[queenofthehivemomof5]

The upgrade to the site seems to have gone smoothly, thanks for your patience while we were down for a bit while upgrading.

There are new features to the site which you can discuss here:
Upgrade to the site went smoothly - New Features

Also please use the above thread to report any bugs or issue you may experience.

[queenofthehivemomof5]

As HCW grows and evolves, it becomes more important to make your thread titles very descriptive. In the past we've mostly left the thread titles alone, but Heidi and Julie have asked the mods to start modifying titles more actively. If your title gets modified, no offense is intended.

Better thread titles makes it easier for people to:

* find threads using the HCW search engine
* find threads using an external search engine
* determine applicable threads when reading via New Posts or the forum thread list.
* determine applicable threads when receiving the thread titles as a "feed" (no forum name is given in the feed)
* determine if a thread they are about to start is duplicate information
* identify obsolete threads
* merge duplicate threads (mods/supermods only)
* move threads to the Dead Deal forum without updating the title (mods/supermods only)

Some tips for good thread titles:

* Use the thread title to actually describe the deal or to summarize your question. "coupon question" and "question on this week's ad" are too vague for thread titles.
* Include the store name. I know it seems silly to mention Publix in the title when this is the Publix forum, but it helps when doing searches and when reading thread titles as part of a feed. It also allows the mods to move threads to the Dead Deal forum without updating the title.
* Include the product name.
* Include the start and end dates, if known.
* Include words/phrases like "clearance", "after coupon" and "after rebate" where applicable. Again, I know it seems silly to use clearance in the title when you've used the clearance icon or posted in a clearance-only forum, but folks reading the feed don't get the icons or the forum titles.
* Don't abbreviate important words. Abbreviations trip up the search engines. People don't search for "manu" or "q's". They search for "manufacturer" or "coupons".
* You don't have to write in a complete sentence. You can drop the small, common words that aren't searchable (prepositions, "the", etc). You can abbreviate the inconsequential words like "at" can be "@" and "with" can be "w/" since people will not be searching on those terms. Do not abbreviate significant words like "coupons".


This announcement was borrowed from Pennywatcher in the Publix forum...but it applies site wide. Thank you Pennywatcher!

[queenofthehivemomof5]

Many stores are running Catalina & Register Reward (RR) promotions this week and I would like to remind our members to please read the small print on these Catalina coupons. If the Catalina coupons say something to the effect about "Not valid on P&G products" we ask that all members refrain from posting about rolling these Catalina coupons onto more P&G products.

Rolling means that you purchase items that result in a Catalina coupon and you take that Catalina coupon and use it on your next order of products and receive another of the same kind of Catalina coupon.

Again... we are asking that you refrain from posting about rolling the P&G Catalina coupons if the wording on the Catalina's prohibit the use. Even if your cashier or store manager gives you the OK just keep that to yourself. We want to encourage use of the promotions as outlined by the wording on the coupon.

Thank you,
Heidi

P.S. - Posts that discuss rolling the P&G Catalina coupons are subject to the warning & infraction system. We hate to do it... so please don't post about it.