big thanks to all our main thread starters

We'd like to pay our respects and say a massive thanks you to all the people that have helped Hotcopper to have regular threads that other members can enjoy this year, and hope they will all continue on next year.
It's these posters that all help make Hotcopper the forum it is today.
We still stand out as the biggest and best and receive compliments from world wide saying that people can't find a site to match ours in other countries.
It's not too late to cast your votes for this years top rated forum either, and we thank those of you that have already done so to give us a massive lead once again.


Of very special note is Highlandlad, who manages to outrank all other posters on daily thumbs tally with his excellent market round up to start the daily day traders thread in the mornings.
If you haven't read one of his daily starter posts, it's worth taking the time.
Other posters share duties to keep the day trading thread running with morning and afternoon take overs, and all are appreciated.

The Short term Trading threads are also very popular, with some excellent charting and great content. Freehold kicks that off for members.

The XJO thread is our daily cult thread with some genius and also plenty of twisted minds! (They know I say that in the nicest sort of way!)
Biggdaddy leads that band for us with a great group of merry men and women who also help with daily thread starters, or crankers. Of note is the welcome return of robbbbbbb to HotCopper and we look forward to seeing his input back into the XJO and charting threads next year.
The weekend XJO thread "The Zoomba Longe" is handled by the charismatic Disco Stu but can be a seamy visit, though many market gems are picked up over each weekend along with the music!

The granddaddy of XJO is redbacka and is like the gift that keeps on giving with a very comprehensive weekly report entitled 'the redbacka report' usually delivered on a Sunday, but also with regular daily contributions to the XJO thread.

We also have a daily thread on biotech stocks started and run by skhammer that is gaining momentum and readership. The biotechs have a distinct feeling of their own, and it doesn't hurt to know which ones may have the next news coming out of something that runs 700% in a day!

We have a daily competition thread to guess what the Dow is going to do each night. It's a bit of fun, but also has a fun group of regulars who like to battle it out for their 'wings' that can be won monthly from being the best picker for the month. It's the DJPIN competition (type djpin into the search box) in other market' capably run by lokaull and previously by others, all appreciated.

Last, but far from least are our volunteer moderators who have had a very difficult year. When the stock market is 'messy' or we're in a recession, people are always more on edge and nastiness can spring up from tension. Our new mods this year have testified to the fact that it's a totally different view from 'the inside' trying to keep order, often under difficult circumstances. Posters on two different sides always believe the moderators are favouring the opposition, similar to umpires in a sports game being accused by fans of favouritism to the opposition. There is no favouritism, but you have to be the 3rd party onlooker to see that!
Please show moderators the respect that they deserve. The site would be a disaster, like a playground brawl without them.

More small cap companies are trying to remove their shareholders rights to criticise them, and we have had to tighten up a lot on how criticism is delivered. Some good word crafting is needed to deliver negative comments in a factual way.

I was going to leave this thread until nearer New Years Eve, but in case the world ends today, we'll deliver it, plus many going on holidays as mentioned in the admin "Merry Christmas" thread.
Of note: I believe the Mayans didn't include leap years in their calendar, so the world should actually have ended a few months ago! That gives us hope!

Best wishes for a prosperous, but peaceful 2013, and thank you to all of our posters and readers.