To share or not to share

first opinion:

since there a thousand opinions and a thousand systems out there, even if you reveal a system to a group of traders, its not likely that they will all follow the system perfectly (that would cause the system to become ineffective). in addition, even if everyone used the same system, remember that the illiquid markets will suffer, where as the liquid markets can typically handle the new volume on the same signal points. (i dont know any system traders that trade penny stocks, convertable securities or other types of illiquid markets?).

second opinion:

for those of us who trade for a living and have taken years to develop good systems that really work (not just flavor of the month ideas) its tough to just "hand over" your time, hard work and effort to some that is just looking for a short-cut.

i continually share ideas with other traders and programmers in an effort to improve all areas of this business, but those who are just looking for the short-cut to success need to realize that there are none.

Pete

 

Have you heard of athletes working as a team, sharing a strategy to beat the other side?

 

Please elaborate. From my understanding, most traders are independents.

 

I have...such athletes are working for an organization.

Retail traders don't work together as a team unless your lucky enough to be trading with your spouse or a trading pal from home or an office.

Yet...I do know retail traders working as a team in private trading rooms on mIRC (these traders know each other very well and are very serious about their trading and usually trading some size)...

but not at a discussion forum like ET unless they are doing that in ET realtime chat?

In fact, I highly recommend retail traders living in the same city that want to share...that are struggling or traders doing ok wanting to help struggling traders in their city...

should get together in person...during realtime trading...to help each other.

No anonyminity there.

NihabaAshi

 

pete,

great site. thanks for posting.

dave

 

SimpleSimon,
Let's say based on discussions here at ET, a small group find one another's ideas and personality both agreable and mutually beneficial. These individuals could then meet outside ET, electronically or otherwise, and discuss in greater detail a more focused pursuit of trading strategy. Thus, a team is formed.
This cannot happen so long as Elite members remain fixated on the idea that sharing is bad, or that others are just trying to steal. I don't want shortcuts, and any serious trader shouldn't either. Shortcuts, however useful in the short-term, do not aid in understanding and thus do not have a lasting benefit. Working together, on the other hand, can aid one in the understanding of concepts one would otherwise not glean from personal study consequently providing a unique and lasting benefit to all who participate.

 

From my viewpoint, if several traders come together as a trading team, then that could be considered one entity. I find it hard to understand why they would share details of their strategies. Of course I do understand that there's s whole lot more to trading than strategy alone, but I still maintain that its a competition and should be approached as such.

 

I concur with your first and last statements. And if in your middle statement you are saying you do not understand why the team would share its strategies I would agree, in that once such a team has been formed the incentive for disclosure no longer exists.

 

Magna,
I don't think I have ever cried that people should share more. I propose, offer, or even invite others to participate with me in what I think could be a beneficial exchange of ideas. Those elevated traders who cannot benefit by this exchange I would expect not to participate, unless they felt something could be learned by teaching what they already know. I have played the role of both student and teacher in fields other than trading and I have found both to be personally beneficial. The key aspect has never been the role, but the energy/enthusiasm/etc. of the individual(s) with whom I have worked. Admittedly, I have very little to offer in the way of trading strategy. I give what I can in this respect and I hope I can bring something else to the table, too. I, for example, pride myself on asking good questions when I am in the role of student. But, I can understand that you, having toiled for many years to learn your craft have no time to dawdle with a beginner. Good luck, and good trading!
-rlb

p.s.: "fixated," was a poorly chosen, inflamatory word - I apologize.