Just my two cents but I think what would help people is posting where their stop is on the chart, explaining why it is placed there, posting where the trade was closed on the chart (with a horizontal mark, for example), and why, and so on.
One issue will be that my methodology doesn't use targets, and uses a lot of active management. If one is using a style like roofer's, for example, with a clear target strategy, then if one is trying to learn my methodology, posting a target and then exiting there well may be useful for those using that strategy, but not so much for those trying to learn my style.
It's not that I don't have areas of concern, it's just that those areas trigger me to perhaps tighten up my trailing stops method, not have me take any position off because it got there. Hence, the most benefit for those trying to learn my methodology may be to show areas of concern, and what trailing stops methods were being used, and how they got tighter at certain areas, and so on. These are the things we aren't seeing in the endless sea of great posts on areas. How are things handled when they don't play out fully, don't play out at all, play out partially, and so on.
I also know I'm probably opening a can of worms I don't have the time to deal with, in that now we'll get a bunch of posts of the above from various people, and I'll see how they are not as fully in line with my techniques as they could be. Then I'll be inclined to do long posts with detailed explanations of how to do it more in accord with the methodology...
Originally posted by tx_ches
"how to time things, how to decide if the 'idea' (the trade premise) is likely a good one" is my weakness. Frequently, I'll pass on trades that I should have taken.
In the interest of "keeping it real", anyone, please let me know if I should be posting differently to help others out. I admit to posting "setup ideas" and maybe that is not helpful from a newbie.
During the day, I sometimes post (possibly overpost) to keep myself engaged in the action and to keep from over-trading.
I like everyone's posts. I don't always understand why Rat posted a chart if he doesn't make a comment about the chart. I know that is because he takes different setups than I do so he is seeing something that I don't see. I'm glad I can always ask him a question.
Fantastic forum. I only read a few other blogs and they are all from traders who keep it real and do no self-promotion. So I don't see on a daily basis what Jim sees out there. But I know what he means because I did see that at the place where I originally found Joed and roofer.
