I just spent an hour writing a Control Panel which was lost in the ether when I tried to post it.
#$%*!
The METAR is partly sunny with fast-moving clouds.
Wendy
11 Likes
I just spent an hour writing a Control Panel which was lost in the ether when I tried to post it.
#$%*!
That’s why I’ve discontinued longform, substantive posts and only doing “tweets”.
intercst
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But the Ether Bunny’s not due for another three weeks
—Anon
13 Likes
But the Ether Bunny’s not due for another three weeks
??? anyway you could put a warning on that post?
I’m sure you’ve thought of this but if I put much effort into a post I often copy it to my clipboard just in case something gets fubared.
6 Likes
That’s why I’ve discontinued longform, substantive posts and only doing “tweets”.
intercst
Nice excuse not to do substantive posts. Of course you could always simply copy your post before submitting, allowing you to paste it in a second attempt with a couple of key strokes if TMF weirds out a second time. And hitting the back key often will take you back to the post you typed but not yet submitted.
I learned the need to do that after having several posts swallowed a while back. In my experience it is a blip that seems to repeat itself in an extended period of time, until the gremlins get chased out, only to find their way back in down the road. Copy and paste your long posts.
IP
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Oh, that reminds me about something. It’s pretty obvious that the MF boards are dying, and there’s been zero investment into them so apparently there’s no profit to be had. So either they’ll be shut down or just dwindle to nothing over time. BUT I like talking with y’all, so where do we go after/instead of these dying boards?
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Oh, that reminds me about something. It’s pretty obvious that the MF boards are dying, and there’s been zero investment into them so apparently there’s no profit to be had. So either they’ll be shut down or just dwindle to nothing over time. BUT I like talking with y’all, so where do we go after/instead of these dying boards?
I have seen several attempts to find an alternative place to post. During the time when TMF started charging to use the boards, a group of people here were active at one of these alternative forums. I can’t recall the name right now. It died like the others. TMF’s demise has been predicted for many years. One day they might be right but I don’t know when.
PSU
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It’s pretty obvious that the MF boards are dying, and there’s been zero investment into them so apparently there’s no profit to be had. So either they’ll be shut down or just dwindle to nothing over time.
I don’t recall where I read such but I did see reference (about a month or two ago) to TMF working on a new message board but they were struggling with what to do with all the old content we have here.
I don’t recall where I read such but I did see reference (about a month or two ago) to TMF working on a new message board but they were struggling with what to do with all the old content we have here.
The technical problems with these boards isn’t the primary problem (though it is ancient as far as discussion boards go). The problem is that the people are mostly gone, and the vast majority of boards have little to no discussion going on. And even the most popular boards have MUCH fewer discussion going on.
4 Likes
The technical problems with these boards isn’t the primary problem (though it is ancient as far as discussion boards go). The problem is that the people are mostly gone, and the vast majority of boards have little to no discussion going on. And even the most popular boards have MUCH fewer discussion going on.
Once upon a time, people actually used to come to these boards to learn or teach whatever the board topic is. Now it seems to have devolved to socializing off topic. If you need to learn about something, it has become much easier and more effective to simply google it. Investopedia has answered many of my questions I would have once put up on these boards.
IP,
having much preferred the boards when you paid for them, getting quality over being drowned in quantity
1 Like
having much preferred the boards when you paid for them, getting quality over being drowned in quantity
There was a period of time, maybe 10 or 20 years ago, where I received full access due to being a discussion moderator for the MF on various boards.
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There was a period of time, maybe 10 or 20 years ago, where I received full access due to being a discussion moderator for the MF on various boards.
Yes, there were ways to avoid having to pay the nominal fee. I and others were comped based on our contributions, TMF sending a parting gift when they went to free boards. It was a nice surprise to get comped after my initial year, and motivating. I used to participate much more, feeling valued by the community. When it went free, my participation declined. The level of noise to signal was way too high, post volume practically dictated that reading comprehension of posts would frustratingly suffer, and the politics ramped up to the point where I dropped many of the boards I was following.
IMO TMF went from being a pleasant and educational diversion to a stressor. The articles went from informative to pure ads disguised as articles. As I found I got less and less from the boards, I contributed less and less. Part of that is because my learning curve is no longer so steep, and am now more on maintenance of financial knowledge as it changes, rather than full blown absorption of all I can get my hands on, but for me it’s more about the tone of the boards having evolved in a negative way. One could argue that I now have more to contribute given my flattened learning curve than I did before. I tend towards Mom-ing people, happy to help someone figure things out, particularly when it comes to financial literacy or nutrition. I believe in karma and feel that what you put into this world comes back to you eventually, but I am also a fan of not continuing to bang your head on a brick wall when your head starts to hurt.
It could also be argued that it is society in general and social media in particular that has changed, and the change to free TMF access was just coincidental. Perhaps there is nothing in their control for the degradation of these boards. I don’t expect to redirect them back to their goal of providing an excellent way to educate and amuse us common folks, veering away from what seems to have become a goal towards volume over quality. This volume gives them eyeballs on their premium content where they no doubt make a good amount of money, having become what they once despised. They tried to be different and discovered it wasn’t a great way to stay in business, capitulating to emulating the norm. So I do what is in my control, having less and less of a presence on TMF. Others who I have treasured on these boards have done the same. In the end, none of us will be missed, as we are unlikely to miss these new boards.
FWIW,
IP
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Yes, there were ways to avoid having to pay the nominal fee. I and others were comped based on our contributions,
I got free access based on my posts. “Post of the day!” Good Ol’ Days!
The Captain
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when they went to free boards.
Most of the boards were always free. In the 90s, all the boards, nascent at the time, were free. Then, at some point, they created “special” boards and charged for them … it was a few of those that I moderated discussions on. But it didn’t seem to work out well financially, so I think everything (except perhaps investment advise subscription boards for those who subscribe) is now free.
My issue is that people are slowly (quickly in some cases) dropping off the boards. Some, of course, have died over the last 25+ years, but others have simply lost interest or taken their discussions elsewhere.
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Most of the boards were always free. In the 90s, all the boards, nascent at the time, were free.
I sure as heck got charged when I joined TMF in 1997, and it was for these basic boards, not a premium subscription. Was maybe $30/year, so pretty negligible, and as I said comped after the first year. When they started making these free boards, they sent fruit baskets to those of us who were comped. I lived in the Caribbean at the time and could not have a fruit basket shipped so they sent me a jester cap.
My issue is that people are slowly (quickly in some cases) dropping off the boards. Some, of course, have died over the last 25+ years, but others have simply lost interest or taken their discussions elsewhere.
Yes, the pursuit of quantity over quality cheapened the value of these boards. The tone of the boards changed, driving many quality posters away. Much harder now to find strong signal amongst all the noise. I follow a fraction of the boards I used to post on and would go elsewhere if I could find a place to go that was better, but social media is not worth a whole lot when you factor in the frustration. People seem to think that free speech means they can say anything.
IP
I sure as heck got charged when I joined TMF in 1997, and it was for these basic boards, not a premium subscription.
Not as I recall. I know FOR SURE that there is no way I would have paid for any type of message board, not in the 80s, not in the mid-90s when I started with MF, and not now, and I know that I indeed never did pay fees for any message board EVER! They did have all sorts of other services with fees, some small and some large, I have a colleague that paid them $1200 for access to their “best ideas”, and it turned out well for him because he somewhat blindly bought a LOT of their top 5 picks … and they produced stupendous returns since then. And like I said, MF did at one time have selected boards only accessible for a fee, and may still have such a thing for certain paid subscribers.
I follow a fraction of the boards I used to post on and would go elsewhere if I could find a place to go that was better, but social media is not worth a whole lot when you factor in the frustration.
I used to follow 20 or 30 boards closely, a bunch of individual stock boards, LBYM, REHP, Metar, Mishedlo, Bonds, Millionaire, Home board, Cars, Tax, etc. Now I follow 3 closely, and there is hardly any traffic on any of them (METAR is most active among them, and is hardly that active anymore). General social media is terrible, but specific-topic social media can be terrific (for example, I am on an individual stock discussion board that is wonderful). But my issue is where can we find a specific-topic group that discusses Macro issues like this one? I have yet to find anything and I’ve searched and asked about it a few times over recent years.
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But my issue is where can we find a specific-topic group that discusses Macro issues like this one? I have yet to find anything and I’ve searched and asked about it a few times over recent years.
https://follow.it/mish-talk-global-economic-trend-analysis?a…
Mish Talk. I subscribe to this where Mish posts a blog and people pile in to discuss. Some are more interesting than others, but am glad I signed up for it. It’s a shame for us that he left TMF, but this seems like a better format for him.
I know FOR SURE that there is no way I would have paid for any type of message board…
Yup, I wrestled with it, but it was that little fee or 1-2% of our assets to have someone do it for us. No brainer. IIRC, you could read it without paying, but if you wanted to post something you had to be a paid subscriber. That initial $30 or so has compounded very nicely over the years, due to information I got on these boards. Mechanical Investing was probably the best board for us, financially. REHP was great for a while, but one of the huge decliners with transition to no fee boards. Still, it was nice to see others have the same goal of early retirement and hear their stories. Started to have too much political BS, and the one line wonder got super repetitive and boring. I prefer people who think outside of the box, not people who repeatedly tell us we are idiots for not living in a copy of his box. Went from a favorite fool to in the Pbox.
METAR is most active among them, and is hardly that active anymore.
If you took away the posts that are not on topic, METAR is not very active either.
FWIW,
IP
Mish Talk. I subscribe to this where Mish posts a blog and people pile in to discuss. Some are more interesting than others, but am glad I signed up for it. It’s a shame for us that he left TMF, but this seems like a better format for him.
Ahhh, Mish Talk … I had a few discussions with him a couple of years ago while discussing his selling his house in IL and moving elsewhere. Mish Talk is okay, but it’s not an open discussion forum style.
Yup, I wrestled with it, but it was that little fee or 1-2% of our assets to have someone do it for us.
I was already avoiding high rip-off investment fees, and already advising others to do avoid them as well, before I found the motley fool. Heck, it may be just what attracted me to it … especially the REHP board! 
Heck, all those commissions I paid in the 80’s still rankle me today. I was cleaning out some files a year or two ago, and was horrified to see all sorts of crazy commissions I had to pay for relatively small trades back then.
Went from a favorite fool to in the Pbox.
I have nobody at all in the Pbox, not on this platform and not on any platform. I learned early on to be able to ignore “nonsense” and to not reply to it. I have strong free speech principles, and don’t like blocking the speech of anyone, because someday, sometime, they may post something interesting enough to think about and perhaps reply to.
because someday, sometime, they may post something interesting enough to think about and perhaps reply to.
I hoped for that for years, but in the vein of no longer banging my head against a brick wall after my head hurts, I remove the brick wall. There are very few people permanently pboxed in my account, and the ones that are there have earned their place.
IP
1 Like