Today Consumer Reports asked me to do an online survey.  Normally I don’t do this type of thing but I’ve supported Consumer Reports for a long time and I was curious what was in their survey given the dire state of the magazine industry.  The “bait” in the e-mail was the opportunity to choose their next magazine cover.  These were the two choices.

Really?  You couldn’t figure that one out? You don’t know which cover is going to attract more readers at the newsstand?

After filling out the rest of the survey I was actually surprised at how low I scored Consumer Reports.  I used to read the magazine every month and I used much of the information.  I don’t get the magazine anymore obviously, but I do subscribe to their website.  I used their ratings to buy a vacuum cleaner about six months ago but not for much else.  The internet now gives me access to lots of other product users and I can get information from them directly.  The product information available online is also so vast that any one company just can’t test and rate everything.  It’s too bad.  I think an organization like Consumers Union provides certain “watchdog” services that you can’t get anywhere else.  I don’t think they will survive though unless they figure out a way to add more value to their ratings.