Ahhh...I think I understand now. You're just saying that some top traders comes to ET to meet folks like you've just describe in an effort to advance their own knowledge of the markets and possibly use it to improve their own trading. That's possible and I can easily see these individuals having private conversations considering one of them tends to be private already. I think that behavior is normal and not just at trading forums. For example, I'm well knowledge about darkroom photography. I'm a member at several photography forums on the topic. I mainly lurk (very few posts) but I'll contact someone privately if I see them talking about topics most others do not understand and topics I have a strong interest.
You do know that we have moved past darkroom photography though... right? It does also of course work for newbies. In my own experience, some of the members here have contacted me directly with suggestions. Seeing someone struggle who shows he is putting work into it does tend to make others more helpful in private who might otherwise not want to post the info publicly. I still haven't found someone like Eddie has mind you, an expert who calls out ES trades with a 90% win rate! Out of curiosity, what's the flavor in that private thread about PA? It sure would be nice to have a thread about PA, naked PA with no indicators, just levels, and without the need to defend the use of PA, but simply a discussion about what different people look for. I would have lots to contribute myself... like an explanation of this sweet little arrangement of bars. On the other hand, since most of the best traders are the quietest, if I go silent, I might turn into one of the best traders!
You do realize I'm not talking about amateur prints. Instead, museum, art gallery, research and restoration processes.
Since it seems most of this trolling issue is revolving around TA believers and non believers.... Most of the "detractors" and "trouble-makers" are asking fair questions and I don't see how silencing them is beneficial for anyone. If this were a university with vetted instructors and we had problem of hecklers disrupting classes with doubts about the veracity of what is being taught..... then yes some kind of extra moderation would be justified. But this is not a university. It's a public site for open discussion. We have anonymous unproven people coming in here and promoting trading methods and styles without backing up any of their talk. Ok fine, they can teach whatever they want.... it's an open site. But in that case it is also fair to be able to question what is being taught. Dissent is healthy especially when dealing with unproven ideas. Nothing to do with TA being right or wrong.... Also keep in mind.... trading floors were not friendly places. Trash talking was common, foul language the order of the day, fights breaking out once in a while..... If you think ET "trolling" is bad you would never have survived on a trading floor. If some hindsight guru came onto the floor each day with a band of followers.... pointing out moves after the fact, etc..... you would see trolling the likes of which you've never seen!!! LOL!
Also an advanced level darkroom printer and developer here. I can do all self processing from straight black and white to color c-41 and e-6 slide in all formats from 35mm to medium format to 4x5/8x10 and then print those to silver halide paper with no computer involved (with the exception of slide). It's an alternative (but original) process and it would be equivalent to saying "you know guys we've moved past discretionary trading" or "there's no value in floor trading." With regard to trolls people need to learn how to ignore the noise. You'll also notice that most people complaining of trolls are really complaining about people calling them out on either their underlying intent here or mistaken beliefs on how things work in the markets. Obviously a confrontational approach is not best but it's part of the territory and people need to learn now to deal with it. It doesn't even have to be confrontational to be trolling either. Just look at surf who literally trolls and derails ANY TA related thread by just bogging it down with shit we've all heard before 100s of times now. Just see the name and move on. We don't even have many trolls here anyway.
You can't silence them. Just force them to start their own threads via preventing them from harassing members in another thread. The issue is harassment and hijacking. We're not talking about someone making constructive commentary or debates...that stuff is ok in my opinion. Instead, we're talking about trolls that do harassment (follow members around to to continue topics that has nothing to do with the thread topic)...this results in hijacking a thread. Trolls follow others at the forum and comment (reply) to them in a stalking like behavior. Trolls will continue in other threads via hijacking the threads and changing the topic to the heated topic from another thread. Now that you mention TA. There's many members here being trolled that do post real-time in the ES Journal threads or their own journals. Simply, its not about hindsight gurus...not even close considering most of them are gone are went to private messaging. Thus, the same trolls have now found new targets. If threads like the ES Journal dies because the real-time trade posters have left this forum or stop posting trades...who's next...the sponsors ? Yeah, they once went after the sponsors (Baron's livelihood) prior to 2008 and that didn't last too long...only a few of the trolls survived. 1) Put trolls on ignore 2) Ban trolls if they harass other members or continue hijacking threads when they see particular members talking about a topic that has nothing to do with TA or anything else. Seriously, two trolls follow a member into a discussion about monitors and try to turn a conversation about computers into a conversation about TA...that's an example of thread hijacking. Let trolls stay if they don't harass members or don't hijack threads...its as simple as that. If trolls start to interfere with Baron's ability to make money from this forum...members will not need to complain anymore. Baron will fix the problem right away as he's done in the past before. 1) He gave them their own voice in threads called Politics, Religion and Chit Chat. 2) He has now fixed the ignore button...it works very well and my own ignore list has tripled in the past week. 3) Self-Moderating threads...many of us still waiting for this new feature.
Consider 2 opposing opinions ... forThread vs againstThread where ideally the thread is within a trading category. Typically .... 1) forThread creates lots of thought provoking threads. 2) againstThread rarely voices an opinion until after forThread starts a new thread. Enhanced blocking will be most effective on threads where users are trying to have a conversation and someone who hasn't read the prerequiste material necessary to voice an informed opinion ...insists on asserting their opinion to the point others who specialize in that area are unable to have a low noise level conversation. IE dbphoenix welcomed 'intelligent' debate but was quick to label members trolls when their primary interest was complaining they didn't like his method. There's controversy surrounding db but he's the archtypical sterotype of a prolific thread starter. That's the *only* reason I'm suggesting he's a good case study and model enhanced blocking should consider. Detractors often ask fair questions. We should all wish them well when their focus is truth but some detractors fit a 'damaged' profile. They rarely if ever express desires other than to spend time going from one thread they do not desire to another they do not desire. These damaged members tend to not have any interests ...other than complaining what others desire is undesirable. Based on my understanding of enhanced blocking ... Detractors will have to migrate to complaining about valid problems if they're unable to attract the attn of others in having a conversation about invalid complaints. Invalid complaints were able to thrive in the past only because policy enabled them to coexist within the thriving topics they were complaining about. Enhanced blocking is a huge win for 'truth'. Valid topics which have been derailed in the past will prosper. Invalid topics will fail. This is evolution and natural selection at it's best. Both those who favor some thread and those opposed will continue to debate. The only difference is detractors won't be able to disrupt valid threads with invalid complaints. The only thing able to shut down threads is truth. Other members either are or are not interested in a conversation for or opposed to a threads topic.
Absolutely not. Enhanced blocking whereby the thread starter is capable of molding the discourse how they see fit is completely anti-truth. The only way enhanced blocking is fair and reasonable is to allow *readers* to block certain people PER thread. They may not want to flat out ignore people across the board but may feel a particular person is derailing the thread. However that's up to the individual reading to decide - not the thread starter. This is not about miniature fiefdoms in the form of "this is my thread!" its about more precise control of the ignore function for the people reading the threads. Some people want to read it and some don't. It's *their* choice not the thread creator's.
If anti-truth posts black is orange he's going to be talking to himself while his detractors next door will be posting counter-points highlighting the errors in his logic. Within threads where it's not as clear anti-truth is a scammer a few feeble minded souls will succumb to his trickery and indulge in conversation with him but it won't take long for them to notice the stronger logic of his detractors next door and learn he's promoting snake oil.