The Question and Answer Board

[Mark Marcellus]

Bob, I think the dual "Bull/Bear" stock thread proposal is a very bad idea. Perhaps a historical example will help me explain why I feel this way. Suppose this site was around and had this concept in place in, say, late 1997. Let's arbitrarily pick a penny stock that was active at the time, say, OVIS/RMIL. What exactly would a "bulls only" board for that stock have been? Would it have been something that you would have wanted to be associated with, or have had this site associated with? I can't imagine how any number of countervailing "bear" sites could overcome the stink emanating from something like that. I can think of any number of similar examples.

It's true that there will be people who want to invest in BB stocks, and who will want to hear only good things about their investments. But it seems to me that an "ignore" feature should be completely adequate for people who want to indulge in nothing but warm fuzzy feelings while they lose all their money.

Regardless of how the CoB concept plays out with the BB's, here are what I think should be the minimum requirements for all the BB stock boards:

- A mandatory link from each thread header to a blurb which lays out in graphic detail the odds facing BB stock investors, and a detailed warning about the potential for abuse by less than scrupulous companies and promotors.

- A declaration by the CoB's and Directors that they have not and will not receive any sort of compensation for promoting the stock, and that they will receive no compensation in the future. If this is considered too harsh, then perhaps permit those who have received compensation in the past to be CoB if that compensation is completely disclosed in the thread header. If even this is too much, then at the least require immediate complete disclosure of all compensation received in the thread header (or in a message in the thread if received after they have relinquished their duties). This last, minimal, disclosure requirement is non-negotiable IMO, as I believe that non disclosure of compensation received for promoting a stock would be in violation of SEC rules.

- Assuming multiple boards, the ability to link to all other threads for that stock from each thread. This could be a listing of links under the thread header or, if that would be unwieldy, a link to the links. (This is probably a good idea for all the stock boards).