Good article, eh? I've only had time to scan it so far, but it looks like it deserves a better title than "Hype artists spin...". It quotes both Adrian and Randy Befumo commenting on the evolving self-regulatory tendencies here, and that "clear electronic trail" leading directly to a scamster's front porch.
"IMO, company monitoring of the threads, and immediate response to unfounded rumours is rapidly becoming a "necessity"."
Individual investor SIers would unanimously agree with this, probably, but one guy who doesn't (and is therefore wrong ;-) is John Kaiser. In his May Bottom Fishing report he has a very thoughtful essay on company use of the internet, good stuff on the desirability of using websites and sound advice about what to put on them to make them useful. But on the question of companies directly refuting rumours on the threads, he is opposed to the idea. Using the "K5 big pink" Ashton rumour of April-May as an example, he says roughly the same thing as Ashton's Bitelli does in this article; "One could always accuse the company of having selectively addressed certain rumours or misinformation....as opposed to all of it. You never know when to stop."
Well, Messrs. Bitelli and Kaiser; Sure you could be accused of that. So what? You could be accused of ignoring an important and evolving medium as well. Which accusation will stick in the minds of investors, and which will cost you credibility in the long run? Think about it.
And; "You never know when to stop."???? Well, imho, this would be at some point after starting. Come on, we know you lurk the threads. You are seeing misinformation, it's an open forum so that's inevitable. But since it's open, it's open to you as well. Step right up and call a spade a spade.
If Intel can do it, and William Resources can do it, and Genzyme and Mongolia and Steppe and a whole raft of others can do it, and do it professionally, you can do it too.
Sorry, Bev, that last bit was to a Mr. Randy Turner, but then you knew that, didn't you? ;-) |
