diff --git a/example.cfg b/example.cfg
index 9f67e5c..3409f9c 100644
--- a/example.cfg
+++ b/example.cfg
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 [general]
 # A folder where vdirsyncer can store some metadata about each pair.
 status_path = ~/.vdirsyncer/status/
-#verbose = True
+#verbose = False  # setting this to true will show e.g. HTTP traffic
 
 # CONTACTS
 [pair bob_contacts]
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/cli.py b/vdirsyncer/cli.py
index 8f804bf..622ce26 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/cli.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/cli.py
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ def _main(env, file_cfg):
                     '_'.join(filter(bool, (pair_name, collection)))
                 pair_description = \
                     ' from '.join(filter(bool, (collection, pair_name)))
-                cli_logger.debug('Syncing {}'.format(pair_description))
+                cli_logger.info('Syncing {}'.format(pair_description))
                 status = load_status(general['status_path'], status_name)
                 sync(a, b, status,
                      pair_options.get('conflict_resolution', None))
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ def _main(env, file_cfg):
 
     app.register_command('sync', sync_command)
 
-    if general.get('verbose', True):
+    if general.get('verbose', False):
         verbose_option()
     else:
         quiet_option()
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/log.py b/vdirsyncer/log.py
index c2dd426..39fd85d 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/log.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/log.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import sys
 
 
 stdout_handler = logging.StreamHandler(sys.stdout)
-default_level = logging.WARNING
+default_level = logging.INFO
 
 
 def create_logger(name):
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/sync.py b/vdirsyncer/sync.py
index ae73a55..6da5956 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/sync.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/sync.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ def action_upload(uid, source, dest):
     def inner(storages, status, conflict_resolution):
         source_storage, source_list, source_uid_to_href = storages[source]
         dest_storage, dest_list, dest_uid_to_href = storages[dest]
-        sync_logger.debug('Copying (uploading) item {} to {}'
+        sync_logger.info('Copying (uploading) item {} to {}'
                           .format(uid, dest_storage))
 
         source_href = source_uid_to_href[uid]
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ def action_update(uid, source, dest):
     def inner(storages, status, conflict_resolution):
         source_storage, source_list, source_uid_to_href = storages[source]
         dest_storage, dest_list, dest_uid_to_href = storages[dest]
-        sync_logger.debug('Copying (updating) item {} to {}'
+        sync_logger.info('Copying (updating) item {} to {}'
                           .format(uid, dest_storage))
         source_href = source_uid_to_href[uid]
         source_etag = source_list[source_href]['etag']
@@ -134,13 +134,13 @@ def action_delete(uid, source, dest):
     def inner(storages, status, conflict_resolution):
         if dest is not None:
             dest_storage, dest_list, dest_uid_to_href = storages[dest]
-            sync_logger.debug('Deleting item {} from {}'
+            sync_logger.info('Deleting item {} from {}'
                               .format(uid, dest_storage))
             dest_href = dest_uid_to_href[uid]
             dest_etag = dest_list[dest_href]['etag']
             dest_storage.delete(dest_href, dest_etag)
         else:
-            sync_logger.debug('Deleting status info for nonexisting item {}'
+            sync_logger.info('Deleting status info for nonexisting item {}'
                               .format(uid))
         del status[uid]
 
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ def action_delete(uid, source, dest):
 
 def action_conflict_resolve(uid):
     def inner(storages, status, conflict_resolution):
-        sync_logger.debug('Doing conflict resolution for item {}...'
+        sync_logger.info('Doing conflict resolution for item {}...'
                           .format(uid))
         a_storage, list_a, a_uid_to_href = storages['a']
         b_storage, list_b, b_uid_to_href = storages['b']
@@ -158,15 +158,15 @@ def action_conflict_resolve(uid):
         a_meta = list_a[a_href]
         b_meta = list_b[b_href]
         if a_meta['obj'].raw == b_meta['obj'].raw:
-            sync_logger.debug('...same content on both sides.')
+            sync_logger.info('...same content on both sides.')
             status[uid] = a_href, a_meta['etag'], b_href, b_meta['etag']
         elif conflict_resolution is None:
             raise exceptions.SyncConflict()
         elif conflict_resolution == 'a wins':
-            sync_logger.debug('...{} wins.'.format(a_storage))
+            sync_logger.info('...{} wins.'.format(a_storage))
             action_update(uid, 'a', 'b')(storages, status, conflict_resolution)
         elif conflict_resolution == 'b wins':
-            sync_logger.debug('...{} wins.'.format(b_storage))
+            sync_logger.info('...{} wins.'.format(b_storage))
             action_update(uid, 'b', 'a')(storages, status, conflict_resolution)
         else:
             raise ValueError('Invalid conflict resolution mode: {}'