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I won't, but I am very tempted to call to say hi and a \"Keep up the good work, Consumerist!\".
1 replies
I won't, but I am very tempted to call to say hi and a \"Keep up the good work, Consumerist!\".
Is there a way to post the Transcription from Google voice too?
@mitpatterson2: In my short experience with Google Voice's transcription feature, it doesn't work well.
Google Transcription
\"Hi. This is Erin calling from to write the reason for my call. Just to remind you that your trip to have a membership has expired.\"
The actual call was from someone at AAA (trip to have a AND to write)
@MikeB: well i've used it too, i know it's not the best, but this would make following along a little easier, or if you don't have speakers or are at work, then you can get the jist of the message.
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If only as an excuse to run that photo.
Although I suppose GitEmSteveDave should have the number on speed dial so he can snark in person. Plus, you could, I don't know, have audio of the Best Buy assistant manager yelling at you or whatnot.
@Cameraman: Oh, it will be on speed dial. I'll have to call from my GV number, 908-912-GESD, though.
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Google Voice to Consumerist
You have a new voicemail from
Cash4Gold (954) 555-5555 - mobile
12:01 PM
\"Uh yeah, heh heh, this is Cash4 -- er, I mean this is President Obama. You're like, illegal now. Heh. So you can take down the site now. [laughter] Also, um, you have to give Cash4Gold a lottta money. A whole lot. Because, er -- Bye!\"
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@PunditGuy: Haha I actually thought the comment was funny. I can see how it could be seen as too critical though.
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@PunditGuy: Voicemails are so 1999. I mean, if people still left voicemails, then we'd be able to leave voicemails when we called people. Oh wait...
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@squinko: Perhaps Consumerist would like to let you know where their closest Western Union office is, in case you want to send them a telegram.
@PunditGuy: Screw that. I'm going to send some Morse code tips on over.
Sorry, Consumerist. I'm only stating my opinion, but I think this is a bad and stupid idea. I'm not really into listening to someone ramble on for 2 minutes about something I could have READ in 30 seconds (yes, I am referring to this particular post, and the many nauseating ones to come). Also, not everyone is in an environment where audio is a good idea (work, library, etc).
Or, instead of 347-422-6695 or 347-42C-ON95, you could dial 34-GIBBON-95 ...
...just sayin'...
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Google Voice is cool and all that, but I'm not sure I see the benefit to this. What's wrong with email?
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@dmuth: Like Ben said upthread, what if you want to send in a tip and don't have access to email at the moment?
There have been times last year in which I've spotted a glaring issue that I thought Consumerist would find interesting, but I had a dumbphone at that point and had to wait until I was at my computer to send the email, and that was somewhat pointless if I had to plug in my Micro SD card from my phone so I could pull the photos off my dumbphone.
I have a smartphone now, so that's not an issue, but I would've liked a tip line back in 2008.
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@pecan 3.14159265: PRO TIP: SMS (aka \"text messages\") are really just short, expensive emails. you can put an email address in the TO line of a text message, and thay will get your 140-character email. they can also reply to you, but you'll only get the first 140 characters.
Google Voice to Consumerist
You have a new voicemail from
Cash4Gold (954) 555-5555 - mobile
12:04 PM
\"So like this is the internet people. You know. The ones who control this internet? And you should turn over consumerist.com to us immediately. And your new domain is baldpeopleurine.net. This is the only one available. To you. At this time. That's .net, not .com. [laughter] So, er, do this right away, um, bye!\"
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Is it wrong to feel elitist for having \"The Consumerist\" in my phone?
@Kimaroo - Fortified with Kittydus Purrularis: Yes, unless you actually get a call back from that number. In that case, you are well within your rights to feel elitist.
@MostlyHarmless: Well, as you know, I look for any reason to feel elitist.
Maybe in this case it would be more appropriate to feel \"Just a little bit special\" instead of elitist.
Can my kittehs call to leave the Cap'n a message? Does the GV translation software work, or do you need someone who studied KSL?
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Next thing you know, you'll be following in the footsteps of Colorado's Suburban Home Records and setting up a Drunk Dial Hotline!
Seriously, though, I can see this being pretty cool. Like, let's say that you're in a Wisconsin Menard's and you've been detained by a security guard. Your first call, obviously, would be to the police. But your second call? To The Consumerist Tip Hotline.
\"Hello, Consumerist! This is XXXX. I am currently detained by a rent-a-cop in a Wisconsin Menard's. Say 'hello,' Rent-a-Cop!\"
Ben, do you guys keep track of the phone numbers? Not sure I want my phone number to be floating around out there.
They got these big chewy pretzels here that ar ejajdjkga;jkc ac asjdr;kac a;ca... 5 dollars!? Get outta here....
@loquaciousmusic: Brings up a point which made me think. Ben, do we have your permission to give this number out to people who hit on us? I ask this for other people, because surprisingly, it has never come up in my personal expierence. I have been given fake numbers, of course, but never had the chance to give one out.
Also, if that deal for 1000 business cards for $3 is still available from Morning Deals last week, I know a good thing to use it for. We can all make tipline cards and leave them at Best Buy, Wal-mart, etc... Any idea what they should say/picture to use?
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@GitEmSteveDave_OverSleptThisMorn: [www.humorhotlines.com] Rejection Hotline, and the message is pretty hysterical.
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So...can we have Consumerist Buttdial Friday where you post the messages left by all of the people who accidentally leave butt messages?
@Smashville_now with Monster Energy: I love this idea! Lookin' forward to hearing my husband's butt, it makes a lotta calls!
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People like to complain about anything, don't they? If you don't want to leave a voicemail, no one is forcing you to. Who cares if The Consumerist has a tip line? No, they don't need it, but it's another contact method. It's certainly not taking away from anything.
@ben: Agreed.
I happen to think it's cool. Some people tend to express their ideas better vocally then through written means. Not to mention you get a bit of a emotion in the voice.
:-)
Pretty cool!
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I know it's only leaky latex, but I'm sort of weirded out that underaged girls were working the Panda Leaky Condom Factory.
I hereby officially nominate the suggestion that a different Consumerist person records a message every week, with points given for diction, originality and awesomeness. And that the results are included on the Flickr Pool story or the Weekly Summary story.
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I'd put this in my phone, but I would only drunk dial it.
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I like this. There was one story that probably wouldn't come across as well in an email. I've been meaning to send it to Consumerist for about a year, about MDG computers and how they conned our family in a computer sale (at the time we didn't know much about PC's at all). At one point, the PC that included a DVD drive my dad asked, \"Does it play CD's as well?\" The guy said \"No, that'll be $90 extra\" and proceeded to charge him for it. Will have to call this in sometime.
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I'm going to call up and leave a message with all the vowels missing.
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@madanthony: And then google wondered why their voice mail transcription software broke down in tears.
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wow, people are complaining over a new feature that they are not in anyway required to use. i love consumerist.. is this REALLY better for the consumer? I mean, who wants different ways of presenting stories? we wouldn't want to be all classy like NPR or something.
Press 1 for Ben. Press 2 for Meg. Press 3 to order a pizza. Press 4 to add this site to the do not call list.
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Citi raised my interest rate too, I guess I'm lucky with only 20.99% minimum.
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Google doesn't like it when you embed their flash in iframes, which is what happens when you're reading the RSS feed in Bloglines. At least that's what my Firefox does. Firefox needs to handle that error a little better, I think. But Google needs to get over it.
Or else use some other widget to play the MP3 with.
@Bryan Price: I had to remove the widget Google offers from my webpage because FireFox had that stupid error. It doesn't appear in IE, so it's a FF problem.
@GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking: I'm trying to report it as a bug, but now I can't get code working that fails. It keeps working. I give up!
Did anyone notice that the OP(OC?) was talking about the 10% interest \"rebate\" and assuming that it was 10% APR, lowering the rate from 29% to 19%? I suspect that Citi is not being anywhere near that generous, but is instead rebating 10% of the *amount of interest paid* which would be completely different:
Let's assume, for simplicity's sake, 24% APR interest, which is roughly 2% per month (depending on how it's actually calculated) on a $1000 balance.
so one month's interest at 24% APR would be about $20.
I think what they are offering is 10% of $20, or $2 discount.
If they were offering 10% off of the APR, then that would make the APR 14%, which would be $11.67 in interest for the month, vs $20.
Quite a difference. Somehow, I suspect Citi is taking the less generous approach.
on the mobile website it should be LARGE somewhere in number format. so i can just click the link on my ipheez fur sheez
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Please do NOT post these voicemails without transcription. It's discriminatory to people with hearing impairments.
Love the idea. I don't always feel like constructing gramatically correct letters and wasting time typing esp. if I am mad \"Now!\" lol. HOWEVER, the msgs need to be limited to one minute long to avoid ranting and maximize valuable context.
@BklynHotniss: Yeah.. if they think I ramble now on email, just wait until they get a voice mail of me talking on and on about something they may or may not care about. Lol.
PS. They have never accused me of rambling on email, but I do tend to ramble.
There's got to be a best of for the recordings that you KNOW are coming. Still...no 800 number?!? :(
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I know its free and its cool, but is there a real reason why a blog needs a call in tip line?
@CompyPaq:
DEFINITELY, put this # in your cell speed dial and have your would-be write in consumer encounters RECORDED for consumerist to post!
@CompyPaq:@Cameraman: also an excuse to see what google voice can do.
Some early applications of emerging technologies seemed uneccessary or even ridiculous at first, but they were taken places never dreamed of (well, except by star trek: [en.wikipedia.org])
And I know google voice isn't all that new or groundbreaking, but it's still interesting to see what will come of people thinking of even old things in new ways.
@CompyPaq: Clearly, it's so I can drunk-dial them to complain about the inadequacy of my cheeseburger, the call can be recorded and used for massive lulz, and everyone gets some free entertainment. Well, except for me, I'd probably just be shamed off the site.
@CompyPaq: What if someone wants to leave a tip while they're on the go and not sitting in front of email?
@CompyPaq: Yeah, email seems more efficient.