Agree with this. I am a reformed trader from forex, so I know...

Agree with this. I am a reformed trader from forex, so I know only to well that opinions vary in a big way in TA.
I have tried to avoid posting any charts on spec stocks (been drawn in a few times though) as any levels are not really 'proved up' for long term investments and I feel that any analysis can only really be used for day or short term traders.
One thing I can say though (which was drilled into me on a course I did some years ago) is simply 'what you see, others do'. I try to keep that in my head at all times when trading and its served me well. Now, there are two interpretations of that statement:-

1) The herd will join you in your decision.... or
2) The experienced, or big institutions, will take advantage of your decision.

To this end, I never use stop losses in short term trades (my opinion of short term is any time frame from minutes to a week or two, lol). Too many times, when I started out, did a SL be hit only then for the price to then reverse, and that's quite simply IMO others knowing not only where the herd (retail) would enter, but also where the logical place for the herd's SL would be. Call it paranoia, but if you think about it, it makes sense. When I stopped using SL's I started to make money, that doesnt mean I never got out of a bad trade at a loss, it just meant that I had to monitor my trades rather than automating them more ie making a little bit more of a loss than my SL position would have been, but not getting caught out by reversals. The mental training this took to do was immense!
It worked well for me but God was trading boring! hence not doing much of it any more.
Anyway, ramble over, still on lock down over here in UK so not got much else to do.
Jasox - wheres the two numpties gone. I havent seen any posts from them for ages. Have they finally buggered off?