whole. So then, without them, we are nothing.

The nation faces a critical moment. Consumers are strapped and seeking solutions. Desperate times invent desperate measures. In this environment, scams can take out super bowl ads and hide behind the skirt of their fine print, simply because they have the cash to burn.

We deserve better. But only if we act. If we do nothing, we deserve exactly what we get.

It is necessary, then, for all of us to set aside hubris. For however much we at Consumerist.com have educated and lead consumers, they have taught and lead us three times over. As journalists, business people, and advocates, we must both possesses the vision to harness, and the humility to be harnessed by, the consumers, if we are to win the fight for a fair, just, and safe marketplace, together. Thanks again to the National Consumers League for this honor."

(Photo: Marc Perton)

Heyo if you help us learn more about you by filling out this quick survey, you get a free 30 day subscription to ConsumerReports.org. No credit card required.

Tell us what your thoughts about Consumerist and what kind of person you are. It's completely confidential and the info will only be used for research and helping Consumerist figure out how to inform and protect you better, not for marketing. So give it a shot and tell us what's on your mind!

(Photo: Lisa Brewster)

In a statement, the NCL said, "This award is given to individuals who have provided outstanding leadership in consumer education. Your contributions as Co-Executive Editors at The Consumerist have given consumers a new voice — empowering them with the tools of the digital age. Through your work, you have shown how consumer journalism can evolve in a turbulent era for traditional news outlets."

It all goes down at the 27th Annual Everett C. Parker Ethics in Telecommunications lecture and awards reception, 3:30pm at The Riverside Church, New York City. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP at woodardj [@] ucc dot org.

The Everett C. Parker Ethics In Telecommunications Lecture [UCC]

The annual meeting takes place at Consumers Union's headquarters in Yonkers, on October 17th, starting at 10am. The meeting begins with presentations from CU's Board and staff experts, followed by light snacks, and the lab tour. This year, for the first time, the lab tour will include a Consumerist presentation hosted by Meg and Ben.

There are several tour groups, and not all of them go to every demo, so please make sure to arrive on time, and let the greeters know you want to join one of the tours that includes the Consumerist presentation. If those groups are full by the time you arrive, you'll still get to tour the CU labs.

We can't provide transportation, but the office is easy to get to by car or train. Here are the directions.

Google Reader - Featured Reading Lists [Google]

According to 9News, VisitDemark initially defended the stunt, calling it "a good and sweet story about a mature, responsible woman who lives in a free society and shoulders the responsibility of her actions."

There's that. But then there's also the message, "Come to Denmark, where you can impregnate beautiful women and disappear the next morning!" It's the Denmark-as-Vegas model, but "What happens here stays here" was already taken.

Naturally, there's already a parody video (and, actually, it's pretty funny).

Denmark sorry for 'one-night stand' hoax [9News via Brandfreak]

(Photo:hermanusbackpackers)

New Campaign Asks New Yorkers if They're "Pouring On the Pounds" [via Adfreak]
New Salvo in City's War on Sugary Drinks [New York Times]

Above all, don't be a jerk and don't be boring. Ask yourself, is my comment boring, repetitive, or not substantively contributing to an engaging discussion? If you can answer yes, don't hit submit.

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Your comment should be a meaningful response to the issue raised in the post. Take some time when writing a comment, it's not a race and you don't have an edit button. Objections to an editor's headlines or writing style or a post's entire existence should be emailed directly to the post's author. Verboten: "+1" "Why is this on Consumerist?", "tldr", "Why did they even shop there in the first place?", "This is a non-issue", "Slow news day?" "Pwnd" "Yawn", "First", "People still ______" (use dialup, eat fast food, breathe air, and so forth), "Old news", "lol", "This is why I don't shop there," etc.

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August 20th: Caveat Emptor [Gelf Magazine]
A User's Guide To Not Getting Ripped Off [Gelf Magazine]

(Photo: Gúnna)

Carey started off with us as an email intern and was later promoted to Weekend Editor when we realized he was brilliant. He's always had a knack for turning Washington arcana into accessible, popular and substantive posts for our readers; I remember fondly his "Why Is Gas So Freakin' Expensive," where he translated a 324-page Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report into a 2157 Digg post.

Whether liveblogging Congressional hearings, coining the phrase "Chinese Poison Train," (memo to Washington Post: go tilt at some other windmill) or posting the latest great customer-service horror story, with requisite cat photo, the ineffable "Carey Factor," I would say, was bringing a touch of class to the operation. For instance, he invented our "Above and Beyond" series, where we spotlight the story of a company that did really right by a reader. Pure class right there, folks.

I'm sad to see him leave.

But you haven't heard the last of Carey! He may drop some special guest posts on us once in a while, and you can be sure that wherever he goes, his time with Consumerist will inform his path. Hey Carey, remember the day we took this photo of our alt-rock band?

It's premature to pinpoint the exact cause but it's being investigating thoroughly.

For a bit of context, Consumers Union bought Consumerist from Gawker in January. As part of the deal, Gawker continues to provide hosting and tech support for us for up to a year after the sale. So, not too long from now, we'll be transitioning from Gawker's platform to our own. Besides being truly independent, it'll also allow us to introduce lots of great new features for you that we're very excited about.

Thanks for your support and patience.

We're experiencing network difficulties resulting in site timeouts and slow load times. While the techs work on the problem, consider catching up on Consumerist posts you might have missed by reading our RSS feed in your favorite reader.

99% of the anons were unpublishable. Those that were, our moderator found herself approving the same people over and over again. Facebook Connecters could get in without auditioning, with inevitable results. It's also not fair to make some people try hard to audition while other people get a free pass because they have a sexy API. Going forward, if you want to comment on Consumerist, you must register for an account.

Whether you're registering for the first time or a current commenter, you should also take this opportunity to add a valid email address to your profile for password recovery. When we leave Gawker's and go on to our own platform later this year, you'll only be able to keep your commenter name, profile, and history if you're able to respond to a re-registration email that we will have to send out. Go to "Profile" -> "edit my profile" to add yours.

I'm sure disabling anon and Facebook Connect will piss off and thrill in equal measure, but I think in the end that raising the bar for entry will improve the quality of the conversation inside.

(Photo: joguldi)

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Bunedoggle (Thanks to ColoradoShark!) ]]> Consumerist-5263227 Wed, 20 May 2009 17:10:16 EDT Ben Popken http://consumerist.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5263227&view=rss&microfeed=true Our panel discussion last night was a huge success, and seemed to be enjoyed by all. For those of you who sadly could not attend, please enjoy these two fine write-ups of the event from FishbowlNY and the Wall Street Journal. To get an idea of what was said, here's some folks who were Twittering the event using #CR as the hashtag. We'll post video of the panel later. We'd also like to thank all the readers who made it out to Manhattan to say hello. It was nice to put some faces to log-ins.