A forum like this is not useful if it comprises only unsupported criticism, unsupported promotion, or a place for personal bashing. It amazes me sometimes how people can get caught up in any one of those 3 elements, as it is a complete waste of time. Few people will make investing decisions based on the written ramblings of someone hiding behind a pseudonym, and those that do deserve what they get.

Where a forum like this is useful is when people pull together and investigate, share, discuss and assess together. I can't do the research into institutional holdings that Whaler does or find all of those links he does, I don't have the patience to do the spreadsheet work that Sarlock does and Buxom1 shares with us, nor do I run across the analysts reports she finds and shares. Nor can I play the devil's advocate as well as JES or have his perspective on things without hearing it from him. And I cannot have the information that Wanderer provides in the form of what the company reports it is doing. Nickel, ExSudsville Guy, Rastama and many others contribute important information as well.

I can get all of that though by visiting this forum and entering into the discussion, asking questions and sharing my own limited knowledge. Unless a poster is ripping another poster or just stirring the pot, I don't get too twisted up about what people are saying. I don't think naysayers have any more impact on SP that promoters do, and promoters have none. If someone tells me they have sold, it is just more info that I can assess, digest and either add to the mix or discard.

I get what it is all about. It is sharing information and cooperating so we all have more info than we could get individually. Sometimes some of that info should be disregarded or verified, but many times it is useful. Especially in this forum.

Cheers,

Bluenoser