nice distinction, there. depth of participation is a factor. will daytraders be there in the tough times? not-a-chance. they're not market makers, they're market opportunists.
what happened to your "positiveness" from the other thread( 10% of traders make big bucks)? this is for areyou kidding poster?
considering those posters who gripe about the $25000 minimum for patterned day traders you are right. it also depends what you mean by tough times. for some posters it mean being down a couple of hundred. in truely tough times specialists and market makers are no different. they back away usually claiming that communication lines are down
do you know the" powers and privileges" that market makets have. can you list them. i doubt it. do you know the capital requirements of market makers. are you familiar with the regulatroy oversight which exist for marketmakers. believe me i am no fan of market makers who would generally sell their mothers for a teenie when there were fractions and now for a penny or less.