Elitetrader.com participation has declined significantly in the past 7 years, this is exactly what Altucher is saying with the stock market. Nobody leaves a game they win at. Do the math, the remaining persons are vocal and becoming a minority of news watchers, the rejects comment on Yahoo Finance news articles.
No question about it. While there is still a bit of value here, it's a mere shadow of itself. Once real traders posted here who wanted to help the noobs. Now it's nothing but a few crank engineers and third world dreamers. Not to mention massive success haters The value has been extracted and isn't being renewed. It's a way more angry crowd than the CNBC shutins who use to be here with the real traders. I maintain that once the site started attracting 3rd world fX degenerates that was a clear signal the end is near. I'm not so sure how long I'm going to last before the towel is finally thrown in-- with all the gonzo hate vibe sent my way. Surf
Agreed participation is not what it used to be but, I see it as a cycle more than anything else. I also agree that the third world dreamers have increased by leaps and bounds. The Great Recession knocked out some traders then the low volatility environment has added to the attrition. Think of this as a chart, right now we are at the consolidation phase building strength/energy for the next move up and let's keep in mind that the environment created by the great recession and the low volatility is ideal for haters to flourish, didn't Hilter come to power during an era of discontentment? Surf don't cash in your long on Elitetrader yet, look for a bounce off the trend line.
It's because the golden era of electronic trading is in the past, the enthusiasm that goes along with that has waned -- the ones making money are mostly being quiet and living their lives, why would you want to spend time on a forum helping random strangers anyway. There haven't been any radical advancements in trading tech for the retail crowd for nearly 10 years. MS' emotional comments regarding "3rd world degenerates" is amusing and speaks volumes. I respect 3rd world dreamers way more than whiny, spoiled, middle aged guys who brag about their rich friends while not amounting to much themselves.