I have asked myself this recently. Why do I have the urge to post? Helping others is one of the reasons but I am not sure I have enough expertise to even offer my "advise" in most cases. So what I'm leaning to is that posting here makes me think a bit deeper about the topic, express my opinions/beliefs, and have them challenged by you guys. Getting your beliefs challenged and even ridiculed is not something you can easily get somewhere else(people either don't care enough or try to be nice). What's in it for you?
I post here for the sole benefit of pushing the posting limits so Admin Magna yells at me, and I get the red eyeball treatment. This way I feel like I'm in the movie TRON, with the 2001 twist. I'm j/k. Mostly.
Getting the opportunity to interact with the good folks - Being entertained - Kill time after the desk opens and there is no good TV or markets are just dead - Helping to stay awake - Some recruiting -
Sometimes posting whatever forms a new idea for me or I see something I have forgotten. Am limited in even chatting about trading as my next ex girlfriend have no clue of me expressing what it is I do. And should I help someone, I tend to receive tenfold. I try not to be negative, but if I see total wrong way to become profitable, truth sometimes hurts. If I totally didn't care about people, I wouldn't post at all.
ET does have good information at times and it's helpful for people, at least when it comes to regulation, market news etc. Besides, I do have the urge to talk about the markets and ET is my outlet. I don't get much of a reply when the gf hears my ramblings. I could be talking with a random bum on the street corner but I doubt he's informed about the latest MiFiD paperwork requirements or IB margin requirements.