Rene, you got that one right! However, being p*ssed should be taken as an indicator that something is wrong. Emotions can contain an intelligence that when rationally examined provide leaps in insight and understanding that would otherwise take much longer. I don't have time to be mad. I'm in it for the money. I observed a number of surprising and ordinarily inexplicable behaviors on the part of Datek. Therefore, I have to seek satisfactory explanations. I estimate that a 1/16 will cost me $250,000 per year! I've lost over 2 points on some trades when I've failed to get marketable orders executed on Datek.
I hope I don't come off as just being p*ssed. I'm actually trying to accomplish something here. I'm trying to figure this stuff out completely, systematically and across all dimensions that might effect my Day Trading success. I'm an inventor. I do very detailed and comprehensive research to optimize my systems.
Obviously, since I'm entirely independent, my broker and their organizational, operational, business and computer systems in fact become a critical component of my own trading system.
In addition to investment, the primary focus of my research is directed towards developing a system that (among other things) capitalizes on the Individual Differences in quoting behavior among individual NASDAQ Market Makers. I plan on starting a thread on this topic. I hope it to be professional and at times scholarly. If you or anyone else want me to send them a Private Message pointing to the thread, send me a message.
So why the Datek thing?
(1). Well, I have to admit that doniam has an excellent point. I've wasted too much time on Datek. I'm coming to that conclusion since it seems the only reasonable way for a remote day trader to go is with one of the firms specializing in providing the full range of order entry options (SOES, etc.). I was trying to see if Datek could act as a surrogate for such a firm. The evidence is mounting against my original hypothesis that Datek could provide the same quality of trading results for me.
(2). I have a thing about rooting for the underdog. I'm always for the team that is behind until they get too far ahead, then I start rooting for the loosing team. Well, some people think that Datek and such brokers are the underdog. WRONG. YOU AND I ARE WHEN IT COMES TO TRADING AND INVESTING!
I also have a thing about responsibility, fairness and justice. I'm an activist. I hate to see anyone get scr*wed.
(3). As a community and a representative sample of a certain segment of the trading public, we can be a positive factor for change in the marketplace.
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