and here starteth the bot walkdown, page-8

If you are trying to relate HFTs to short selling, they are quite different.

Short sales are simply traders ( including retail) mainly hedge funds and Instos, taking a view that the stock is over valued.

It is surprisingly hard to get right and carries more risk than long positions.

If you think the shorts are wrong, trade long against them. They have to cover at some point.

If you think they are so powerful that they will keep it moving down against fundamentals, go short yourself and test the theory on how hard it is.

People that lose money seem to have only 2 reasons neither of which relate to their decision.

1. The HFTs took their money
2. The shorts took their money.

The most common thread of conversation on falling stocks discussed on hc.

Don't get me wrong, HFTs should be banned, but not for the reasons stated most frequently on hc.