" there will always be some pessimists out there through their reading of the "charts" or "tea leaves" or whatever they do to determine a short position."

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It would be nice if the markets were as simple as longs are optomists, and short are pessimists. Referring to shorts as sharks certainly does give the image that we are in that same ocean with them. The sharks will always be in the ocean, and it's probably better to ignore them than fear, or despise them. Possibly understanding them would remove some of the irrational fear of sharks. Many stocks have institutional short interest in 20%, 30%, and sometimes more, of the float. Are they sharks? No, they are professionals, and they are hedging, among other things. Would the world's oceans be healthier if all sharks were eradicated? No, they would not because sharks do serve a useful purpose. Possibly there is a certain type of shark that longs hate. That would be the opportunistic pathogen type. That type would be the Newtonian physics type whichs follows the "what goes up, must come down" law. If all of us were day traders, we would have to learn how these shorts operate in order to protect a potential daily profit. These shorts do understand the longs better than the longs understand them imo. As our primary focus in buying shares in POET is for long-term holding, we should not really care what this type of shark is doing on a daily basis. This type is no threat to us, but only to the daily flippers who are flat at the end of the day, or the swing traders. Most hatred has a measure of ignorance as its foundation. Knowledge cures much.

I do not suggest that you will like the shorts after learning more about them, but only that you may be more at peace/tolerant of their daily presence.

Personal belief: It is easier to take money out of the markets through shorting.

Personal behavior: I do not short.

(post not directed specifically to Small Potato.)