There are many knowledgeable and informative traders on this site, and I was wondering whose opinions and posts carry considerable weight. (this is obviously very subjective)
Hrmm... In General: Darkhorse Traden4Alpha InandLong Nitro Marketsurfer Sarasota Oldtrader rTharp candletrader Pabst metooxx ddefina dottom Makes my day, adds humour to my trading day: Optional777 Aphexcoil There's more but just off my head...
My posts don't carry much weight on this site, but I can still tell you who I'm profiting from. I trade only listed stocks, but use island and arca to execute most of my trades. From the size of my executions and their origin, I can tell you that I mostly profit from other short term daytraders who trade listed and use island and arca. If you have traded the most actives on NYSE that moved more than a 1.00 on the day, or the biggest point losers that will trade over 1 mil shares, and use ECN's, than we've probably met each other.
Strangley enough I profit from having somewhere to express my thoughts as everyone I know socially thinks trading is insane. I reallly appreciate ET's presence (my friends think ET is Entertainment Tonight!)
I would like to answer this question very generally, and the best ever article I read explaining who traders profit from is to be located on Alan Farley's Hardrightedge.com site... I just loved this article as the neatest way of putting things.... http://www.hardrightedge.com/wizard/ss1.htm
Its always a pleasure to share sites that I have found of value... Hardrightedge.com has given me several great ideas over time... I would well recommend exploring that site...
I've been thinking an answer for your question for some times. Now I am pretty sure from whom I actually make profits. I profit from those who make profit and want to share some of their profit with me.