Hello all.
Thanks Maiseydaze for the compilation of all those sites. I have very few of them bookmarked as ones to visit so many of those will be added. I have many "save as" pages of items from these forums etc. that I have saved for the various links and websites. I may never get back to most of them, so it is nice of you to gather so many items in one place.
FWIW. Being fairly new to everything myself, I just thought I'd point out to the "really newbies" that the major download sites usually have reviews by both editors or reviewers of the site and by any users that would care to comment. (I could name some of the sites that I use, but I don't know if that's legal, so I won't.) These will also be of help to them when deciding if the downloads are what they want and worth their time.
Again, Thanks to all for the kindnesses shown by the community in the responses to questions and problems from people like me - inexperienced. I have learned a LOT from All of you.
Old&Slo

copmom - Whatcha mean? There's just that one little picture game thing...

Good morning all!

maizeydaze.. thank you for my laugh of the day! "I am fairly new to forums and not too certain on how they are structured or what works well."

Sorry, Maizey, this thread is not so interesting to me, you know why. But when I am going to buy that new puter or the cam, I'll have a look at your prices.
Thanks for doing this job.
graylox

Runesage - Ahh!...A wee bit too late. I've already posted the thread as Buyers Tools for Deals, Coupons, Reviews and Searching.

Maybe Bubby or someone could get into it to rename and/or restructure this thing. I am fairly new to forums and not too certain on how they are structured or what works well. I tried to post to this thread last night to let you all know the thread was up, but the GOTD server was, again, having problems. It's been up for 13 hours now, and funkymom has been the only person to reply to the new thread. It's just possible that it won't be a popular as we had anticipated.

Sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner, Maizey. I've a thought that might make reading a thread easier. To keep the thread clean and readable, maybe call it "Master Deals & Coupons Archive". Then, each entry could be hotlinked to a separate thread for just one particular item or site where feedback comments would go. We wouldn't be faced with the congested overlaps of link posts and comments posts as has developed on the "Guess What It Is" monster. The primary Forums page demonstrates how many lazy newbies refuse to follow directions and just start multiple new threads for every day's giveaway.
Just a thought. Maybe a standardized signature following a link might be enough to keep things neat and orderly, for example:

50 percent off digital cameras at ValueMart Link thru 3/1/2008.

Please post your comments about this offer on the proper FORUM THREAD, not here in the INDEX.
~ Maizeykins

maizey.. any of the above sound fine to me.. perhaps the #1 and #2 might fit in best with things we get sidetracked discussing.

RM - I've begun compiling a list with individual divisions/sections for each of the following:

1. Time Sensitive Deals & Coupons
2. Product Reviews
3. Consumer Advocate and Price Protection
4. Specialized Search Tools

I have not thought of a name. Do you or anyone else have any suggestions for the theme name and/or divisions?

I was thinking to scour the forums to see if anyone has already posted relevant links and give credit where credit's due. Maybe that is overkill and I should just let those folks post their own links, again.

I love seafood, BuBByCo. Can't afford it as much nowadays, not to mention the nuisance of having to scan it with a metal detector for mercury and living with the guilt that no matter what species it is, I'm either helping destroy ecosystems or helping decimate global fish stocks.

Just one question and then I'll stop hectoring... will we be permitted to post more specific info for a fellow regular member about a specific product if we see it on a deal site and know that a fellow regular is in the market for one? We could post a disclaimer:

We hereby affirm we are not affiliated with the deal site and the expressed views are not those of GAOTD or any of the guys behind the curtain.

Should Maizey first start a thread to pick a Theme name for the deal thread?

As discussed via pm with maizeydaze - the thread will probably take the form of listing other "deal sites" as opposed to specific products that are on special. This way users can locate and browse for deals that interest them. The "teach a man to fish" as opposed to "give a man a fish". Sorry, if you don't like seafood.

graylox, you are right but it's so discrete that practically no one will notice, let alone look at it.

If there is going to be a thread to list sites offering deals - be aware of the forum rules and the ban on shill advertising commercial sites (thanks to the past circumstances of the influx of site owners posing as satisfied customers recommending their own sites).

Instead if the goods should be free - then there is no implied commercial interest or relationship between giveawayoftheday and the promoted websites.

maizey my search found your thread indirectly, have a look #7 of a new search

Yeah, but I also started this Music Links thread. I really thought is would attract much more attention than is has. I was hoping that others would add their links so that I could increase my collection of bookmarks. Now it seems that the thread may forever be lost in the bowels of the forum, unless someone can fix the forum search engine. (I've already put in a call for help which has been forwarded to the proper personnel.) The problem is, if you were to search for the term "music", the above thread does not appear in the results. :(

"We"? The last thread you created now has nearly 900 messages. The most interest I ever generated was 14 messages, a stale twinkie and a free dance lesson. YOU do it, I'll ride shotgun and toss beads to the girls in bikinis.

Maybe we should start a thread listing "where to go" and "how to find" deals online. We could also point out sites to stay away from and any good or bad experiences we've had with online retailers. I have some sites and shopping search tools in my bookmarks that are "shareworthy" (new word). What do ya think?

Maizey, unlike GAOTD, I think WOOT! is a "supplies limited" operation as well as being on the 24-hour clock. The old saying - "you snooze, you lose" - applies.

WOOT! seems to be an off-shoot of a trend to reduce inventory of and cut losses from perfectly good but unsold items. I could be mistaken, but it appears to be a tad/teenybit/smidge more upscale than the credit card companies stunt - sticking "(inflated) value-added" piggyback specials in monthly account statements to a captive sucker audience - "FREE GIFTS" (read crap) for "just the cost of shipping". WOOT! seems the equivalent of remaindering books in $1 bins. It seems to focus on retail products and targets impulse shoppers.

I'll put it in the same category as the larger (and pricier) Overstock.com, with the hook being their 24-hour window. Overstock uses "limited time only" spam to create a sense of urgency. Then there's the infamous QBC (if they're still in business)... they hyped crap hour after hour to people with shopping addictions. At the bottom of the sludge pond are late night infomercials. They hawk stuff that even crap finds offensive. (e.g., coral calcium supplements, colon cleansers, get rich quick in the stock market, swampland for sale, MLM scams, etc.)

FWIW, another part of the inventory reduction trend are companies that specialize in matching wholesale inventory to businesses/builders in search of supplies and products. It's a great way to reduce landfill demand and it reduces tax write-offs a bit, both positive for Joe Public.

copmom, thanks for the link to Slickdeals. I'll have to check it out.

Rm - Looked at WOOT and it seems that todays deals were all gone. Not that I'd want a webcam or a t-shirt anyway. I'll have to watch the video to grasp the whole idea behind it.

Just so you know copmom i have used 123inkjets.com several times and have always been satisfied with their ink in my HP all in one :) If you are a member of my points you get points for buying through there site also.

WOOT!

I know nothing about it other than it's been sitting in my Deals&Discounts folder for over a year. If you like GAOTD's strict limited time concept, you'll probably feel comfy WOOT!ing.

Reviews on a google search seem to be pretty positive. This simplistic unscripted terribly rambling intro video review covers the basics while butchering the marketing term "IMPULSE buyer" as "IMPULSive buyer."

maizey, another site that's good is http://www.slickdeals.net People send in deals they've found all over for all kinds of items as well as rebates and code numbers for those rebates. I've gotten some really good deals through them for DVD-R's and jewel cases, etc. Things change on there daily, so if searching for something gotta check every day or so and there are expiration dates on several offers.

copmom - I got mine over a year ago at Staples. It's just a (big) printer. Best Buy, Staples, Circuit City all have some good sales at times. I usually check them and compare with the prices of Amazon, Tiger and whoever else I can think of. Another site I check is http://dealspl.us/. Type in search criteria like "all in one printer" then when the results come up click the box for "hide expired" then click the search button beside the box. You'll get a list of all the deals that other users found. You can refine your search with the dropdowns at the top. This is where I found my $100 Logitech MX Revolution mouse for only $30.

maizy.. I've just been on HP's site and Tiger Direct and another place looking and comparing photo smart all in 1 printers (office jet, photo smart, flatbed scanners, etc.)
Now I'm getting totally confused.. been making notes of the customer ratings. So far the #4385 seems to have higher ratings than others, some have NO LCD, some are reported noisy. So many variables! Let me look up your model # and see what it offers!
Nice size LCD and looks good but doesn't have the flatbed scanner with it, or does it? Couldn't find that in the specs.

copmom - Just looked at amount of ink for printers other than my Hp Photosmart D7360 and they didn't have 2X ink. For mine they do.

Oh how pretty maizey! No, let me check Carrot right now. When I went to 123's site, a chat box popped up to tell me they'd give 10% right now on the currently low prices. Said no thank you.. she persisted! LOL Finally said I'd bookmark them and when needed I'd keep it in mind.

By the way, just checked, carrot is $12.95 and 123 is $9.95 for the same thing. Didn't think to check how much they held, OEM, etc. when comparing the pricing.

copmom - Did you check Carrot ink? Their cartridges hold 2X the ink as OEM cartridges. I used their ink to print 350 invitations, envelopes, thank you card, pillow boxes for favors, giant signs and much more when hubby and I got married a little over two years ago. The ink was nice, colors were good and it went a long way.

Here is the front of the thank you card.

I keep getting faxes from 123inkjets.com (I think they're trying to use my ink up printing their faxes), but here's the site my son told me about and said he uses them all the time. After several fill ups he said you do need to just toss and get a new cartridge to start over again but that they go through several cartons of 20 reams each very quickly. They home school 3 kids and he has police reports to write and also sermons to prepare, and pictures to print out, so they use a LOT of ink and paper.
http://www.tonerfillingstation.com/
I went there and they have diagrams on HOW to fill your cartridges, and he also said he periodically fills them with a solvent to keep things from getting gunked up. From what I read there, basically the ink is contained in sponges!

Gee.. just checked the pricing on 123inkjets and yes, they are reasonable! I get a lot of my office supplies from Quill and when I tried their brand for the HP's I have, I had a lot of problems.. in fact they don't even sell them anymore! Another thing I learned the hard way, cartridges don't have an indefinate shelf life! They dry up. I think 1 year is max. One time tech support for my Dell printer had me sit my cartridge in a bit of warm water and that fixed it up.

copmom - Glad you liked the fitness machine.

In the past I've bought ink from Carrot Ink because of their prices and quality. The only problem I had with them was they send too many advertising emails after you buy. And I've tried filling them too and what a mess!
http://www.carrotink.com/

Oh and copmom 123inkjets.com is pretty cheap on ink cartridges and you don't have to make a huge mess with refilling those old ones. Trust me i have tried it and in the end i will pay the extra to have it done for me and it isn't much more then what it would cost for actual ink that you would fill at least not on my ink cartridges . Hope this helps

maizeydaze i say to heck with that i want to sit at the computer:) lol so give me that exercise pedals and i think that should be enough strenuous exercise ... Happy she is doing better i keep her in my prayers daily