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[UPDATE: 7/9/08] Deal Discussion categorization and other minor changes! in: General Discussion

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   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 9:33a
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So there's a task set forth to review Deal Discussion and come up with a FAQ, or set rules/guidelines, or an instruction manual to more clearly indicate what it is we DO here as a community.

As a moderator, I've got all these notions about what a Deal Discussion post should be, and so do a lot of us moderator-types. Here's the funny thing: I'm not entirely sure I know how I came to know what it is I think I know about this forum.

Here's what is available in our own FAQ:

The FW Frequently Asked Question Pages said:Deal requests and future deals belong in the Deal Discussion category.
Post in the correct category ex. "Hot Deals", "Online Auctions", "Deal Discussion"
The following types of posts do not belong in the Hot Deals category: "Check your email for a coupon", "Weekly ad for company x is out", "I just got a coupon from Company X in snail mail."So there's one mention of what should go *in* Deal Discussion, one instruction to use the DD forum correctly, and there's a line we've always interpreted as "Well I guess that means it goes in Deal Discussion, because it's not a Hot Deal!" Okay, the rules are a BIT vague.

So here's your charge, denizens of FatWallet Deal Discussion:

Reply with the following:


  • What do you think Deal Discussion really IS for--How do you use it?
  • Are there topics frequently posted in Deal Discussion which have a more appropriate home? If so, where?
  • Are there topics which are appropriate to DD which wind up in other forums instead? Like what?
  • What categories best define Deal Discussion topics?

Here's a sample of the things we typically see in Deal Discussion. Please add to the list, and provide suggestions for categories (or types) of posts based on "typical" Deal Discussion topics:


  • Deal Requests
  • Future Deals (i.e. "Found in next week's ad")
  • General Sale Announcements (e.g. "Next Week's Sale" without specific deal info)
  • "Items of Interest" ("deals" at full retail, for instance. The Asus mini-laptop comes to mind.)
  • How-To's and Tutorials
  • Coupon and offer 'collections' or 'lists' threads -- Say, like "Every available XM Radio promotion and coupon code ever!" (and what's up with proof of purchase/reward programs in Free Stuff? Helloooo Bebop!)
  • Ongoing discussions regarding general savings or frugality (Think of threads like gas/electric/energy savings threads)
  • "Check your mail" posts. (Like potentially 'hot' deals not available to everyone--direct mailed coupons from club memberships, or members of a class action lawsuit, etc.)
  • Availability threads (ps2, ps3, xbox 360, wii, wii fit, wii remote, wii-ever)
  • Questions about products (product review solicitations)
  • Product Reviews, even. (yes, we have a forum for this)
  • Scam alerts
  • Merchant discussions (yes, we have a feature for merchant ratings)

This post reached "long enough" status about 50 lines ago, so please, have at it!

Edit: The gigantor list of what's in Deal Discussion currently doesn't mean it'll all wind up being included. Proposing *subtractions* from the list is kind of covered with the first few questions. Essentially, "what's supposed to be here?"

Edit 7/9/08: Updated Title.

Message edited by: DevilMonkey on 2008-07-09 04:33:06 CDT
   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 9:33a

Quick Summary is created and edited by users like you... Add FAQ's, Links and other Relevant Information by clicking the edit button in the lower right hand corner of this message.


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   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 10:20a
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What do you think Deal Discussion really IS for--How do you use it? Deal discussion should be used to discuss things like product availability, , ongoing purchasing discussion like this, and this. Ongoing infomation that provides a porential buyer product information and the best prices "at that time". Another example of a good deal discussion here.. Ongoing discussion like this one.. Another good example here. Pre-Sale codes, tips on how to get a good cell phone plan, this is my idea of a deal discussion.

Are there topics frequently posted in Deal Discussion which have a more appropriate home? If so, where? 90% of what is in DD belongs in OT!
This...not a deal discussion. Doesn't belong on FW period! Not a deal discussion. So many examples to pick from.

Are there topics which are appropriate to DD which wind up in other forums instead? Like what? I think a user's / product forum might be helpful. Owner's of Dell Latitude D830 laptops, owner's of a Blackberry, owner's of a Honda Civic, just a few examples; these could all have their own category and not be in the root of DD. I have said this dozens of times befroe: WE NEED A FIND ME A DEAL FORUM! People posting that they need a toaster - not details beyond that, is so frustrating. FInd me a deal is NOT a deal discussion.

What categories best define Deal Discussion topics? Defined in question 1.

Message edited by: TM1 on 2008-06-20 10:29:02 CDT
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   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 10:37a
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It is sort of a "misc" category, a dumping zone for stuff that doesn't fit in other categories. It seems to be working fine right now, no changes needed.

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   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 10:40a
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This thread belongs in FatWallet forum, not Deal Discussion.

rated:
   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 11:55a
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only 3 comments

1. sometimes future ads appear in hot deals other times here ???????

2. this is ticket crapper thread. sure y'all know this.

3. bestbuy, CVS, Riteaid, walgreens future ads need sticky or a dedicated posting place(grocery??).

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   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 12:34p
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FrugalFreak said:only 3 comments

1. sometimes future ads appear in hot deals other times here ???????

2. this is ticket crapper thread. sure y'all know this.

3. bestbuy, CVS, Riteaid, walgreens future ads need sticky or a dedicated posting place(grocery??).

I think as far as future ads go, it goes here if it's more than XX days before the sale starts. I don't remember how many, but I recall reading this somehere.

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   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 1:34p
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sloppy1 said:It is sort of a "misc" category, a dumping zone for stuff that doesn't fit in other categories. It seems to be working fine right now, no changes needed.I agree, DD seems to work pretty well. Adding categorization couldn't hurt though.

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   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 2:03p
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I wouldn't think Reward programs belong here either.


Who would ever think to post Mypoints or FreeRide here? Who would think to look here for those types of offers? *shakes head* not here, not free stuff, and not contests.... Reward programs can be awesome, FW used to have a damn good Rewards board....

 

I'm gonna lead this horse to water....but it's not the first time.

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   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 2:08p
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FrugalFreak said:only 3 comments

1. sometimes future ads appear in hot deals other times here ???????

2. this is ticket crapper thread. sure y'all know this.

3. bestbuy, CVS, Riteaid, walgreens future ads need sticky or a dedicated posting place(grocery??).


Grocery will be wanting CVS, RiteAid, Walgreens...not Best Buy.

As for feature ads being here or there. FW has issues making CLEAR-idiot-proof-guidelines. Users are more interrested in finding deals..not figuring out how the forum works.

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   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 4:44p
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sloppy1 said:It is sort of a "misc" category, a dumping zone for stuff that doesn't fit in other categories. It seems to be working fine right now, no changes needed.

Deal Discussion should not be a dumping zone, that is what Off Topic is for. Obviously the staff thinks it could be improved or they wouldn't be looking for input as to how to better it.

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   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 5:56p
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As TM1 suggested before, a subforum or some kind of organization on "find me a deal on XXX product" with clarification to posters that THEY need to do a little leg work in finding a good deal, that people aren't going to do all their work for them. Nothing ticks me off than someone who either wants the impossible, or just spends the time on FW requesting others do all their work for them.

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   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 9:11p
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FrugalFreak said:only 3 comments

1. sometimes future ads appear in hot deals other times here ???????

2. this is ticket crapper thread. sure y'all know this.

3. bestbuy, CVS, Riteaid, walgreens future ads need sticky or a dedicated posting place(grocery??).They go here when they are a week or more before the sale date, and we are sometimes asked to move them when they become "current."

What about a sticky thread for links maintained in the quick summary that point to popular current/upcoming sale ad discussions?

Message edited by: Solipsist on 2008-06-20 21:11:35 CDT
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   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 9:18p
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Thanks for the input so far. I'll be reading responses over the weekend at least, and will probably let this roll on til early next week to allow some of the M-F only crowd to contribute.

As for thoughtful replies on my part, I'll save them for a little later, when I've had some sleep.

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   posted: Jun. 20, 2008 @ 11:53p
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Beboparoo said:Grocery will be wanting CVS, RiteAid, Walgreens...not Best Buy.

Are we getting grocery back? Or is it back and I can't find it. I still miss the grocery forum.

I would love to see the looking for a deal threads go somewhere else. I'm not sure what DD is intended to be but is seems like a can I get a presale code, where can I get a good deal on a ________, so and so screwed me over forum. Maybe we should start putting the grocery deals in here too.

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   posted: Jun. 21, 2008 @ 12:19a
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trishshack said:Are we getting grocery back? Or is it back and I can't find it. I still miss the grocery forum.GC is coming back soon:
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/fatwallet/829297/

rated:
   posted: Jun. 21, 2008 @ 9:05a
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Just to present another veiwpoint, and to be perfectly honest, I really don't care what is in, or not in, Deal Discussion. 99.9999% of my time here is to look in Hot Deals, and nothing more.

To be really REALLY honest, I don't spend much time here at all anymore. The vast majority of my Fatwallet content comes from the daily deals email and RSS feed.

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   posted: Jun. 21, 2008 @ 9:42a
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TM1 said:sloppy1 said:It is sort of a "misc" category, a dumping zone for stuff that doesn't fit in other categories. It seems to be working fine right now, no changes needed.

Deal Discussion should not be a dumping zone, that is what Off Topic is for. Obviously the staff thinks it could be improved or they wouldn't be looking for input as to how to better it.
The staff is only responding to a very few complaints from some of the more vocal members. I think the majority of us feel DD is fine.

I'd say anything not related to products belongs in Off Topic, that way I can continue to avoid that section of the site. For instance, if someone wanted information about a user's experience with a certain product, or wants to know where to find a good deal on one, that should be in DD. Off Topic should be reserved for discussions of celebrities, sports, and petty bickering.

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   posted: Jun. 21, 2008 @ 5:16p
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HardwareLust said:Just to present another veiwpoint, and to be perfectly honest, I really don't care what is in, or not in, Deal Discussion. 99.9999% of my time here is to look in Hot Deals, and nothing more.

To be really REALLY honest, I don't spend much time here at all anymore. The vast majority of my Fatwallet content comes from the daily deals email and RSS feed. but you took the time to read the thread and post, so what is your input? Would you come to DD if it was more organized somehow?

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   posted: Jun. 21, 2008 @ 6:11p
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leave it alone ---- it is a good place for general discussion on things like ---> should I rent the rug shampoo machine or buy it?

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