Look at you haters on here. There really isnt that much difference between wasting time on facebook and wasting time on Elitetrader. Only difference is on facebook you have to confirm someone as a friend before you listen to their ramblings and on ET the ramblings are categorized. Oh and you can play games on facebook. Thats about it.
Some really good posts on this thread, I agree to almost 98% of what most are you are saying about this industry movement and how it has changed our society as a whole. This is certainly a fad that in due time will fade away as everything usually does.
EXACTLY I was thinking the same fucking thing. I mean awesome, they are rich and have obviously made their mark on society. They have been rewarded as such. But they offer nothing that cannot be outdone by the next internet fad. If the IPO were to ever publicly launch I am guessing some time afterward it would be the short of a lifetime. Although, you could possibly also go broke waiting for that time as well.
Making 80k a year in Silicon Valley and spending hours a day on a computer game is not successful. It's pissing away your life as a worker drone. Imagine how much money that guy could make if he spent 4 hours a day designing new software, or working on setting up a business, or how much his life would improve if he just spent that time working out, going out with his family or gf/friends, reading some great books, learning new skills and so on. If you spend more than a few hours a week on facebook, you are an addict who doesn't know the value of life. Hell, i feel bad enough spending a couple of hours a week on ET, and at least I occasionally pick up something worth cold hard $$$ from that.
If you haven't I seriously recommend watching the South Park episode about this. You can watch full episodes online at www.southparkstudios.com - it was the most recent season. It is funny, seriously.
I've made good money from information and ideas contained in a few posts made on here. I can't say the same for most other websites. However, I agree that whiling away hours in chit chat and other pointless places is just as bad as doing it on facebook. It's easy to waste time on the internet.
I think you are correct. Doesn't mean Facebook won't still be popular for a long time, but this could be the peak.
It does not suprise me that you are a Facebook user. You likely fit the Facebook stereotype perfectly. ET facilitates discussion on shit in life that actually matters - finance and the economy. It couldn't be more different from Facebook.