(At least) twice in the last two days there have been incidences here of people receiving unwelcome (and in one case clearly trollish) posts in their own Journals. Several trading forums have settings available to compilers of threads in their "Journals" folders whereby the compiler is given some control over which other members can post in their Journals. Examples: a setting such that nobody else can post without being added to the compiler's "friends' list"; a setting such that nobody else can post at all; a setting such that people on the compiler's "ignore list" can't post in it (perhaps this one would be both optimal and easiest?). Clearly receiving input from other members is part of the potential value of keeping a Journal in a forum rather than on one's own computer or on a specific journaling site with such editorial control available. But it seems to me that the forum might, by introducing one of the possible variants of this idea, be able to attract a few more Journals than it does at the moment, which would all be additional posting and potential traffic? (It might also avoid some arguments, and possibly a little moderation work, too?). I'd think this ought to be relatively easy to do? Just a suggestion, anyway ...
What you are asking for is a feature we already have, which is called Private Threads. You simply start a private thread and only invite the people you want to view and participate in it. You also have the option of allowing the people you invite to also invite other people they know into your thread, but that's up to you.
In the case of one journal, and maybe even both if it was the same troll, that user was banned today.
With respect, it just isn't - but that misunderstanding is my own fault for not describing what I meant clearly enough (you're not the only person my request confused). All I'm really suggesting is that this forum should copy the example of some other trading forums in giving a Journal's compiler the option, on starting his publicly published thread, available in the forum for all members and visitors to read, of prohibiting users on his or her "ignore" list from posting in it. Other forums have found this a good way of attracting and publishing the Journals of members who won't otherwise post them, through their (often well justified) concern that one or two specific people who have - for whatever reason - formed a marked antipathy to them, will troll their Journals. At the moment, some of your members are starting their Journals in one of (at least) three other well-known trading forums instead, all of which offer this facility. I thought perhaps you might want to do the same, as it seems to be an attraction/facility with no real downside that I (or presumably they) can see. But thank you for reading the thread and replying, anyway.
That is not the same. Private threads don't collect eyeballs. Imagine the Surf journal with the asked option, it would have been way less inflammatory. The downside is that valid criticism can be filtered out, but a journal would be more civil too... To put it simpler: I don't mind if an asshole reads my journal, I don't even mind if he follows my trades and makes money, BUT I do mind if an asshole bullshits/annoys/offtopic in my journal. An example would be my journal Shkreli at court...
Everyone should be allowed to post comment and critique. Otherwise you would get vendors starting fake/hindsight journals and no one would be able to challenge them. Even worse they could add sock puppets to their approved 'friends list' and block everyone else. Trolls eventually get banned and you can ask mods to remove off topic posts if they are polluting your journal with unrelated content.
I like it when the forum settings allows the user to not allow "guest" (general public) or those on one's personal ban list from accessing charts, files or other attachments that was uploaded to the journal while any written text can be read by anyone (member or not member). This feature can be turned ON or OFF. Its a great (useful) feature to have. I never really seen any downside to having features as such. Even a setting that no one can post except for the thread starter shouldn't be a problem as long as message posts have a "complain" button or can be "reported".
It's the "eventually" that's sometimes the problem. I know ... but that reality doesn't seem too relevant to the members here who are actually starting their Journals off elsewhere because this forum lacks the facility I suggested. (It wouldn't be too relevant to me, either, to be honest.) I posted imagining that the forum might, for the sake of an easy little addition available everywhere else I know, and with no downside, actually like to keep that participation and potential traffic instead of losing it. But apparently not. Ok.
Like you...I've notice ET members posting their journals elsewhere instead of here although I don't know why but I assume its like a close friend of mine here that's an ET member. Yet, this has been discussed before here in the feedback section many years ago. Thus, I'm sure its something Baron has heard before. For example, Baron fixed an old complaint from many years ago (the ability to post multiple attachments in the same message post) unless that was only a temporary setting because its been awhile since I've seen someone upload multiple attachments in the same message post. It did take many years to set it up after the request by several members. Yet, public journals are a tricky thing but the good thing is that its very easy to start a public or private journal (invite only those you want to see it) elsewhere if you don't like the way its done here at ET. In fact, most of the people I know from ET that have public journals...they have it at another forum, blog, twitter, stocktwits or something. There must be a reason for such considering they are still posting here at ET while maintaining their journals elsewhere. Can it be the after hour parties...what has changed ? Regardless, there's still a few journals I like here although I wish the author would post more commentary about the overall context of the markets. Also, I wish there were more journals about trading instruments on European Eurex, Euronext markets and Asia futures markets.
There is an easy workaround. Start both a journal and a private thread. When you post something to your private thread, post an announcement of having done so in your journal and invite anyone who wants to respond to contact you. You can then screen those who want to participate. Is this silly? Yes. But it's the best you're going to be able to do at ET.