OK, my time is way too valuable to waste on reading useless posts by trolls, spammers, pretenders, multi-alias whackjobs, vendors-in-disguise, psycopaths, non-traders and the various other losers that pollute our exchange of vital trading info here - including screwing up the rating of brokers, software, etc. So my question is: would professional traders pay $300 a year for a non-spam, more closely moderated environment - an environment that is largely devoid of the non-sense that happens on a free forum? (mostly, as much as realistically possible - say perhaps 80% to 90% less B.S.) It would be by credit-card auto-pay renewing subscription only. Any spammers or vendor-frauds that risk $50 for the first month would be immediately blown off the site the first time they PM someone or promote anything. Vendors could only advertise by banner - only tech support or broker support folks would be allowed to help out users. Only one alias per IP address. These are just off the top of my head. (are you watching, Baron?)
lol, the choices are a bit biased aren't they! "No, my trading career isn't worth $50 per month to actually learn from Pros exchanging real ideas" A simple Yes or No poll would have done Having a pay-for forum to try and exclude spam and trolls doesn't automatically mean the remaining content will be any better quality or the contributors any more experienced than on a free forum. Anyway, why would an experienced and seasoned pro want to spend their money to help people, it's enough that they spend their time posting without charging them for the privilege! These forums are fine as they are, a mix of serious trading chat along with amusing entertainment. Spamming and trolling is kept under reasonable control by the moderators. If all you come here for is serious sombre discussions purely about trading then it's easy enough to ignore the more light-hearted posts isn't it? 'Make sure you don't throw the baby out with the bath water' my old Mum used to say
Oh, your post went Steve, but I'll reply anyway...... Now you're cookin', I've always wondered why these types of trading forums don't negotiate discounts for their members, a site like this with it's following could wield quite a bit of leverage when it comes to making a deal wth suppliers/providers. As an example I belong to a motoring forum, the site owners have cut some very good deals on parts and servicing discounts for it's members! Something like that would be worth paying for in my opinion, but make it optional.
The choices are limited in how they're phrased. There may be some quality free sites out there, but IMHO the best trading info I've received thus far has been from free sources - blogs, seminars, webinars, and my own readings, to include some threads on ET. Is there a ton of crap here? You betcha. There are several trolls, dirtbag egos out to scourge others with or without good reason. And I tune them out completely. But then again, there's the periodic quality thread or two that makes it worthwhile to read stuff here regularly. I spend a few hundred bucks monthly on 'investment advice' - newsletters and a few subscription sites that I use for 'serious' investment advice and commentary.......but I wouldn't pay to be part of an investment 'forum' like ET.
I do not know what you would achieve by splitting this group. It is something you would need to try and measure I imagine. My experience of ET is that I have expanded my general knowledge greatly in the macro picture of finance and also within markets about which I know very little. There are a few posters here for whom I have the utmost respect, but that does not mean that I swallow their every written word without completing my own homework. Usually however it confirms their authenticity. In the micro picture of intraday eminis, specifically ES, I trust only my own logic and judgment although some of the posters arouse my curiosity greatly as they are clearly looking at a different ES than I am. Perhaps CME have opened a branch on the Moon without telling me. At the same time there are also posters who have a genuine desire to work hard and learn. The bulk of Posters here on ET either know what they are talking about: think they know what they are talking about and are trying to push out the boundaries of their knowledge; or are just plain dribbling from both corners of their mouth simultaneously. Now, ask yourself who is most likely to pony up 50 bucks per month to join Elite Elite. If it is the guys who are willing to learn and also the guys who have falling in love with the dribble that rolls down both corners of their mouth, then one sector of this new new group will quite clearly have a giant problem. Since I would not pay 50 bucks per month to remove myself from those few Posters whom I respect, then I cannot add more to this discussion. regards f9
From the responses you have gotten in your Poll as well as the replies you have received in the thread it appears that the problem lies where virtually all of them do ... within yourself. Not to say that your experience is not real or valid, it is. But unless you want to become an equity partner in ET (thus, giving you the right to have some say-so over its content) you're going to have to start working with things the way they are ... or go someplace else. While I most definitely would not pay $50 for the right to post here (remember, you can always read what is here without necessarily posting), Baron could definitely winnow-out the folks in the poor house by charging $5 bucks a month (with the same applicable rules for vendors, though). FTR, there are threads around here with information on more serious trading websites, you might want to look them up and get a change of scenery every once in a while.
LOL, it's in the Journal section. And Magna keeps it spotless, the offending trolls would sooner be removed than have the Journal marred ... but you can start other threads where you talk about the PnL thread and its posters to your hearts content. It's been pretty spotless ... with only one, yes 1 confirmed instance of trolldom in all the years I've been following it. It was when some poster was totally faking his blotter (which was consistently large) so that people would respect and admire him here at ET. Rearden Metal totally outed his ass ... the guy should have been banned, but he wasn't.