Not Sure How to Properly Word a New Deal Alert

I've been looking for a deal for PC laptop memory, specifically 4GB (or [2 x 4GB=8GB]) DDR3 PC3-10600 memory.

So I tried DDR3 PC3-10600 and I got a lot of emails that included computers that were deals which had those memory specs, which wasn't helpful.

I also was getting a lot of emails for alerts that included only DDR3 or only PC3 or only 10600. It seems the phrase "DDR3 PC-10600" if put within quote doesn't help to get results that are specifically that phrase.

I'm also choosing "Hot Deals" as I expect a good sale on memory would be put in the Hot Deals forum.

What am I doing wrong? I haven't ever received an email alert for memory sticks (and not every deal uses the word 'stick' so I don't think that's a good word for my alert).

TIA for any help.

Quote from firecrackercb : I've been looking for a deal for PC laptop memory, specifically 4GB (or [2 x 4GB=8GB]) DDR3 PC3-10600 memory. So I tried DDR3 PC3-10600 and I got a lot of emails that included computers that were deals which had those memory specs, which wasn't helpful. I also was getting a lot of emails for alerts that included only DDR3 or only PC3 or only 10600. It seems the phrase "DDR3 PC-10600" if put within quote doesn't help to get results that are specifically that phrase. I'm also choosing "Hot Deals" as I expect a good sale on memory would be put in the Hot Deals forum. What am I doing wrong? I haven't ever received an email alert for memory sticks (and not every deal uses the word 'stick' so I don't think that's a good word for my alert). TIA for any help.

Someone who is better at forming alerts will have to help you, but in the meantime, this link might help if you haven't read it already.


http://slickdeals.net/forums/faq....alerts_faq


Also, you can test your search terms by using the search, since dealalerts and search use the same method to match.

Quote from bridgeburner : Someone who is better at forming alerts will have to help you, but in the meantime, this link might help if you haven't read it already. http://slickdeals.net/forums/faq....alerts_faq Also, you can test your search terms by using the search, since dealalerts and search use the same method to match.

Thanks! I think the FAQ will help

I would search for 8gb 204 (204 is the pin count on laptop memory) - you won't be searching for a specific speed, but it is very unlikely for and ddr2 deals to be popping up, and 1066 is pretty much the lowest ddr3 speed, so you can safely buy faster and your computer will just run it at 1066 speed (if that is the max that your laptop supports)

P.S. - also test your "deal alert" by doing a search of older past deals with it, and see what it brings up - that will give you an idea of if it will work or not, without it being too late, such as once you notice the deal on the FP

Couple of keyword/phrase suggestions:

These search in the thread's title only:

@title ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop
Results

@title (4gb|4g|"4 gb"|8gb|8g|"8 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop
Results

@title memory ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop
Results

@title memory (4gb|4g|"4 gb"|8gb|8g|"8 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop
Results

@title ddr3 ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop
Results

@title ddr3 (4gb|4g|"4 gb"|8gb|8g|"8 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop
Results


These search in the first post (in a deal alert, I believe this would search in both title and first post):

("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop
Results

(4gb|4g|"4 gb"|8gb|8g|"8 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop
Results

memory ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop
Results

memory (4gb|4g|"4 gb"|8gb|8g|"8 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop
Results

ddr3 ("PC3-10600" | "pc3 10600" | pc310600 | pc10600| "pc 10600" | "pc-10600" | 10600) -desktop
Results

ddr3 (4gb|4g|"4 gb"|8gb|8g|"8 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop
Results

These aren't perfect, but maybe they'll help. And if redsolar happens to drop by, he's the real expert on these and can maybe give you other ideas, or correct any boo-boos I made.

Edit: Hahaha, I fail at reading comprehension. ^^;

Quote from slapshot136 : I would search for 8gb 204 (204 is the pin count on laptop memory) - you won't be searching for a specific speed, but it is very unlikely for and ddr2 deals to be popping up, and 1066 is pretty much the lowest ddr3 speed, so you can safely buy faster and your computer will just run it at 1066 speed (if that is the max that your laptop supports) P.S. - also test your "deal alert" by doing a search of older past deals with it, and see what it brings up - that will give you an idea of if it will work or not, without it being too late, such as once you notice the deal on the FP

Thanks! 1333 is the top speed, which is why I'm looking for a DDR3 PC-3 10600 204 pin SO-DIMM .
I've seen all of those specs, with the 204 changed to 240 and it was for a desktop, not a laptop.

Quote from widgit : Couple of keyword/phrase suggestions: These search in the thread's title only: @title ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop Results @title (4gb|4g|"4 gb"|8gb|8g|"8 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop Results @title memory ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop Results @title memory (4gb|4g|"4 gb"|8gb|8g|"8 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop Results @title ddr3 ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop Results @title ddr3 (4gb|4g|"4 gb"|8gb|8g|"8 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop Results These search in the first post (in a deal alert, I believe this would search in both title and first post): ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop Results (4gb|4g|"4 gb"|8gb|8g|"8 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop Results memory ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop Results memory (4gb|4g|"4 gb"|8gb|8g|"8 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop Results ddr3 ("PC3-10600" | "pc3 10600" | pc310600 | pc10600| "pc 10600" | "pc-10600" | 10600) -desktop Results ddr3 (4gb|4g|"4 gb"|8gb|8g|"8 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop Results These aren't perfect, but maybe they'll help. And if redsolar happens to drop by, he's the real expert on these and can maybe give you other ideas, or correct any boo-boos I made.

I really appreciate the effort put into the above.
I think if I just do quotes before the 1st 'word' and after the last one, it does the search as an AND boolean where each '|' actually means AND. If I put quotes around each piece like above, I can get 20 results for 10600 that include 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB, but I want to see only 4GB. I think putting quotes before and after each word makes it an OR boolean search.
I wasn't aware of that @title search and I also didn't realize I could put -desktop . That's very helpful. Thanks!

Quote from firecrackercb : I really appreciate the effort put into the above. I think if I just do quotes before the 1st 'word' and after the last one, it does the search as an AND boolean where each '|' actually means AND. If I put quotes around each piece like above, I can get 20 results for 10600 that include 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB, but I want to see only 4GB. I think putting quotes before and after each word makes it an OR boolean search. I wasn't aware of that @title search and I also didn't realize I could put -desktop . That's very helpful. Thanks!

You're welcome

Putting quotes around something treats it as a specific phrase, where the order of the words count, and not just as a Boolean/logical AND in which it will look for all words but in any order. So if you put quotes around the whole thing, it will look at that as a complete phrase, and search for that phrase only. (At least, that's the way I understand how it will work. One of the devs or admins please correct me if I'm wrong).

And quotes are also needed if you're trying to include special characters in your search. Example "pc-10600" will look for that phrase, but pc-10600 without quotes will actually exclude it. (try both in the search page, and you'll see what I mean)

The pipe symbol "|" is actually a Boolan/logical OR. So when you use the | symbol it will search for one OR the other, but not necessarily both. So it will look for either 4gb OR "4 gb" OR 4g, etc.

You can try to eliminate 2gb by (I think) using -(2gb|"2 gb"|2g). I would not try using the '-' with the 8GB however, since you said 2 x 4gb = 8gb would be ok and eliminating 8gb would exclude posts/threads with 2 x 4gb = 8gb in them. Though if you don't care about that, then go ahead and exclude 8gb too However, there is a max character limit on the keywords or phrase that you can use and several of the above phrases are at that max.

Example with terms searching in thread title only, and excluding 2gb now:
@title (4gb|4g|"4 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop -(2gb|"2 gb"|2g)
Results

And example also excluding 8gb
@title (4gb|4g|"4 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060") -(8gb|8g|"8 gb"|2gb|"2 gb"|2g) -desktop
(I had to remove the '10600' keyword because it would otherwise exceed the character limit for deal alerts with this specific search, but that didn't seem to remove too many from the results, only two, so might be ok)
Results

The above will search for any of the stated variations of 4gb AND for any of the stated variations of xx 10600 AND also exclude desktop AND exclude any of the stated variations of 2gb, etc. Which means that any new thread that includes/excludes the stated parameters should set off your deal alert. The results above are just an example of the type of thread that a Deal Alert using those parameters will find. Granted it's not perfect, and you'll still get a few things you don't want, but it may help get you closer to what you're looking for.

Bridgeburner linked the more detailed Deal Alert FAQ above, that explains all the Boolean search operators you can use, and how they work, if that helps.

Hopefully what I said made sense. If not, sorry I'm tired and my brain may not be at its best at the moment.

Quote from widgit : You're welcome Putting quotes around something treats it as a specific phrase, where the order of the words count, and not just as a Boolean/logical AND in which it will look for all words but in any order. So if you put quotes around the whole thing, it will look at that as a complete phrase, and search for that phrase only. (At least, that's the way I understand how it will work. One of the devs or admins please correct me if I'm wrong). And quotes are also needed if you're trying to include special characters in your search. Example "pc-10600" will look for that phrase, but pc-10600 without quotes will actually exclude it. (try both in the search page, and you'll see what I mean) The pipe symbol "|" is actually a Boolan/logical OR. So when you use the | symbol it will search for one OR the other, but not necessarily both. So it will look for either 4gb OR "4 gb" OR 4g, etc. You can try to eliminate 2gb by (I think) using -(2gb|"2 gb"|2g). I would not try using the '-' with the 8GB however, since you said 2 x 4gb = 8gb would be ok and eliminating 8gb would exclude posts/threads with 2 x 4gb = 8gb in them. Though if you don't care about that, then go ahead and exclude 8gb too However, there is a max character limit on the keywords or phrase that you can use and several of the above phrases are at that max. Example with terms searching in thread title only, and excluding 2gb now: @title (4gb|4g|"4 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060"|10600) -desktop -(2gb|"2 gb"|2g) Results And example also excluding 8gb @title (4gb|4g|"4 gb") ("PC3-10600"|"pc3 10600"|pc310600|pc10600|"pc 10600"|"pc-1060") -(8gb|8g|"8 gb"|2gb|"2 gb"|2g) -desktop (I had to remove the '10600' keyword because it would otherwise exceed the character limit for deal alerts with this specific search, but that didn't seem to remove too many from the results, only two, so might be ok) Results The above will search for any of the stated variations of 4gb AND for any of the stated variations of xx 10600 AND also exclude desktop AND exclude any of the stated variations of 2gb, etc. Which means that any new thread that includes/excludes the stated parameters should set off your deal alert. The results above are just an example of the type of thread that a Deal Alert using those parameters will find. Granted it's not perfect, and you'll still get a few things you don't want, but it may help get you closer to what you're looking for. Bridgeburner linked the more detailed Deal Alert FAQ above, that explains all the Boolean search operators you can use, and how they work, if that helps. Hopefully what I said made sense. If not, sorry I'm tired and my brain may not be at its best at the moment.

What you wrote made PERFECT sense. I see now that the use of parentheses around words/phrases of like types, and thereby separating the different types from each other using ( ) serves as the Boolean "AND." I see now what I misunderstood. Your @title search is great, and I'll use it--than you so much.
Isn't there the possibility, though, especially with the upcoming holiday season, that a title may be more generic (i.e., "Company XYZ is having 30% off all memory") and details would be within posts themselves?

Quote from firecrackercb : What you wrote made PERFECT sense. I see now that the use of parentheses around words/phrases of like types, and thereby separating the different types from each other using ( ) serves as the Boolean "AND." I see now what I misunderstood. Your @title search is great, and I'll use it--than you so much. Isn't there the possibility, though, especially with the upcoming holiday season, that a title may be more generic (i.e., "Company XYZ is having 30% off all memory") and details would be within posts themselves?

You're welcome . Yes, titles can definitely be more generic and the detail can be in the post itself. That happens even now. By default, I believe deal alerts search in both title and first post. So if you want to broaden the search to include the first post also, just don't use the @title part.

The results links I gave you in my first post above show results for both a title only search/alert and also one that is not limited to title only, for each of the various keyword strings. The @title part is helpful when you want to be a bit more specific in your alerts. In this case, it helps eliminate some of the threads where memory is just listed as part of the specs of the system being talked about.

Without limiting it to title only, for the type of item you're looking for, laptop memory, you're going to get some false positives because people will list those as specs for systems. Unfortunately I don't think there's an easier way to exclude a thread that's just listing it in the specs of a system, because to do so you'd have to probably also eliminate the word laptop. And since you're looking for laptop memory, eliminating the word laptop might be a bad idea

So it's mainly a matter of how specific, or narrow, you want your alert to be. Title only eliminates a lot of junk, but will also miss threads with more generic titles. Alerts that are not limited to title only will give you more results, but also more false positives where memory was just used in the specs description. So if you can live with the false positives, then go with an alert that does not limit to title only.

You can also experiment with it and see which works best for you. Try one without the @title limitation and see how that works for you for a few days or so. Then try it with the @title part, and see how that goes. Then use whichever one gives you the results you want the most.

Quote from widgit : You're welcome . Yes, titles can definitely be more generic and the detail can be in the post itself. That happens even now. By default, I believe deal alerts search in both title and first post. So if you want to broaden the search to include the first post also, just don't use the @title part. The results links I gave you in my first post above show results for both a title only search/alert and also one that is not limited to title only, for each of the various keyword strings. The @title part is helpful when you want to be a bit more specific in your alerts. In this case, it helps eliminate some of the threads where memory is just listed as part of the specs of the system being talked about. Without limiting it to title only, for the type of item you're looking for, laptop memory, you're going to get some false positives because people will list those as specs for systems. Unfortunately I don't think there's an easier way to exclude a thread that's just listing it in the specs of a system, because to do so you'd have to probably also eliminate the word laptop. And since you're looking for laptop memory, eliminating the word laptop might be a bad idea So it's mainly a matter of how specific, or narrow, you want your alert to be. Title only eliminates a lot of junk, but will also miss threads with more generic titles. Alerts that are not limited to title only will give you more results, but also more false positives where memory was just used in the specs description. So if you can live with the false positives, then go with an alert that does not limit to title only. You can also experiment with it and see which works best for you. Try one without the @title limitation and see how that works for you for a few days or so. Then try it with the @title part, and see how that goes. Then use whichever one gives you the results you want the most.

Thanks for all the fantastic help. It seems you deserve a smilie from me!
I'm not seeing much in memory sales anywhere right now, so when I get false positives, it's no big deal.