▁advert ising ▁re venue ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁increasing ▁traffic . ▁He ▁explained ▁these ▁dec isions ▁by ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁credit ▁crisis , ▁but ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁company ▁was ▁still ▁prof itable . ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁G aw ker ▁reported ▁ 2 7 4 ▁million ▁page views . ▁ ▁On ▁November ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁G aw ker ▁announced ▁that ▁Valley w ag ▁would ▁fol d ▁into ▁G aw ker . com . ▁The ▁Cons umer ist ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁Cons um ers ▁Union , ▁which ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁site ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁On ▁February ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁G aw ker ▁announced ▁that ▁Def amer . com ▁would ▁fol d ▁into ▁G aw ker . com . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁G aw ker ▁Media ▁websites ▁were ▁inf ected ▁with ▁mal ware ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁fake ▁Su zu ki ▁advert is ements . ▁The ▁explo its ▁inf ected ▁un protected ▁users ▁with ▁sp y ware ▁and ▁crash ed ▁inf ected ▁computer ' s ▁browsers . ▁The ▁network ▁apolog ized ▁by ▁stating ▁" S orry ▁About ▁That . ▁Our ▁ad ▁sales ▁team ▁fell ▁for ▁a ▁mal ware ▁sc am . ▁Sorry ▁if ▁it ▁crash ed ▁your ▁computer ". ▁G aw ker ▁shared ▁the ▁correspond ence ▁between ▁the ▁sc amm ers ▁and ▁G aw ker ▁via ▁Business ▁Ins