Links...
Organizations I like...
eff.org, The Electronic Frontier Foundation.
apache.org, The Apache Software Organization.
www.skeptic.com, Home of Skeptic magazine, the best magazine currently in print.
www.consumerreports.org, Look here before you buy anything for an unbiased review of the product. There's a free consumer reports email newsletter you can sign up for which I've found to be very interesting reading. If you ever get ripped off and need help figuring out what to do, ask this organization.
www.zmag.org, a good place
for interesting social commentary and rational thought. Includes and archive
of Noam Chomsky writings.
Consumerism: Products and companies I like...
southwestairlines.com, Their frequent flier program is really good.
netflix.com, The best way to rent videos, I never pay late fees anymore or waste time at Blockbuster.
Consumerism: Products and companies I dislike...
Union Bank of California, One of their ATMs didn't give me the $100 I requested and deducted it from my account anyhow. My attempts to fix this included a call to UBOC which put me on hold for 40 minutes before telling me they couldn't help. I can understand an ATM malfunction but put me on hold for 40 minutes, telling me every 20 seconds "Please continue to hold, your call is important to us", and you're on my shit list for sure. Thieves. Liars. Union Bank of California.
Specialized Bicycle Products, Specialized advertises this lock as having the "convenience of a cable lock with the security of a U-Lock" and being made with "stainless steel cable with Kevlar core" having "interlocking hardened stainless steel cups surrounding the cable core". The thief who stole my bicycle cut through my Specialized lock like it was a piece of dental floss. This lock is no stonger than any ordinary cable lock. Specialized sells their products using marketing lies, don't buy them.
AT&T. I have been abused by this company enough in my life that I will never use their services again.
Blockbuster Video. See Netflix, above.
