Cute shoes. Where did you get them? What do you mean you don't know where the store is? Oh, you got them from an online store.

OK, well who told you about the web site? What do you mean, you don't know? Oh, really. You found another web site where users get to submit and vote on product deals and you just followed the link. So what you're saying is that a committee of people you've never met before essentially got together and helped you find the best place to buy your shoes. Cool. We wonder if that would work for things like computers, video games, cars, books, and pretty much anything else.

One of the things that sets Web 2.0 stores apart from their predecessors is the social layer. Whether you're talking user recommendations, ratings, or reviews, the data you can find in the comments section of many online stores is often more valuable than the official descriptions. What's your favorite shopping site with a social bent?