Chart.
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Isn't Hindsight grand? Mine is 20/20 on this one. Looks almost like magic in hindsight, but it is just the tools, as presented in this forum.
Happy April Fools' Day.
Al Kamego
AL
albert
Rep: 99
Posts: 3,094
Here it is.
Chart.
Isn't Hindsight grand? Mine is 20/20 on this one. Looks almost like magic in hindsight, but it is just the tools, as presented in this forum.
Happy April Fools' Day.
Al Kamego
Chart.
Isn't Hindsight grand? Mine is 20/20 on this one. Looks almost like magic in hindsight, but it is just the tools, as presented in this forum.
Happy April Fools' Day.
Al Kamego
JI
jimkane
Rep: 3,058
Posts: 33,089
Okay, I've made a decision on how to handle 'the issue'. I will post it in the next post. First, just in case anyone missed it, here's what I wrote last week. It is posted here:
http://www.mypivots.com/board/topic/7715/11/trading-discussion-week-of-03-24-13-to-03-29-13#107616
If you haven't read it, please do.
http://www.mypivots.com/board/topic/7715/11/trading-discussion-week-of-03-24-13-to-03-29-13#107616
If you haven't read it, please do.
Originally posted by jimkane
And now it's my sad duty to post this. Something I didn't want to have to post. Something that has me stressed out big time. Trouble I just don't need. So, read this and see where I'm at...
Well, folks, I have a problem. It's weighing very heavily on my mind. And a big factor in this is my health. I need to reduce stress, and manage stress better, or I may really be in big trouble. I do this forum to try to help people. If this injures my health it is not worth it to me. And right now I have a problem, and it is stressing me. One option is to simply close the forum. I have discussed that before, and many have literally begged me not to. And it isn't fair to those that get a lot out of this if one person does something and they all get punished for it. We have way too much of that in our society already.
So, what is the issue? Well, before I get to that, let me say being a moderator of a forum sucks. You have certain responsibilities, and you have to think of the group. Sometimes you have to do some things that you really hate, for the benefit of the group. Some moderators may take a passive stance, some more aggressive. I like passive when it works. Laissez faire as they call it. Hands off. But sometimes that doesn't work, and it can slowly erode out of control.
Now the question arises: what do I do if someone I consider a friend does something in here that I find unacceptable, but after many gentle prods and explanations, they continue to do it? One approach is not to say anything in public, as that would really put them on the spot, which pretty much no one likes. If the person has a temper, that may not be a good recipe. So, something in private would be one approach. Honestly, I haven't tried that yet, as I'm just too 'afraid'. I'm thinking it wouldn't go over well, and I just don't need to get an e-mail that will stress me out a lot. And I know that would.
Another approach would be to discuss it in here, tactfully, and ask for input, feedback, and to look at options. I guess that is what I will try. Let me state the issue. This is an interactive forum. This is not a posting forum. That is how I chose to structure it. It's not a forum for everyone. Just like many might not like my sarcasm or dry wit. If not, there are plenty of other forums that may suit you better. Sorry, but it is my forum, and I have to have fun and feel I am helping in the way I am able.
My main tenet in here is we are able to interact, expect answers, and do it without fear or nervousness, like in many other forums. I modeled this to be the opposite of the classroom in school where you had to be afraid to raise your hand to answer or ask a question. If the answer is wrong you may get laughed at, or if it is a question it may be viewed as 'stupid'. So kids keep their mouths shut and don't learn. I vowed my forum would not be that way. Ever. This is a 'no fear' zone.
Now, if you want to post here, you must be willing to answer questions, even if you think they are ‘stupid’. That’s the price of admission. One approach a poster may take is ‘Look, I’m going to post some cool stuff. Amazing stuff. And you should learn a lot from it. But I’m not really in to reading all the other posts, seeing if there are questions, and even if I didn’t read them and happened to see a question, I really don’t want to answer them. I’m not big into that. But, what I post is very valuable, so take it for what it is, look it over, and basically leave me alone. You are getting a great deal here for free with my posts.’
I am all for this. I agree with it 100%. There is only one problem. It is incompatible with the goals of this forum. This type of style is better suited for other forums structured otherwise. It isn’t for here. But, what if the contribution is very great, and the poster is very popular with the readers? To me that sounds like favoritism. Same thing we have now in Amerika with various entities. The goals and rules apply one way to some and other ways to others. How does that make you feel? And if you consider this poster a true friend, how does it make you feel when you make it clear that this is going against the goals and desires of the forum creator, and yet it doesn’t matter, it keeps going on. It doesn’t make one feel respected.
Instead, I find myself with my tail between my legs, walking on eggshells, being careful not to offend the person, or they might ‘get mad’ or leave. How about, instead, I am in charge, I get the respect I deserve, all the while being very respectful myself, and have an open dialog that resolves the issue in the spirit of this very successful forum? It seems like that is as likely as the banksters all of the sudden doing the right thing.
So, one option I have is starting my own section up again, and just letting others control my forum, against its ‘mission statement’. This stresses me out thinking about that. I could ban the person. This would not only be upsetting to many members, it would likely cause the person to be upset, and I just don’t need all that bad karma hanging over me. I could simply just ‘take it’. Resign myself to rules/wishes/goals being broken even after I have begged for them not to be, and just accept that. I don’t have much control over my forum, just let it be, and say ‘the good outweighs the bad’. Leave it at that. I suspect many would say this is the best way to go, what they would do. It reminds me of the way Amerikans have just ‘taken it’ from our leaders. I never thought this was a good approach.
Hence, here I sit. I have some decisions to make. All I ask, for all I have offered in here, all I have given, is that people simply interact. If you want to post, have fun, post away. But you must answer all questions asked of you. That is your obligation in here, the cost of being in here. It’s fair, and it is best for all. If you can’t do that, this is not the forum for you. I ask all to follow this guideline, or leave. Please don’t make me take putative actions. We are not children, this isn’t grammar school. Can’t we all be fair, mature adults acting together for the good of the whole, not as individuals just looking to accomplish our own goals? That is my vision, for here and for our country, and our world. If we can’t even model that in here, what chance does the world, now in such dire straits, have? I fear none…
Thoughts?
JI
jimkane
Rep: 3,058
Posts: 33,089
The solution I came up with is a 'compromise'. I'm bending over backwards to try to do the best I can for everyone. I did get a little feedback, and I appreciate that. But not as much as I would have liked. It never ceases to amaze me how adamant people are about me keeping the forum open, and about how much they get from it, yet when one of the possible outcomes is my possibly closing the forum down, other than feedback saying please keep it open, I get little in the way of what I am asking for. Even though this really bugs me (and reminds me of exactly how people are handling the complete dismantling of our country), I've come to see this is human nature.
Here's my solution. I'll preface it by saying I doubt it will work. And if it doesn't, I'll have to conclude that it was willful. Nothing could be spelled out more clearly. If there is still an issue, it would just have to be because the person wants me to act on that. I'm not referencing anyone specific here, I'm just saying, this is going to be so clear no 'mistakes' or overlooked questions can be an excuse.
I've also come to suspect that it may not work for an additional reason. I think no one will ever ask a question of anyone they suspect won't answer it. That would force Jim to take action, and they'll want no part of that. Do you all understand that this means any given person is able to come in here and change things. Alter your behavior and detract from the forum. Now questions that should be asked for the benefit of all, which is the purpose of this forum, will not be asked.
I know you guys, you'll be too afraid. If you won't even give me feedback (thank you 'Brave Al'), you surely won't ever post a question to someone you think won't answer it for fear of starting the chain reaction. This p#%&es me off like you wouldn't believe (because it is soooooo unfair and unjust to this forum), and that boosts my stress, which is what I just can't have. I don’t want to dwell on this (I really don’t like discussing it), but my health is really suffering from additional stress, and I am probably foolish not to just shut this forum down at this point.
Again, if I shut it down I do so knowing it was because of another’s actions that I did this. This is sooooo unfair, and as you can guess, I have a real issue with injustice. Or I could ban the person, which, even though I feel that may be very fair, the ‘bad karma’ it will cause I just don’t need. More stress. I can’t win. So, I came up with my compromise, just to see if I could make it work. I think it will not work, and will cause me stress as I get forced to ‘do what I have to do’. All I can say to all that is ‘This is the thanks I get for all I’ve done, all for free’. But, we’ll see. Maybe it will work like a charm.
Lastly, the other reason I don’t think it will work is, I’m not sure we will see any more posts. I think the attention brought about by this will make any more posts unlikely. In other words, a ‘self-imposed ban’. I surely hope not, but I suspect… Why can’t we all just play nice and follow the guidelines that are there to make this the best forum for all? Oh, I forgot, look at the world. We’re people, and things like this just don’t happen…
Here’s my solution. It’s pretty simple. I started a thread for trading posts where no questions are to be asked or answered ( http://www.mypivots.com/board/topic/7726/1/trading-discussion-no-questions-area ). I made it ‘sticky’ so it stays on top. If you want to post and not answer any questions about your posts, use this thread. Do not post in any other thread unless you will promptly answer any questions asked. Period. If a question is asked and an answer is not forthcoming I may post a reminder about the question, but likely I will just implement the ‘disciplinary action’ (this sucks to be forced to this). I will ‘ban’ the person who didn’t answer the question. My initial thought was a permanent ban, as I just can’t keep this type of interaction going, my health will not stand it.
I decided to bend over even further backwards and make it a temporary ban. If anyone is banned for this reason, they can simply e-mail me, tell me they missed the question, and would like to get back in to promptly answer it. I will then repermission them, and if they go right in and answer the question, all is fine. If not, I’ll just ban them permanently. If they don’t ask to get back in to answer the question, then they will have effectively permanently banned themselves. I don’t think I could make this more fair, or bend further over backwards to cater to this nonsense.
Let me reiterate. Anyone can still post without answering questions, but it must be in the specific thread for that. Everyone must answer questions promptly in any other threads. If not, anyone not doing so will be banned until they ask me to reenter with the desire to answer the question(s). You couldn’t ask for anything more fair. Even if the same violation occurs again I’ve made a way to allow the person to ‘fix’ it.
Now, let me finish with why I’m so stressed out now, and why I probably shouldn’t be. I am stressed because if no one has the stones to ever ask any more questions, that will stress me. I’ll see questions that I know should be asked, and they won’t be. I’ll know why, and I’ll feel this is unfair to the forum, and I’ll stress. So, I’ll ask the questions. This may then be viewed (by the poster, or others) as me ‘goading’ the poster, trying to ‘start a fight’. Why not just leave the poster alone? If I don’t ask the questions for this reason, I’ll feel bullied in my own forum (where I’m busting my a#% off, for free, with all my health issues, trying to help people), and that will stress me. If I ask them, I expect I may have ‘trouble’ which may lead to enforcement and ‘bad karma’. This will stress me. Why does it have to be this way? Why, in this forum or in the world in general, do the few have so much power over the many?
Given the above, no matter how good my intentions are, I see it as a problem for me. I lose no matter what happens. I really should just say enough is enough and it’s time to fold the forum. But then this fantastic forum, which some have said is the best on the entire Internet, is gone because of the action of one. And I can’t accept that injustice. So, it’s lose-lose for me, and I’m back to ‘Why would anyone do this to me, after all I’ve done?’ And I shake my head. But, probably, as I mentioned, I’m stressing for no reason, because perhaps I’ll never see another post that could be an issue…
As I like to say with trading posts ‘Now we see…’
Here's my solution. I'll preface it by saying I doubt it will work. And if it doesn't, I'll have to conclude that it was willful. Nothing could be spelled out more clearly. If there is still an issue, it would just have to be because the person wants me to act on that. I'm not referencing anyone specific here, I'm just saying, this is going to be so clear no 'mistakes' or overlooked questions can be an excuse.
I've also come to suspect that it may not work for an additional reason. I think no one will ever ask a question of anyone they suspect won't answer it. That would force Jim to take action, and they'll want no part of that. Do you all understand that this means any given person is able to come in here and change things. Alter your behavior and detract from the forum. Now questions that should be asked for the benefit of all, which is the purpose of this forum, will not be asked.
I know you guys, you'll be too afraid. If you won't even give me feedback (thank you 'Brave Al'), you surely won't ever post a question to someone you think won't answer it for fear of starting the chain reaction. This p#%&es me off like you wouldn't believe (because it is soooooo unfair and unjust to this forum), and that boosts my stress, which is what I just can't have. I don’t want to dwell on this (I really don’t like discussing it), but my health is really suffering from additional stress, and I am probably foolish not to just shut this forum down at this point.
Again, if I shut it down I do so knowing it was because of another’s actions that I did this. This is sooooo unfair, and as you can guess, I have a real issue with injustice. Or I could ban the person, which, even though I feel that may be very fair, the ‘bad karma’ it will cause I just don’t need. More stress. I can’t win. So, I came up with my compromise, just to see if I could make it work. I think it will not work, and will cause me stress as I get forced to ‘do what I have to do’. All I can say to all that is ‘This is the thanks I get for all I’ve done, all for free’. But, we’ll see. Maybe it will work like a charm.
Lastly, the other reason I don’t think it will work is, I’m not sure we will see any more posts. I think the attention brought about by this will make any more posts unlikely. In other words, a ‘self-imposed ban’. I surely hope not, but I suspect… Why can’t we all just play nice and follow the guidelines that are there to make this the best forum for all? Oh, I forgot, look at the world. We’re people, and things like this just don’t happen…
Here’s my solution. It’s pretty simple. I started a thread for trading posts where no questions are to be asked or answered ( http://www.mypivots.com/board/topic/7726/1/trading-discussion-no-questions-area ). I made it ‘sticky’ so it stays on top. If you want to post and not answer any questions about your posts, use this thread. Do not post in any other thread unless you will promptly answer any questions asked. Period. If a question is asked and an answer is not forthcoming I may post a reminder about the question, but likely I will just implement the ‘disciplinary action’ (this sucks to be forced to this). I will ‘ban’ the person who didn’t answer the question. My initial thought was a permanent ban, as I just can’t keep this type of interaction going, my health will not stand it.
I decided to bend over even further backwards and make it a temporary ban. If anyone is banned for this reason, they can simply e-mail me, tell me they missed the question, and would like to get back in to promptly answer it. I will then repermission them, and if they go right in and answer the question, all is fine. If not, I’ll just ban them permanently. If they don’t ask to get back in to answer the question, then they will have effectively permanently banned themselves. I don’t think I could make this more fair, or bend further over backwards to cater to this nonsense.
Let me reiterate. Anyone can still post without answering questions, but it must be in the specific thread for that. Everyone must answer questions promptly in any other threads. If not, anyone not doing so will be banned until they ask me to reenter with the desire to answer the question(s). You couldn’t ask for anything more fair. Even if the same violation occurs again I’ve made a way to allow the person to ‘fix’ it.
Now, let me finish with why I’m so stressed out now, and why I probably shouldn’t be. I am stressed because if no one has the stones to ever ask any more questions, that will stress me. I’ll see questions that I know should be asked, and they won’t be. I’ll know why, and I’ll feel this is unfair to the forum, and I’ll stress. So, I’ll ask the questions. This may then be viewed (by the poster, or others) as me ‘goading’ the poster, trying to ‘start a fight’. Why not just leave the poster alone? If I don’t ask the questions for this reason, I’ll feel bullied in my own forum (where I’m busting my a#% off, for free, with all my health issues, trying to help people), and that will stress me. If I ask them, I expect I may have ‘trouble’ which may lead to enforcement and ‘bad karma’. This will stress me. Why does it have to be this way? Why, in this forum or in the world in general, do the few have so much power over the many?
Given the above, no matter how good my intentions are, I see it as a problem for me. I lose no matter what happens. I really should just say enough is enough and it’s time to fold the forum. But then this fantastic forum, which some have said is the best on the entire Internet, is gone because of the action of one. And I can’t accept that injustice. So, it’s lose-lose for me, and I’m back to ‘Why would anyone do this to me, after all I’ve done?’ And I shake my head. But, probably, as I mentioned, I’m stressing for no reason, because perhaps I’ll never see another post that could be an issue…
As I like to say with trading posts ‘Now we see…’
AL
albert
Rep: 99
Posts: 3,094
Jim,
Cool solution. As for me being, brave, not really, I felt I owed you a response, maybe a helpful one.
Sincerely,
Al Kamego
Cool solution. As for me being, brave, not really, I felt I owed you a response, maybe a helpful one.
Sincerely,
Al Kamego
JI
jimkane
Rep: 3,058
Posts: 33,089
Well, it may be a 'coincidence', but just like the last time this happened, many if not most stopped posting. Well, that will make it easy. If there is no one left, I won't bother with the forum any more. So, let's hope everyone just happens to be 'busy' right now.
DU
Duane
Rep: 100
Posts: 1,095
Hi Jim,
I have known you for a long time, and all of the time time that I have known you you have always bent over backwards to help myself and others. It is time to consider yourself and do what is best for your health and your family. Consider all of the the weekly commentary, then Monthly commentary, all all of your forum posting. Your work that is freely available online is a PHD in trading. Enough is enough, you are a perfectionist, you can not do anything without giving 1000% and this is taking a toll. Time to let go Jim. I Luv you Bro and I don't want to see your untimely demise. PLEASE put your heath first!!
Duane
