Where has everybody gone?

samcasey · November 28, 2004

Man, it's quiet here! What happened to everybody? A couple days ago, the traffic had caused a server upgrade. Now there's hardly any new posts. Do we only live for Black Friday? When it's over, everyone either falls asleep or is totally done with holiday shopping. I guess we're all waiting for the before Xmas last minute dash again. Let's keep the good deals coming till New Year!

Metallica_Band · November 28, 2004

I don't think this is the most popular "deal" forum...I didn't know about it until I researched Black Friday...actually I think I saw soemone post this forum in a post over at SlickDeals...that's the one I visit the most...How many active members are on this forum??? Anyone know??? How long has this forum been around???

I like this forum...admins/mods are nice and helpul and quick to help/respond...I think that only happens in the smaller forums tho...a lot of admins/mods I know are snotty little bastards who have an itchy ban finger...

THANX

C'YA :cool:

Rebirth · November 28, 2004

Well, Black Friday is over. I think most people were here for Black Friday. They'll be back next year.

samcasey · November 28, 2004

Yeah, this is a great forum. I think the credit goes mainly to the moderators. But I'm really impressed with the people here. Normally people in public forums show their true colors sooner or later and become nasty one way or another. I hope the good days continue forever.

Brad · November 28, 2004

Yes, we expected a mass exodus after Black Friday as most people were only using us to get their BF fix and then abandoning us, lol. We knew this and still went ahead with the server upgrade as we'll be able to take advantage of it in other areas in the coming months.

To be honest, the vast majority of the people on the forum over the past month were not really contributing anyway - most were just lurkers looking for the ads and reading the threads. We think those valuable members who actually took the time to post will be the same ones who still continue to visit the board throughout the rest of the year, and for the others, I guess we'll see them back in about 11 months.

To answer some of the other questions, this site and forum are both relatively new. GottaDeal.com itself launched on 1/1/04 as a hot deals site - it was an off-topic forum prior to that, and we waited until 6/1/04 to launch the forum. The off-topic forums were added a few months later. We created this forum because Ross and I have been hardcore deal hunters since the golden days of hot deals back in the late 90s and we know what kind of forum works and what kind of forum we would like to visit. Like all of you, we hope the forum continues on the path it's been on, and we'll do whatever we can to make that happen.

Prior to the BF site launch the forum was beginning to really start to take off, so although we don't expect to have 200+ users online at any one time anytime soon like we did on Thursday night, we expect a lot more action than we had before BF and we hope that many of our newcomers will decide to stick around for the same reasons you guys mentioned, and we also hope that those that do stay will spread the word to others.

We have some very exciting things planned for both the forum and the main site in the coming months, and we hope that will attract even more new members. Things like the Overstock.com "Make Your Own Deal" thread are what we hope will set us apart and show that we are not just any hot deal forum.

So Ross and I will still be here, and I'm sure so will plenty of others :)

outnumbered · November 28, 2004

I'm here, but broke, LOL...so no more deal-hunting till payday for me. Still reading and responding if I have anything valuable to add, but BF cleaned out our bank account (and I didn't even buy that much!) so I won't be posting any more "look what I bought!" threads for a bit.

I think it's going to quiet down some, but a bunch of us will still be here checking in and participating. Just not all day long anymore.

mjjandz · November 28, 2004

I am here. I am here to stay.

AFB · November 28, 2004

I am here. I am here to stay.

trooper11 · November 28, 2004

yeah im definitely sticking around for the long haul, but like many others, im broke lol, so itll be some time before i go hunting for more deals. ill be sure to help out when i can though ^^.

i have to thank all the mods and admins here, its not a usual occurance to find such nice and helpful people on a forum like this. keep up the good work.

Keebelf · November 28, 2004

I'm here, but broke, LOL

Same here! But it is really cool though because the past week all of my Overstock.com purchases have been coming in so it is like a new Christmas present every day! I only have 2 more before everything is here so that will take some getting used to. I was plugging gottadeal so much to the family on T-day that Chris asked if I was getting paid for every time I said "Gottadeal.com...."! :LOL.

I too am here to stay. Chris doesn't like it when I purchase so many things but I am saving more money than what I would be so he doesn't mind as much.

It will be fun to see the site grow. To be one of the ones in a few years that can brag about being here for the first year and seeing all the great changes that I am sure Brad and Rossman will pull together.

dmws61 · November 28, 2004

I really like this board so I am here to stay too! :)

outnumbered · November 28, 2004

Chris doesn't like it when I purchase so many things but I am saving more money than what I would be so he doesn't mind as much.

Heh. My dh thought I was insane to go out that early and wait for a store to open, to then be mobbed by other shoppers. But when he sees what I was able to get him for Christmas because of the 50% off sale and $10 gift card...he will see it my way! He calls me crazy, but I think deep down he's just really happy that I'm taking care of all the shopping so he doesn't have to. Although I do have to remember to tell him what I buy as I get it, so that he doesn't see a pile of boxes and think I did it all at once, LOL.

And I agree, it's going to be neat to see this site grow!

Keebelf · November 28, 2004

Oh, I can't keep a secret worth ANYTHING! I haven't told him anything I have gotten on-line but the minute they get here I am like "OOH! Lookie what I got! Now, this is your Christmas present...." so, maybe one of these days I will actually surprise him. LOL.

outnumbered · November 28, 2004

LOL! Do you do that with the boxes or with the actual gifts? I will show dh his wrapped presents, saying "Look, it's your present!" and then after he shows interest in unwrapping it on the spot I'll hide it well. I honestly don't mean to torture him, I'm just so excited that I got him a gift that I just have to show him--but then I want him surprised, too. Poor guy. So you're actually showing him the stuff as it arrives? Or just that a box came?

Keebelf · November 28, 2004

No, I don't wrap them.

Last night his golf bag holder (mounts on the wall to hoild your golf bag, with clubs, out of the way and off the floor) and I was like...."Ooh, it's your present. You wanna see....?" "No, save it for Chrsitmas" "I can't! LOOK!" I am with that with ANYTHING! I just can't keep things hidden and secret. I am just so weak!

RossMAN · November 28, 2004

Those of you who are "here to stay" thank you :)

November 28, 2004

There are deals to be had for ALMOST free quite often, When I find the dumb ones I'll make sure to post them here too for all the people who are in the "black friday wiped me out" boat. It's fun to get the little filler crap for next to nothing too!

Oh yeah.........you will have to ban me to get rid of me

motoXmom · November 28, 2004

I like this forum...admins/mods are nice and helpul and quick to help/respond...I think that only happens in the smaller forums tho...a lot of admins/mods I know are snotty little bastards who have an itchy ban finger...

This is so true on OTHER boards. You can get banned for next to nothing! Anyway here I sit, I think my butt is starting to look like my office chair :shock: :2wiggle: !

Trishy · November 28, 2004

I love this froum and plan on staying around, that is, if you'll have me.

biomajor · November 28, 2004

I like it here--everyone is really really nice--I would have been on here more last night, but my stupid cable connection kept dying on me and quite frankly it became a major annoyance, so I read a real book instead :-) I'll be sticking around if that's ok :-)