Well lets face it, you in no position to determine what is serious and what is not since you obviously know of no edge, as the majority of traders.
Im not bashing you, I'm just opening your eyes, if the truth hurts, that your problem to fix, not mine.
Autodidact, I have looked at your votes, you seemed to have ticked most of the edges. I would like to know if you really have those edges or you were just simply ticking. [serious question]
I've found edges in various techniques yes but they require that you think outside the box for an extended period of time until it clicks. By reading textbooks and trading forums you will learn about what is common knowledge, what is textbook, etc. None of that crap works good enough for a substantial edge but learning what retail does and what retail looks for and hopes for plus thinking outside the box will help you get closer to what they lack, a real edge to make them consistently profitable. Study how people lose, learn how they get trapped, make their pain your gain and take it from there. Word of advice, simply fading them won't do the trick, you have to think harder. Last but not least if it is for sale, it sucks, don't ever fall prey to salesmen disguised as traders.
I have no edge. I expect to get a sharpe ratio of perhaps 1.0 from my trading. That's a lot less than plenty of people on this site claim (although most don't put SR up, but I'm inferring it). I guess they have edges. I don't believe I have an edge. I use a combination of 8 very simple rules (moving average crossovers, and similar. No patterns, candlesticks etc). I'd be happy to put the source code for 6 of them on the website (the last couple would get me sued, but they're not very complicated, just a simple extension of ideas in the other 6). You can find these 6 rules on a bunch of websites or in a dozen books. My only edge perhaps then is that I have a system (which of itself contains no edge) and as its purely automated, there is no danger of me deviating from it. I have the technical skill to create purely automated systemsystem with the right scaling, position management etc but again this ain't no edge - it's public knowledge if you know where to look. GAT
I disagree. A real edge - if it is valid is part of the market/structure. Examples: Basis trading, delta neutral market making, spread vs fly/condor etc Everyone knows of these approaches, they are still valid. Barriers to entry are getting higher though I grant you. A setup on its own isnt really an edge imo. Basis at 16 1/2 is an edge. Contango is an edge if you have access to storage cheaper than the spread. A predefined sequence of events at a self defined support or resistance isnt. Why? There is no guarantee that what you hope will happen will. Your backtesting may suggest it has a 70% chance of panning out - but there are too many variables to say it will continue to do so in the future. I think an edge is a real tough nut to crack if trading flat price structures. You only have hope with a flat price structure, and hope is not a strategy! Im not saying you cant make money if you dont trade an edge of course - it's just a lot tougher!