Best ways to use Elitetrader Forum

Discussion in 'Trading' started by yc47ib, Nov 14, 2020.

  1. yc47ib

    yc47ib

    Hi, all, I have been thinking about posting this for a while.


    I have registered on the forum since 2007, when I started contemplating day trading. During the past 13 years, I have been using Elitetrader on and off, kudos to the founder and moderators and all the contributors through the years, I have learned a lot.


    I am an old school internet user, and appreciate the fact the forum has not changed much during the years in terms of format. For example, I still never read anything from this forum on a phone screen. Sometimes when I am tired of sitting in front of a computer, I read it from my ipad.


    During the past year or so I found out the ignore function, which I think is the most useful function on the forum. Here is how I use ET:


    1. Each Saturday, I open my email with the subject “Most Popular New Threads on ET Last Week”, I read each topic almost from the first page to the last. I am a consistent profitable trader. I am not looking for edges, just information and additional knowledge sources. For example, I am working with an engineer to code some automation, I read all books/sites recommended on the forum on this aspect.

    2. Due to the ignore feature, I add to my ignore list users almost every Saturday, now my list is well over two hundred users. This saved a lot of time for me, and a lot of wasted energy (if you do not know what I mean, please ignore this post).

    3. I do not read the forum for any trading tips or live calls or directional calls, so I do not read it during the trading week.

    4. Oh, even though I clicked to follow some posters or posts, I rarely have time to actually read those, and I feel that I missed some good posts.

    5. Also, whatever gets added to a thread after I finish reading it, if the thread does not show up in next week’s most popular list, I will miss those new posts.

    I wonder if anyone has any comments and can share how you use the forum so that we can get more efficient, and save more time but not missing the good stuff.


    Thank you in advance and also, thank you ET for being here all these years.
     
    shuraver, Bad_Badness, Nobert and 2 others like this.
  2. Overnight

    Overnight

    You will never know if you are missing good stuff by adding users to your ignore list each Saturday. Sometimes those ignored users add good stuff.

    And if you truly are an old-school Internet user, you'll recall a time when Bulletin Board Systems did not have "ignore" features.

    The most efficient way to use a forum like this (or any other) is to not have anyone on ignore, and just "mentally" ignore any content you find personally offensive or roll your eyes at.
     
    Turveyd likes this.
  3. JSOP

    JSOP

    This is why you hover over the thread title posted by somebody that you ignore in case if they really posted something useful. The best feature of this forum is being able to ignore someone without them knowing unless you openly announce it. Trust me, the ones that I openly announced my ignorance were never worth me un-ignoring back. Out of all the years that I have been on ET, I can only recall ONE user that I have actually un-ignored. Most of the ones that I ignored were really trolls that have since disappeared after obviously being ignored not just by me.
     
    Nobert likes this.
  4. Nobert

    Nobert

    That's an interesting way of using the forum.
    Zero virtual connections & only the hunt for value.

    But the system/approach is not perfect.
    (Hmnn, nothing is)

    As someone mentioned prior, lets say that the user A shares poor/low quality of info - 50% of the time, user B - 30% of the time, while user C - 70% of the time.

    We could measure that.
    Professionals could judge that, in a scale of 1 to 5, on how valuable the information was.

    But how do you measure the probability of someone, maybe even by accident, steping on valuable piece of info ?
    (If user C is doing 2 times as much of research, as user A and B combined.)

    Although, once you're profitable player like OP is, the likelihood, that, some kind - miracle type of info will have a ground shaking impact on that which you already learned - is low.
    (Lack of open mindedness or taking the side of higher probabilities?)

    Overall, yup, it's a worthy approach, if a main goal is to extract as much of value, as soon as possible.
    The value of time saved from reading the ,,garbage", overweights the value of potential discovery.

    Yet, it would destroy the efficiency of communication, if used by at least ~50% of the members.

    Actually, it would become a weird alternative of a news site.

    There are communities, where it would work well tho. Comment sections under porn videos. (Laughs)
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2020
  5. Pekelo

    Pekelo

    So OP needed 12 or so years to figure out how to use the Ignore button. And they say old dogs can't learn new tricks....
     
  6. deaddog

    deaddog

    This thread probably won't make it to next Saturdays “Most Popular New Threads on ET Last Week”, so the OP won't read it.


    How U use ET? For myself it is mainly entertainment.


    There are not too many places where one can have a conversation about trading.


    I'm not looking for help, I am consistently profitable with my system and comfortable trading the way I do.


    I'm not looking to save any time, I've got plenty of time and reading and commenting on trading related subjects on various forums take up part of my day.


    I haven't put anyone on official ignore, I can ignore someone without the help of technology. Although I must admit I often wonder what motivates some posters. There are times I wonder what motivates me.


    I post comments to those who pose questions. If it helps someone that's good, if it doesn't it gives another point of view to be considered.


    I try to be civil, to limit my responses to issues rather than attacking personalities.


    So I used it to keep myself entertained, to discuss trading issues with like minded individuals and offer suggestions to anyone who posts a question.
     
    Axon, Asterix, They and 3 others like this.
  7. zdreg

    zdreg

    most useful feature is keyword search.
    Click mouse on alerts upper right hand corner of ET screen.


















    c
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2020
    David's faith likes this.
  8. Sprout

    Sprout


    Yeah, ET been a great resource! I’m super appreciative that it’s here as well.

    I use the forum much like you, although I’m more in the research phase and ‘hunt’ for threads by certain posters. Using keywords, I follow ideas, find a golden thread, ignore all the trolling, reformat, print and put in a binder, indexed by subject matter.

    I enjoy the fringe usual stuff mostly rather than most conventional wisdom.

    The thing I would add, is that when I would meditate prior to my activity here, my activity would be much more receptive, focused and productive.
     
    They, Laissez Faire and yc47ib like this.
  9. KCalhoun

    KCalhoun

    I value getting questions and being able to get ideas from other traders. Plus lots of trading tips.

    Mainly I like working on improving my trading skills by testing ideas that make sense, so I can help others.
     
    They, Grantx and murray t turtle like this.
  10. MarkBrown

    MarkBrown

    op add me to your block list your brain might explode if it has too much activity...
     
    #10     Nov 15, 2020
    murray t turtle and yc47ib like this.