My request: Don’t post until you’ve been here for a while. Our board is very busy. At times we get dozens of posts a day – and that has on occasion ballooned even higher. But it’s more than that: we have a history. If this is your first week since finding the board, you may be tempted to write us off as momentum traders, market timers, etc. First, we don’t care what you call us. Save it. Second, we have a track record of great success with companies (not “stocks”) that we research heavily and take the time to understand – but we also follow the numbers. There are reasons for this. In a word, there is a balance between 1) buying and holding forever no matter what, and 2) trading too much – haphazardly and unprofitably. Saul has called it “modified buy and hold.”
Instead of posting (at first), here’s how you can get up to speed:
- Please check out the links in the Announcements section on the right hand side of this page (or on mobile, at the bottom below this post).
- Spend particular time focusing on the Knowledge Base. Most of us have read it multiple times.
- Then hang around and just watch for a few weeks…maybe a couple months, and see what we’re up to. Don’t feel compelled to contribute right away. I don’t want anyone to be afraid to post, but we do things a certain way here. It might even be off-putting at first, but I think you’ll find that it’s worth it! So stick around and learn. We can’t wait until you get the hang of what we’re trying to do and learn how to add value to the board!
When you are ready to post, here are some tips on how to write a good one that people will respond to:
- Make sure to follow the rules! Including no one-liner posts!!! https://discussion.fool.com/monday-morning-rules-of-the-board-34…
- Post only when you have something to add. We can’t post all our thoughts, because there are thousands of people who frequent this board. If you have something to add, great, but make sure it’s not something that we’ve been over and over, and make sure it’s well edited and cogent. If it’s an argument worth making, it’s worth spending some time explaining your thoughts well. Also make sure it’s about a company rather than just a stock or “the market” – remember that discussing macro and technicals violates board rules.
- What we don’t need is questions. No one here is running a service or is paid. Your question will get lost in the shuffle – unless you take the time to attempt to answer it yourself. Sharing your analysis, in a way that is organized and backed up by data, might earn you the interest of others on the board. If you make a lot of sense with the things you say, the board will start paying attention.
Also, if someone makes an off-topic post or comment, PLEASE IGNORE IT. Try to know when to respond (for instance, to a well-edited, thorough line of thinking), as opposed to simply arguing a small point. I firmly believe, some of you will rise to become the next generation of leaders of the board. But the first task is to learn that sometimes it is better to refrain from posting.
In summary: fewer posts, but higher quality. Thanks for your help with this everyone! Welcome and enjoy!
Bear
Assistant Board Manager