“And sir, we must ask:
Do you catch the fish you eat?”
He had no reply. . . .
Ah, Captain Haiku, but that’s the whole point. We DO catch our own fish here. (I’ve been living on them for 19 years since I retired).
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Personally, I am more of a service-follower than my own stock-picker. I would never pick all my own stocks, and I highly value the advice that I pay for from Motley Fool Pro. (I think they are the best paid service here, after also trying out Supernova, and I kind of lucked into finding them.)
As for the post you commented on from the Pro board, well, Saul, I’m sorry but I don’t think it’s good form to bring over someone’s post from another area and then critique that person or their ideas on another board. It seems unfair. Plus, everyone starts somewhere! You’re picking on a newbie – but they’re a newbie, and everyone should ask questions – we should applaud people for being interested in their stocks! I started at Pro last year and I love it because I can ask any and every stupid / beginner question I want, and it’s a safe space for me to do that, and the team of advisors will often take time to help me out with a thoughtful and detailed answer. It’s the perfect place for newbies.
Anyway, I felt uncomfortable when you commented over here about a conversation to critique one of the replies I received. 1, it’s weird to go back and forth between boards, 2, I can take care of myself! 
I am not at all interested in free board v. paid service battles. Not at all, and that’s what it had started to feel like. I were forced to choose I’d leave here and stick to my paid service. (Sorry.) But I am enjoying reading here very much and may add some of the companies here into my mix. That is cool!
I do think it’s a big concern when people invest but do not understand their investments. A paid portfolio service (not a newsletter service) will give detailed coverage of the stocks, so you’re hiring people to do the heavy lifting for you. I think Pro does a very good job.
I come over here because this community is very interesting and I love the conversations. Great group of people and good insights!
Karen
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As for the post you commented on from the Pro board, well, Saul, I’m sorry but I don’t think it’s good form to bring over someone’s post from another area and then critique that person or their ideas on another board. It seems unfair. Plus, everyone starts somewhere! You’re picking on a newbie
Hi Karen, I didn’t mention the author of the post or the service. I was using it to illustrate a different type of investing, not criticizing the person (who remained anonymous unless someone here took the trouble to go back and look it up and try to find the post to see who had written it, which I sincerely doubt). I also mentioned my appreciation of the service, and their picks, and their excellent write-up. I didn’t mean to offend you or anyone else, and if I did, I am sorry.
Saul
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PS - As for paid versus free services, I pay for MF One, which is very expensive, and every one of my top ten positions, except INBK, comes from a paid board recommendation. But I research them and pick them. I don’t buy a 4.5% position in a company, or write puts on a company, without knowing anything about the company, and I don’t think that it’s good for anybody to do that. JMO
Saul
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PSS - And finally, I’m especially sorry if I seem abrasive at times, as I know I must.
Saul
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You’re enthusiastic, and that is cool. Maybe even a little opinionated? LOL.
It’s probably my own fault for starting anything back and forth because I mentioned the great conversation here on a paid board. It was well intentioned - the conversations we have here are very interesting.
Anyway, it’s a new week, let’s have some fun!
Karen
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I would never argue at all with anyone who wants to learn to fish!
But I also am a bit troubled that we seem to be criticizing people who do not want to learn to fish, partly because that mostly describes me.
Although I spend a bit of time reading this board, and maybe someday will try harder to manage my own investments, I just invest in index funds right now; I do not manage my own investments. Similarly, I do not grow my own wheat, make or fix my own car, raise my own livestock, build or repair my own house, or make my own clothes.
Wow, LongTallCorrigan, you got post of the day! Another P.O.D. for Saul’s board, and awarded to one who goes against the stream of the award-winning board.
Kudos to all, and congrats to you on the post of day, your clear articulation of your view, and for the service you do with your time!
http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/its-okay-to-invest/1055968
okapimoon
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Saul and KBecks,
I’m usually a lurker here in Discussion Land. Karen dropped the boards name sometime ago and I’ve been a fan since then. My regular boards are PRO, MFO, RYR plus Saul’s. My observation is there is no single great investment style for all investors. Hence the Motley in the brand name.
Some folks like Saul really get into investing with thoughtful analysis and excellent success. Others not so much and rely on the paid boards to provide ideas and analysis so the can follow along. Even others like the fire and forget model of index investing and are quite happy to match returns with the SP500. Hey there’s room under the tent for all of us.
In many ways this board and the PRO/MFO boards are similar. Both provide forums for the exchange of ideas and techniques for improving one’s investing skills and hopefully confidence also. They go about it in different (motley) ways but the end point is the same: education and enrichment. With a little entertainment thrown in for good measure.
I’d guess the regulars on this board are more interested in improving their investing skills so they can develop a level of skill and confidence approaching Saul’s. On the PRO/MFO boards many would like to attain that same skill and confidence but for various reasons can’t commit the time or effort to become that proficient. They pay to get the ideas and some do more due diligence than others.
I personally find this board a great compliment to the PRO/MFO or any of the other paid boards. Saul’s generosity in sharing his ideas and methodologies for evaluating investments are great tools for performing due diligence on ideas recommended on the paid boards. In addition to the great discussions here I find the index of Saul’s investing criteria especially useful.
When Saul posted his observations on the unnamed Fool, I recognized the post from the paid service. I think the person who made the original post that Saul “dissected” (for want of a better term) is probably one of those who doesn’t have the skill and maybe the motivation to perform necessary due diligence and just took the easy way out by asking the paid board’s analysts to answer his/her questions without doing any research him/herself. The individual seems like a “helicopter” investor who occasionally drops in and asks some basic questions about his/her investments and the business they are in. Not my style but I guess it works for that investor.
Thank you Saul and Karen for generating an interesting discussion.
BigOil1
PS
Saul, thank you for providing a great board for the free exchange of ideas. I’ve added a few things to my fishing kit. Maybe, I’ll never be as proficient as you but it sure won’t be because I won’t try.
Karen, thanks for leading me here. I was hooked after reading the first few of Saul’s posts. Yep, started at the first post and read a boat load of them. Saul and his comrades have a great board here. Lot’s of ideas and great well thought out discussions.
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