How do you know the market maker shorted to you? Even if that was true, what does that have to do with manipulation? As an ex market maker I think I know what goes on and in coming discussions about the details, you'll learn all about the machine. If you want to find out beforehand, several months ago i went through all of this on the IMNR thread. There, for several weeks the wild talk of price subsided and the market maker scapegoating stopped. Then it all revived because the speculators get relief from stress by making these endless false claims.
IATV is conducting an advertising charade trying to create acceptance where no basis of acceptance exists. The basis is that there is a lack of conceptual infrastructure. ACTV initially will have a narrow market. It is a catch-up technology whose added value isn't clear because it's multicast, not interactive. The interactivity available from a cable modem return path opens up this narrow focus into a truly added value opportunity. You get ACTV feeds only where there is value in packaging the presentation in ACTV multicast format. You need ubiquitous cable modem to make ACTV into a universal tv adjunct, but that functionality supersedes General's STBs and cable availability, so one must wait for cable modem and new STB hardware. This is also the main constraint on the education application, the lack of interactivity. Multicast is one way there too. Again cable modem supplies the functional elixir to make this interactively enhanced application work in a teacher-to-student, student-to-teacher way, instead of the usual one way though many-to-one. All of this will take time if it is certain to occur. Even then there will be hesitancy on the public's part before acceptance. So you have a tenuous argument for a fundamentally sound investment and a long time away from detectable profitability. $.18 in '99 is dreaming.
Along those lines you also have Liberty Media speculating. It's chump change to drop 5 on ACTV. When ACTV has burnt through that, will Liberty be so risk oriented? I submit they won't because things will change so they will be pulling in their horns from ACTV's failure to reach critical mass. Now as far as Mr Reese and his flying circus is concerned, they are beating the drums to get attention. When the roadshow is over and some money needs to be made, from where will that be coming?
ACTV has one thing going for it: it is the only play in town disposed to provide a privately controlled media experience. They are pioneers and pioneers often are extremely successful even if they have to go through years of disaster. I like the concept of the company and I do believe it will be a winner.
That stands in stark contrast to the denizens of this thread who mostly talk about their speculative zeal and beseech god to give them more upside because they are so deserving. It is the first sign that speculation is rife here and therefore the stock is vulnerable. The vulnerability comes form all those speculators trying to get out. Making a continuous orderly market doesn't mean bailing out the greedy from loss. It takes no clairvoyance to see that stocks are in the middle of a major downside move so how could it be the right time to engage in wild speculation on the upside? You're only hope is that the FED continues its unprecedented pumping and the ACTV dance will last long enough for the fly-by-nighters to get out. You guys are dancing on the bridge while something looms menacingly in the moonlight. |
