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Mr Skate has already given you the answer. However, here is an alternative way of thinking about it.

Some questions:

(a) When designing the system, did you have a number of ideas that you felt could be profitable;

(b) Did you backtest those ideas;

(c) Did you try to break the system (ideas) through using difficult market periods;

(d) Did you make any compromises;

(e) If yes, why;

(f) If no, you were happy with the results;

(g) Why did you go the systems route in the first place;

(h) Were your discretionary trading results disappointing;

(i) If yes, were the system results better;

(j) If no, did you seek to make improvements to the system;

(k) Did the system improve;

(l) Did the improvements made, now exceed your discretionary trading;

(m) Were you finally happy with the system: is it the 'best' that you can achieve at this point.

If you have reached (m)...why would you adjust (tamper) with it now?

If you haven't reached (m), why are you trading it?

Traders (novice/failing) will always seek a way to self-destruct. Successful traders limit the number of decisions that they make, thereby minimising the ways that they can self-destruct.

Make all of your thinking, testing, fiddling, before you enter the market. Do not start when you have money in the market: your decision making under pressure will be uniform: it will all be bad.

jog on

duc