Thanks, @danzae!I don't think they really have that much effect,...

Thanks, @danzae!

I don't think they really have that much effect, either. But I do think that the shorters think that they play a role in moving the SP--particularly if they are individual shorters.

HC is small beer compared to other outlets for negative views that have a much larger impact, a'la Tom Richardson, for example. But why wouldn't someone shorting hedge their bets a bit?

If there are curious retail MSB shareholders who are nervous about a price drop, who don't really understand what they bought into purely on hype and FOMO, and turn to an outet like HC for answers, reassurance that they have made a good investment, or for confirmation as to just what the latest trial results mean? Well, it's likely pretty cheap to pay for a few loathsome scumbags to put up an endless stream of negativity to try to rattle those nervous nellies into selling their shares at the first sign of uncertainty.

And if you are an individual who is shorting MSB, well, it likely feels like sweat equity to come on this board and put in a few thousand posts bagging the company.

I just think that everyone does what they are doing for a reason. Why come on a board and bag a stock endlessly when you don't even own the shares...unless you had a profit motive to do so (either with someone paying you, or you looking out for your own short position)?