★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Ryan · Aug 10, 2017

Alright fellas... I'm getting tired of people ignoring the rules of the hot deals forum. A little earlier, I had a member with something like 500 posts accuse me of being a dictator for having rules to begin with... After I banned said user, it occurred to me - maybe you guys don't want any rules in here.

As it stands, discussions are discouraged from the hot deals forum and we try to get people to post only deals... or at least posts relevant to deals. Obviously, a lot of people just ignore this rule and post away regardless.

Do the bulk of you guys want no moderation in here? It's time to find out.

So, place your votes. I'll do whatever the hell y'all want.

Strouty · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Some discussion is nice, because you can talk about items that are the actual deal. You usually have lots of people's attention, so input is very quick. I can see the other side as well, but just posting links to deals without any ability to discuss if they are truly a deal doesn't seem like the answer.

Ryan · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Strouty said:
Some discussion is nice, because you can talk about items that are the actual deal. You usually have lots of people's attention, so input is very quick. I can see the other side as well, but just posting links to deals without any ability to discuss if they are truly a deal doesn't seem like the answer.

As it stands right now, we allow some discussion if it pertains to the deal. Once it gets off track, we start deleting and banning people.

Pretty tough, right? It's not really a black and white... line vs. cross the line type of deal.

Strouty · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

I know that the hot deals section gets GJ a lot of attention, I have done my fair share of "upsetting" people in the Zoro thread, but when people just take discount codes and never join or post that they take them, it just "upsets" me. I know my particular sense of humor is not well liked, but I still think when people asked for 30% off codes and I posted: no304u and other variations, it was pretty funny.

Ryan · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Strouty said:
I know that the hot deals section gets GJ a lot of attention, I have done my fair share of "upsetting" people in the Zoro thread, but when people just take discount codes and never join or post that they take them, it just "upsets" me. I know my particular sense of humor is not well liked, but I still think when people asked for 30% off codes and I posted: no304u and other variations, it was pretty funny.

Funny, yes. Helpful, productive, good content? Probably not man.

LB-1911 · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Some people just can't take a "hint" you have been more than lenient in the
Sears.com hot deals and clearance thread

06-24-2017

Ryan said:
Hey guys, I've gotten a couple of complaints about this thead... folks are using it for general discussion rather than posting deals. Please follow our rules and don't post unless you have a deal to post. Failing to do so could end in your account losing privilidges to use the hot deals forum.

Thanks,

Ryan

07-12-2017

Ryan said:
Hey fellas. Please don't post on this thread unless you have a deal to post. Using the deals thread for general conversation will get your account closed.

Thanks.

08-02-2017

Ryan said:
Again guys... please use this thread for deals... and not discussion.

Strouty · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

I try and stay out of discussions now.

What is YOUR goal Ryan? Do you want it to be like slick deals or something else? I honestly think that you should have the ability to rule as a dictator if you want, it is your bandwidth.

Ryan · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

In any case, I really don't care how we run it... I just need to know how y'all want it ran.

Strouty · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Ryan said:
Funny, yes. Helpful, productive, good content? Probably not man.

I agree and I did stop, so at least I can take a hint. :thumbup:

Ryan · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Strouty said:
I try and stay out of discussions now.

What is YOUR goal Ryan? Do you want it to be like slick deals or something else? I honestly think that you should have the ability to rule as a dictator if you want, it is your bandwidth.

My goal is to help people find decent deals. That simple.

So, y'all tell me how ya wanna do it and I'll do it.

Strouty · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Ryan said:
In any case, I really don't care how we run it... I just need to know how y'all want it ran.

The problem with that is the issue is like when the State of Maine wanted to widen the turnpike to three lanes. The widening only covered the first 50 miles of the road, so the people that used it all the time wanted it done, the rest didn't give a care. I think that is how it will be seen here. The people that use hot deals all the time will want mass ban camp trips, while someone just poking their head in will look at you as a tyRYANt, see what I did there?

soob · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Notice what forum this thread is in? Don't post here. It's a trap!

trekgod3 · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

I visit the hot deals forum for hot deals, not 20 posts about whose sk hammers arrived. Just my 2 cents

Strouty · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

If you are going to clean things up, then there should be a hold on new topics until approved, duplicates pop up all the time, then people post about one day things and a year later it gets bumped and people get all excited.

You have the people that want everyone to get a good deal

You have the people that want to buy every good deal and resell at a profit

You have the people that don't know what a good deal is

I am sure there are more types, but those are the ones I see the most. Fighting always seems to break out when it appears someone has purchased too many of a hot deal or mentions reselling.

Strouty · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

soob said:
Notice what forum this thread is in? Don't post here. It's a trap!

trekgod3 said:
I visit the hot deals forum for hot deals, not 20 posts about whose sk hammers arrived. Just my 2 cents

Those posts also serve as bumps, when a hot deal is a hot deal, keeping it going is the way to get the deal in front of more people.

Correct me if I am wrong, but if people buy through links on the pages of GJ, the forum benefits in a financial respect too.

jumbojak · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

I like the deals threads. You can get alerted to stuff you might want that's for sale at a decent price. When it turns into a discussion of SYW points and the like though, I lose interest. Honestly I don't have much of a leg to stand on though. I'm not much of a deal hunter myself and certainly not for things I'm not interested in right that moment. So I can see where other, more active members, might get miffed when someone who doesn't usually have anything to add has something to say. I do appreciate the effort some members put into posting their finds. Should probably say that more often.

Ryan · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

soob said:
Notice what forum this thread is in? Don't post here. It's a trap!

Hahahaha. That made me smile.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Decline58 · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Ryan,Thanks for asking our opinion.

I realize now that I probably broke the current rules with my "Sears $12 Surprise Points" thread of today. I probably should have put that in the "Product and Vendor reviews" forum. I would have no problem of an Admin moving that thread to the proper forum. I would probably been irritated if that thread would have been simply deleted.

I do appreciate a bit of discussion on the hot deals, especially if a Hot Deal really isn't that hot, as I posted one that turned out to be from a person that may not have the best reputation here at GJ.

As a suggestion: perhaps in the permathreads the discussions can be kept at a minimum, but allow the starting of other threads that allow more discussions.

I check the Hot Deals about every day and find useful info, but if the discussions get overwhelming in number, I will certainly visit less frequently.

Kinda of Goldilocks response, not too many discussions, not too few discussions, just the right amount. I hope it helps a bit.

PelicanPines · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

In hot deals... some discussion is expected... hey... I want to know if someone posts a hot deal and others have tried it and its not really a good deal or the item is "lame" etc.

It's like WTF picture thread... It gets frustrating when on a page of 20 posts... there are 2 unique pictures (on a good day)...

On the whole... I kinda like things a bit open but they better stay with respect and at a minimum ... the convo better be about "Hot Deals" in a pretty much almost direct fashion.

I take advantage of the Amazon Warehouse deal thread a lot... and I have no issues with the convos that happen there. I ignore the Sears deals as ... well... it's sears. I'm in the Milwaukee Deals thread too...

I would kinda like the deals to be in ONE spot... and new threads would have to be started by request...

* This post is not a conversation... it is an opinion... and you never mentioned Opinions were not allowed in the Deals section...

PFSard · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

My take : Maybe not doable but .... If possible. Might be more complicated than necessary.

The Home Depot, Sears, etc threads :

(1) One thread to post the deals.
(2) A button to click on the original posting that creates a discussion thread on this deal if one doesn't exist. If there is already a discussion thread, the button accesses the already created discussion thread.

The other threads that are referencing one particular time : The discussions can stay within the thread.

getbent4x4 · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

eh banning is not needed. but deal only talk should be enforced.

ducksface · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

I think the major contributors to the Amazon thread should not only be asked their opinions exclusive of those of us who use but don't contribute, but they should be allowed to moderate that thread. They put in a LOT of time on it for no real payoff for themselves other than the joy of sharing. I greatly greatly appreciate their effort, but have never understood why they do it other than
Everyone needs a hobby. It's their hobby, let them set it up so as to prompt them to action, and to name the actions needed.

Consider them honorary mayors of Tool Town.

I have no opinion on the other got deal threads. Too hard to follow and a tool at $3.49 vs $3.99 isn'ta deal to me, so I just don'tgo to the Sears thread and such.

Thanks Amazon guys! I don't know why you do it, but it is much appreciated.

archirelic · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

The rules are pretty simple to follow. A moderate amount of discussion as it pertains to a posted deal is understandable and necessary at times...and then that should be it...some posters tend to not care or don't understand the rules I suppose.

Sh40674 · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Discussion of a deal is fine. The Milwaukee deal thread had pages worth of posts combined talking about a blower or a trimmer though for example. Simple discussion over a deal or if its worth it and if it's a decent tool for the money is fine, but there are already threads dedicated to the discussion of tools. Jmo

a52-830 · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

ok, you asked . . . .

i find it amusing that some people post "why are we talking instead of posting deals", which, ya know, is the pot calling the kettle black, as it were (they aren't posting a deal either, just what they are complaining about) (this is not directed at the moderators, just regular users).

when i have bothered to check, i have always found that the people who publicly complain are not posting any deals, anywhere on the site (maybe they are reposting them on slickdeals or something, dont know, dont care.).

i dont know who compains to ryan. maybe it is the forum regulars who are posting most of the deals, but i doubt it, since they are also usually involved in the conversations.

personally, i dont find that the conversations leave the "spirit" of the thread behind very often. sure, people posted that their SK hammers arrived. i did, mine arrived six months and two weeks after i ordered it. this information is important to people who also ordered, but not received theirs, because now they can see when amazon is filling orders placed in the past, allowing them go guess when they might get theirs.

the home depot thread is filled with discussions about how to find deals (usually involving either in store PC's, or where employees hide things that are heavily discounted). again, there are a lot of various discussions, but they seem focused on what is a deal, or how to find it, rather than discussions about which is better, ryobi or dewalt.

you have stated to me that you are trying to help the people looking for deals. to me, that seems backwards. if you want deals posted, you need to protect the people posting them. looking at the forums i frequent, there are usually three or four people posting most of the deals. over time, one or two drop out, and are replaced by someone else. but, if the forum becomes too unpleasant a place to be due to the policing, the frequent posters might decide to drop out themselves. then the people who are complaining, but not sharing deals themselves (notice i didnt say not finding deals), will be out of luck.

i think that a light moderation touch would be a good thing. if a conversation drifts too far outside of the domain of the thread, a private message to the people keeping it going to move it elsewhere would be appropriate. but a general "only post deals or i'll start deleting accounts" is hostile, and certainly doesnt encourage me to post any deals.

PelicanPines · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

1. Keep it as it is and ban users that refuse to follow the rules.

2. Be more lenient and allow some discussion.

Not for nothing... but aren't these two poll questions... kinda sorta the same.

1. Keep it the same as it is now = ok well some discussion is allowed now...
2. Be more lenient and allow some discussion = same as whats happening now...

I think what you mean...
1. Deals ONLY... period (because that's how I intended it)
2. Some discussion allowed...

boomerangg22 · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

archirelic said:
The rules are pretty simple to follow. A moderate amount of discussion as it pertains to a posted deal is understandable and necessary at times...and then that should be it...some posters tend to not care or don't understand the rules I suppose.

well put archirelic. where is the line to be drawn? there is a tools forum to talk in.

rob1200 · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Discussion is hugely valuable.

Regulars and old timers know good tools and brands from bad, but they already have their tools and aren't buying new ones (ha ha, we know how that is).

On the other hand, newbies (who are in a tool buying phase) don't have the knowledge and experience. So comments and discussion about tool quality and value can really help them.

Really there should be only one rule: Be a respectful human being.

In fact that rule should apply to the whole of Garage Journal. Display it top and center of every page, and your moderators' lives will be much easier.

Lots of other forums have that rule as a centerpiece.

JimNC · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

As a newbie I'll say that I think this section of the site would be far better if the perma-threads were killed, if each new thread related to one deal/bargain, and discussion of it was allowed.

In this way everyone can figure out the deal from the title and old deals can age out.

Someday it'll also allow Ryan to archive the oldest stuff, cause while storage is cheap, it isn't free and the database does eventually have performance issues.

With the above I'd suggest that you won't need special rules for this section.

sparc · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Ryan said:
As it stands right now, we allow some discussion if it pertains to the deal. Once it gets off track, we start deleting and banning people.

Pretty tough, right? It's not really a black and white... line vs. cross the line type of deal.

as long as it's deal and tool related that seems pretty lenient. Especially if these people are already getting warnings.

I think the consolidated topics that center around one retailer should have a bit more leniency as long as it's a tool discussion.

Maybe you could split and move the egregious off topic posts into a different forum and create a new thread where it might belong?

a52-830 · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

sparc said:
Maybe you could split and move the egregious off topic posts into a different forum and create a new thread where it might belong?

i think that this would be a burden on the moderators, and is likely a non-starter.

sparc · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

a52-830 said:
i think that this would be a burden on the moderators, and is likely a non-starter.

if they're already deleting the posts, warning people, and banning people.... might actually be less work.

Should be just a few button clicks in the forum software.

fourjeepin · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Ryan said:
My goal is to help people find decent deals. That simple.

So, y'all tell me how ya wanna do it and I'll do it.

My vote is to lock it down to members with 100 posts like the classified section.

Richard Cranium · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

it is a double edge sword, I really hate where a picture is reposted over and over again. But some discussion is needed, like none in my area, any one with extra let me know.
That kind of stuff, or still at regular price here, but plenty in stock.
Rich.

wastedcosmonaut · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

Ryan said:
Alright fellas... I'm getting tired of people ignoring the rules of the hot deals forum. A little earlier, I had a member with something like 500 posts accuse me of being a dictator for having rules to begin with... After I banned said user, it occurred to me - maybe you guys don't want any rules in here.

As it stands, discussions are discouraged from the hot deals forum and we try to get people to post only deals... or at least posts relevant to deals. Obviously, a lot of people just ignore this rule and post away regardless.

Do the bulk of you guys want no moderation in here? It's time to find out.

So, place your votes. I'll do whatever the hell y'all want.

It's your interpretation of relevant to the deals that makes it a problem. Someone talking about something at HD is relevant to me, but someone talking about fish is not.

Some moderation is okay, but the current model is too far right of the middle line.

Ryan · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

wastedcosmonaut said:
It's your interpretation of relevant to the deals that makes it a problem. Someone talking about something at HD is relevant to me, but someone talking about fish is not.

Some moderation is okay, but the current model is too far right of the middle line.

You get a vote man. So make it heard. This better not be a tie.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

JackVegas · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

I like the discussion. Granted sometimes it gets a little crazy but don't read it if you don't want to. It's quite easy to scroll past. If there was no discussion the hot deals board would be kinda dead at times.

7avalon7 · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

JimNC said:
As a newbie I'll say that I think this section of the site would be far better if the perma-threads were killed, if each new thread related to one deal/bargain, and discussion of it was allowed.

In this way everyone can figure out the deal from the title and old deals can age out.

That is a bad idea if we have to create one deal = one thread. Perma thread is nice because then you can have one bookmark for Sears only or Lowe's only deal. I do not want to sort thru deals from Sears mixed with Lowe's and Amazon etc.

There is value for old deals - it shows item *** has hit certain prize before. How do you know it is a good deal if we can not compare the prize?

cheechi · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

new thread: this thing is cheap at a store or website.

without people discussing whether it is actually a good deal, or whether it's a thing worth buying at any price it's just an announcement. I don't think Ryan is talking about eliminating anything that falls anywhere close to what I'm describing.

new thread or post: found a widget for a price. logical or otherwise, few posts later the discussion is how different brand's widget or same widget from 200 BC was better. Glad I got mine before they started making products in this New World, wherever that is. Not really adding anything of value to the deal, just saying words about the item.

I think this part of the forum should be moderated like any other. Schill posts and posters need to be deleted and here more than anywhere is the place they like. People seem to get into ***** fests over saving money or getting/missing the deal or you got it for a different price than me, different content but same need for moderation. But moderation in moderation, just like the rest of the forum. I have never butted heads with the mods here that I remember, and I have a problem with authority. So take that for what it's worth.

7avalon7 · Aug 10, 2017

Re: ★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

a52-830 said:
ok, you asked . . . .

i find it amusing that some people post "why are we talking instead of posting deals", which, ya know, is the pot calling the kettle black, as it were (they aren't posting a deal either, just what they are complaining about) (this is not directed at the moderators, just regular users).

when i have bothered to check, i have always found that the people who publicly complain are not posting any deals, anywhere on the site (maybe they are reposting them on slickdeals or something, dont know, dont care.).

i dont know who compains to ryan. maybe it is the forum regulars who are posting most of the deals, but i doubt it, since they are also usually involved in the conversations.

personally, i dont find that the conversations leave the "spirit" of the thread behind very often. sure, people posted that their SK hammers arrived. i did, mine arrived six months and two weeks after i ordered it. this information is important to people who also ordered, but not received theirs, because now they can see when amazon is filling orders placed in the past, allowing them go guess when they might get theirs.

the home depot thread is filled with discussions about how to find deals (usually involving either in store PC's, or where employees hide things that are heavily discounted). again, there are a lot of various discussions, but they seem focused on what is a deal, or how to find it, rather than discussions about which is better, ryobi or dewalt.

you have stated to me that you are trying to help the people looking for deals. to me, that seems backwards. if you want deals posted, you need to protect the people posting them. looking at the forums i frequent, there are usually three or four people posting most of the deals. over time, one or two drop out, and are replaced by someone else. but, if the forum becomes too unpleasant a place to be due to the policing, the frequent posters might decide to drop out themselves. then the people who are complaining, but not sharing deals themselves (notice i didnt say not finding deals), will be out of luck.

i think that a light moderation touch would be a good thing. if a conversation drifts too far outside of the domain of the thread, a private message to the people keeping it going to move it elsewhere would be appropriate. but a general "only post deals or i'll start deleting accounts" is hostile, and certainly doesnt encourage me to post any deals.

THIS => "when i have bothered to check, i have always found that the people who publicly complain are not posting any deals, anywhere on the site".

imo, if you want to ask for opinion, what regular contributors say should carry more weight vs a guy who are not posting any deal (not contributing to the thread) but complain the loudest.

★★★ voice your opinion on the hot deals forum ★★★

How should the "hot deals" forum be ran?

Keep it as it is and ban users that refuse to follow the rules.

Be more lenient and allow some discussion.

No moderation at all other than basic forum rules about decency, name calling, etc...

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