Mr BellyI recognise the opportunity for research that is...

Mr Belly

I recognise the opportunity for research that is presented by stocks such as OBL.

If you are "doing research into how the market works and the ways information or mis-information is propagated and to whom" then I would suspect your very own contribution to this forum will have muddied the waters and skewed your research somewhat.

I do agree that whilst forums such as HC may be viewed as a marketing tool by some, I would suggest the ability of HC to be an effective marketing tool would be quickly discounted by most serious players in the marketing game given the resemblance to gossip and hear-say bandied around forums in general. It becomes very hard to control the message and stay on topic when trying to gain leverage from glorified social media such as forums.

Managers and spruikers have, since time began, preferred to paint any company position, decision or outcome in a positive light - that is to be expected. In Australia we have strict guidelines with which announcements must comply, and whilst these regulatory requirements may not be perfect, they generally work well and, for the moment are all we have.

We are all here having a punt. Some have researched well, some haven't. Some will make money, some will not. Some will listen to gossip and others will be critical of management. At the end of the day we all invest knowing the risks and by making the best decision we can on the day.

And, as for the OBL forum having the most lively proponents, well I don't see anything wrong with a little bit of passion when it comes to investing. In my experience those that are most passionate about their investments usually reap the rewards.

I appreciate your response, enjoy your weekend.
BRM