# Posting details of your holdings or buy/sell decisions



## Joe Blow (5 June 2013)

I posted this in another thread a little earlier:



> If you volunteer information about your holdings, or your buy/sell decisions, then you need to be ready to have others question them, or even criticise them, if they feel inclined to comment on it. Everything you post is up for discussion. If you do not wish for your holdings or buy/sell decisions to be discussed then please do not volunteer the information. It cannot be simpler than that.
> 
> Conversely, if someone has not posted anything about their holdings or their buy/sell decisions then it is simply not up for discussion. Do not ask for details, do not make assumptions or accusations, and do not level any criticism. Just stick to discussing the stock and leave others out of it.




As I have started this thread so the topic can be discussed further, I would like to add a few more thoughts:

Comments, analysis or criticism of someone's holdings or buy/sell decisions should not take the form of advice. You should not be telling others when to buy or sell or which stocks to buy or sell. However, you are entitled to offer your opinion based on the information that they have voluntarily posted. Any opinion, whether critical or not, should be constructive and not take the form of a personal attack or insult. There is only one way that ends, and that is pointless, off topic bickering.

There has also been some controversy in the past where people have accused others of lying about their holdings or their entry/exit points. If there is evidence that someone has not told the truth or has mislead others, and this evidence can be found in their posts, then I feel it's a fair point to make. However, I do not wish to see random accusations, without any foundation, made against other ASF members. If you feel someone is not telling the truth then perhaps the best way to deal with it initially is by contacting them privately by PM and asking for clarification. Sometimes, posted information can be misinterpreted or misunderstood and I think it's wise to give people the benefit of the doubt until there is clear evidence to the contrary.

If anyone would like to comment, or ask questions, please feel free to do so.


----------



## boofis (5 June 2013)

Joe Blow said:


> I posted this in another thread a little earlier:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I don't like when people only claim their winners and allude to big sums. It's deceiving to newbies, untrue about the nature of markets (imo) and just egotistical so I think it's a good thing when people challenge posts that appear that way. 
I mean really it's not hard to just send a trade report to a mod and save all the hassle in the first place.  
You run a good forum Joe, thanks.


----------



## MrBurns (5 June 2013)

I think it best to avoid criticism as it is tantamount to advice, it's telling people to do something else

More appropriate would be just to say what you've done and leave the conclusions to others.


----------



## fiftyeight (5 June 2013)

As a complete noobie and spending many hours over the last few months reading this forum, I got a bit of a wake up call on how difficult investing can be. While shattering my dreams I have really enjoyed the many hours I have spent here.

There are a lot of people on here that will call b*ullShi*t pretty quick, maybe to quick for some people but this is why I have found many threads so useful.

My  as a noobie


----------



## burglar (5 June 2013)

Joe Blow said:


> ... If anyone would like to comment, or ask questions, please feel free to do so.




This may be directed at me (Paranoia)!

I was a little terse with new members who:

Demanded to know which shares to buy.
Offered no background information about their situation.
Made no effort to search the site.


This is not an apology.
End of rant!


----------



## Julia (5 June 2013)

Joe Blow said:


> Comments, analysis or criticism of someone's holdings or buy/sell decisions should not take the form of advice. You should not be telling others when to buy or sell or which stocks to buy or sell. However, you are entitled to offer your opinion based on the information that they have voluntarily posted. Any opinion, whether critical or not, should be constructive and not take the form of a personal attack or insult. There is only one way that ends, and that is pointless, off topic bickering.
> 
> There has also been some controversy in the past where people have accused others of lying about their holdings or their entry/exit points. If there is evidence that someone has not told the truth or has mislead others, and this evidence can be found in their posts, then I feel it's a fair point to make. However, I do not wish to see random accusations, without any foundation, made against other ASF members. If you feel someone is not telling the truth then perhaps the best way to deal with it initially is by contacting them privately by PM and asking for clarification. Sometimes, posted information can be misinterpreted or misunderstood and I think it's wise to give people the benefit of the doubt until there is clear evidence to the contrary.
> 
> If anyone would like to comment, or ask questions, please feel free to do so.



A timely comment, Joe.
I'm not sure what prompts a few people to attack a poster who has apparently had minimal experience with shares when he, perhaps naively, expresses his hesitation about a buy decision, then posts the result of that decision, and then later his decision to exit the stock.

It's probably valid to suggest there was no clear plan, but I expect most of us when we started out lacked this.
Additionally, there was a pretty substantial game changer in the stock in the news over the last few days which materially changed its outlook imo.

Seems a shame to me to pour scorn on someone who has simply been candid enough to express his uncertainties.  Hard to see that anyone actually comes out on top as a result.


----------



## coolcup (5 June 2013)

Julia said:


> A timely comment, Joe.
> I'm not sure what prompts a few people to attack a poster who has apparently had minimal experience with shares when he, perhaps naively, expresses his hesitation about a buy decision, then posts the result of that decision, and then later his decision to exit the stock.
> 
> It's probably valid to suggest there was no clear plan, but I expect most of us when we started out lacked this.
> ...




Really good post. I totally agree with what you have said here. It is unproductive in an otherwise very friendly forum. Playing with your own money can be scary, particularly if you imagine that the person is retired with a finite amount of money to fund the rest of their life. I am all for more respect and a bit more "benefit of the doubt".


----------

