Glassy Eyes

The other night, Sally and I went out to eat with our friends Brian and Christine.  I was complaining that I had broken my glasses earlier that evening, and Brian told me about a blog called Glassy Eyes, where a guy named Ira has collected a lot of resources for buying glasses online.

I visited the optometrist, and instead of buying his ridiculously marked up lenses and frames, I got my prescription (including pupilary distance) and walked out.  Then, browsing online, I used helpful Glassy-Eyes tips like this one:

If you're looking for something new, find a pair you like at the store and write down the measurements from the frame . . . . the measurements are typically stamped inside the temple and/or inside the bridge.

Measurements in hand, I picked out some frames that I liked at 39dollarglasses.com, and $36 later (there was a 10% discount for Glassy Eyes referrals), I'm expecting my new glasses in the mail next week. I'll post the results, good or bad, and to repeat: that's $36 total: lenses, frames, and shipping.

Even if my cheapo glasses end up looking stupid, sites like Glassy Eyes are why the Internet is wonderful. Take, for example, Josh Clark, the guy who helped Sally get her (nearly) free MacBook Pro. Clark figured out the free Mac deal for himself, and then posted detailed instructions so others could do it too. Within weeks, a whole community sprang up on his message boards, the collective knowledge of which had the single aim of getting people free computers. Josh is now, worldwide, the "free mac guy."  What's your niche?