why does hc promote it - apart from the most obvious, revenue...

why does hc promote it - apart from the most obvious, revenue (pay per click, so the more controversial a thread, the more viewers and hence revenue for hc);
there are also the possibilities that (1) associations with certain broker houses can allow posters to dominate stock threads and influence perceptions of that stock. RRS is the most obvious example on hotcopper of a stock whose perception on the forum, is strongly influenced by a continuous stream of one-two liner downramping posts, perpetrated over a long period of time (off and on) by one individual in particular. This could be done for capping purposes or whatever agenda is at play.
or (2) hotcopper considers all posts entertainment and is lax to moderate, as it disrupts the flow of the thread and may deter viewers. Comes back to revenue.

Ultimately, in the case of any stock, despite all the millions of words that may have been typed about them on various forums, the fundamentals will determine the true value of the stock dependent on milestones being achieved.

Just my thoughts.

cheers
Marny