Howdy Blue, you made a great point there. That last post I wrote sez "Happy Independence Day...To All" and who I meant by "All" is friends on or of Techride Thread. I'd be dismayed to see what I write on here in some newspaper with my name and address on it. It's not meant for that type of broadcast; if it were then that's where it'd be.
I was raised to be cautious but not to be untrusting til given reason to be so...my family always kept the doors locked whether we're home or not; even in the '50's when I was little & this area was "almost country". Now that it's full-on NYC suburban, I know people who live around here who proclaim they never lock their doors even when they go away on vacation! They say it's not worth it because there's not much worth stealing except the tv, etc.; that they would rather know they're not living their lives in fear. I think that's ridiculous. Wherever one may live, whether one has valuable stuff or not - the lives of the people in the house are irreplacable unlike property. A ruthless thief will steal the stuff and then kill the victim so they can't be identified, THAT'S what to worry about not the stuff.
There's a peephole on the door & I won't open it for anyone unknown or I don't want to talk to. Awhile back some unfamiliar guy in a tan workshirt and a brown jacket came around wanting to check the utilities meter; it was off-schedule and I didn't know him so
so I asked him howcome & asked he show id. He skedaddled; walking quickly around the corner as I watched him go so I couldn't get a license # or a good look at him. A little while later I read in the newspaper that some elderly people had been burglarized that way; that the guy pretended to have to call someone else to help him service a malfunction and then the house was ransacked while the owner was distracted. I doubt I was targeted; I asked neighbors & a few said he'd come around there and they hadn't let him in either. So he was cruising door to door, vehicle and partner elsewhere...
glad we'd had our doors locked.
I tell that story as an illustration of where do you draw the line? If we on Techride or SI don't like the way something looks about a Company, it's our right to say it. My INTENT is to communicate with others honestly on here about investments or experiences dealing with Companies. I suppose anything said at anytime by any means could be misconstrued...but the line has to be drawn somewhere and to be afraid to post an honest opinion on the internet is Over The Line.
If I get email from a Company and then it's set up so that to reply to the sender is impossible; especially if that's the answer I get to a communication of mine to them....pffffffft. It's looking like the same thing as telemarketers calling with phones that don't show up on Caller ID, it's the same thing as getting solicitations from a P.O. Box of a firm with no listed phone number. That says something, it says the person wants to tap my shoulder from behind a shield. It's a Red Flag, Or a sneaky way of Getting The Last Word, Or A One Way Street is what it is. It's a Red Flag.
My last post, after wishing A Happy 4th To All, goes on to compliment inspirations in yours (Blues) & Carolyns posts, then talking to you referring to a link that wasn't in your post Replied To. That the posts are public is true in a sense but what you said is even truer in that INTENT isn't to communicate with the world as it would be if written to, say, the Letters To The Editor in a national newspaper or magazine instead of continuing an ongoing conversation among a chosen group, using the Internet as a means of communication among friends (not foes) instead of speech or handwriting sent by mail. It's not so easy to lock out the foes with using the internet...but there are mail snooping and phone eavesdroppers with their methods out there, too. Nothings ever 100% secure. When we weren't on a board for a few months there, we just talked about our stocks and stuff on private email, remember? Who knows who was reading that, but they sure never jumped in to say howdy if they were.
The only way we can communicate about our investments and help boost one another is by sharing our business doings with each other....
and that's why most of us choose to anonymize ourselves through a screenname that's like a nickname. Majority of folks don't feel comfortable having who-knows-who know what property they may own... so it's best leave it anonymous because of the sharks out there.
Something I've noticed with these Companies bringing suit, is that they always start out with "Outing" the identities of the screennames on The Internet. It's their way of giving the message that there WILL be a consequence of getting on their bad side, even before the matter goes any further, isn't it? And I don't think that's the same thing as those doing research "outing" the identities of contractors, connections with other companies, pr spokespersons, etc. The reason it's not the same, is that when hard-earned money is coming from investors to back a company, the folks putting up that money have a right to dig into any and every aspect that they choose. The more information put forth, no matter what the intent of the poster...gives more DD leads which will show themselves as positive or negative after further exploration no matter what spin or hype was put on the post and whether or not there was a reason (longholder wanting it to go up, shortseller wanting it to go down, paid tout or not, whatever).... The More Information The Better, I say. Anyone who follows what ANYONE says to do about investments, whether it's a Top Analyst or a Poster On A Thread, without putting in that time to do the 360 DD and come to their own opinion...isn't ready for individual investing and better Caveat Emptor their money into a moneymarket account til they study up more, do practice portfolios, and formulate some disciplined strategy and goal for themselves first.
Like, look at what I said about xaolx and I am holding shares! I was treated shabbily by them regardless of being an investor. I still hold the shares and still subscribe to the service because I still find the positives outweigh the negatives re: the value I receive for my subscription and the future possibilities of the improvement of the company and the growth of the shares and the share price. I'm certainly not concerned that xaolx investors will read what I said on some obscure SI thread and stampede for the exits and I'll never be able to make a buck on it because of it, or buy it because I hold it regardless and then scream if it doesn't go up, for goodness sake. Yep the Co's in a slump right now in more ways than one; not just our experience with them but other reasons, guessing in other depts. too probably "the screeners" are at the helm and it's starting to show. But I really do think it'll be turned around...It Has To.
If we investors're afraid to open our mouths on stockthreads about
negative perceptions regarding some stock of a Co. then we might as well go into Morningstar and start evaluating returns and fund mgrs., put our bucks in mutuals and call it a day.
These are Boards For Investors To do DD on Companies and discuss the advantages or disadvantages of whatever type of buy or sell could be profitable. If it looks like a hype or shorts bringing it down, well then that's what it probably is.... and more the better for investors putting it under the magnifying glass. And if the flaws are really unpolished diamonds....well then that shows up under the loupe, too.
As does intent.
Happy 4th of July...Live @Techstock '99...
At the Fireworks last night, we were treated to
Eric Burdon and most of The Animals.."Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "House of The Rising Sun" "It's My Life"....
Then the incredible Keith Caputo (probly the next King Of Rock & Roll)
(formerly of Life Of Agony) singing us
"Believe In Yourself....Don't Be Scared"
(from the song Razzberry Mockery)
and "It's The Turn Of The Century, And Anything Goes, And I SAID Anything Goes" (from the song "Brandy Duval")
off the unreleased CD which will probably be titled "Died Laughing" when it's released Jan. 2000
and of course, the Jimi Hendrix Anonymizer Clone, played us
"Star Spangled Banner" on the Telecaster, at the Old Glory Finale.
God Bless America Pals,
Joanie |
