Except as a retail writing options, you will not be profitable if you write them mechanically without thoughts. To be profitable, even insurance companies have to figure what to write and what not to write.
Just got off the phone with a buddy who's shared "thin" VIX times with me -- us both saying how stingy things looked right now, and that we would never write below (14 or 13 or [gulp!] 12 again....)
Also Google "CME QuikStrike" - there is a free application called "Essentials" and even more extensive (and free) modules on the website.
Yeah I registered on that site yesterday: http://cmegroup.quikstrike.net Also started reading 'Trading Options For Dummies' which has a few sites listed and which I will be checking out individually (in the hopes of finding a demo account to trade or paper trade) BATS Options: www.bats.com/us.options Nasdaq Options Market (NOM): http://business.nasdaq.com/trade/ US-Options/NOM.html Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE): www.cboe.com International Securities Exchange (ISE): www.ise.com NYSE ARCA Options (NYSEARCA): www.nyse.com/markets/arca-options Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX): www.phlx.com