A User’s Guide To Not Getting Ripped Off

It’s probably for the best that Gawker Media and its blog the Consumerist parted ways back in December. Besides for being a bit too earnest and un-snarky for a site in the Gawker stable, the Consumerist was also in the awkward position of both complaining about unsavory corporate practices (via its editorial content) and celebrating them (via the ads that graced those same pages.)

Now, after a reported mid-six-figure deal, the Consumerist is owned by the not-for-profit Consumers Union that runs Consumer Reports magazine, and only features ads for the Consumers Union itself. Co-executive editor Ben Popken, who worked for both bosses, notes that while there's still an emphasis on pageviews, nowadays the site operates on "deeper levels" as well.