Share price manipulation through trading is always hard to prove...

Share price manipulation through trading is always hard to prove as it it requires evidence of intent. As long as the trader keeps those intentions secret then proof is difficult.

However when the manipulation is made in the form of words then this becomes a completely different kettle of fish.

A serious allegation was made elsewhere against some supposedly organised posters on this forum with intentions of payback to one director for a soured promise going back to 2007. The alleged intention was purely to destroy the market value of the company which obviously would then make it difficult for CCC to raise capital cheaply etc.

The allegation attracted the attention of someone for whom anyone in the financial industry would not want a call for a "chat".

I know informal inquiries were made as the allegation may have been mischievous but I do not know what became of it. However after being away from HC for a couple of months I do notice a change in tone.

Whatever was the reality of the allegation it did make it clear to me that:

1. All informal polls to determine the number of shareholders that read HC, as happened prior to Christmas, should be banned as this gives information on how much influence posters may have, for example if the result is 1000 then we may expect that on average each shareholder will hold 500,000 shares which equates to 500 million shares or 25% of the register.

2. The number of times a post has been read also gives similar information. Take for example Mikayla's last offering that attracted over 2000 reads. Maybe after 100 reads has been reached, the number should be converted to a High rating only.

3. All users should not reveal their intentions of buying or selling, as this is like showing your hand in a poker game.

4. Maybe all emotive posts or arguments without facts should be closely controlled. This can be difficult as the poster may be very articulate which makes it hard to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

I am sure there are other issues that should be addressed to control the chance of manipulation but it is a start from me.

T