It appears I have generated a bit of discussion with regards to my comments so allow me to opine. Due Diligence (DD) is all in the eye of the beholder. What qualifies as DD to one individual may be absolute hogwash to another based on their bias or their research (e.g. the video shot by Dr. Kleen). The supporters of MDMN hailed this as undeniable proof that the property not only existed but was chock full of gold and other metals. Some, like myself, took a more skeptical view. What if I told you that I showed that video to several geologists who have been working with mining companies for many years and their responses were not positive. I’d have to go back through my DD folder to find the actual comments but they weren’t flattering. Would you believe me? Most likely you wouldn’t and I wouldn’t expect you to. So why is it expected for me to believe anyone else’s DD and why is my DD any less valuable than that from MDMN supporters? Why can’t I post what I found without citing the source? I analyze all the inputs and then perform my own research to validate or invalidate them. If you don’t like what I find, that is your prerogative but it doesn’t change the fact that what I found will have an influence on my attitude towards MDMN. It probably should have an influence on your attitude as well but that ball is in your court. I would challenge you to question EVERYTHING you read on any forum and verify it for yourself. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what you can learn with a few well placed emails and phone calls.
I don’t divulge my sources for several reasons. The first is to protect them from the inevitable flood of email/phone calls that they will be subjected to from anyone who disagrees with what they have told me. Why should I put them through that hell when all they are doing is providing their professional opinion based on questions I have asked them? As far as I am concerned, those are privileged conversations and I will only share them with those I trust. The second reason is that no one else reveals their sources; ergo, why should I. I’ve read posts from people who claim to have sources in Chile, Peru or any number of other countries but their identities are never revealed. If the supporters of MDMN won’t reveal their sources, then the skeptics should be afforded the same courtesy. Frankly I don’t expect them to reveal their sources for the same reasons that I have mentioned.
Do my posts “hurt” the stock? I don’t believe that I have the power to influence the price of a stock or someone’s investing decision. It is not logical to assume that my posts about a stock that no one knows about on a message board that is only frequented by the smallest segment of the investing public in any way impacts the value of a company. I would hope that my posts would encourage critical thinking and a desire to find the truth. I have made it perfectly clear that anyone can email me and we can have a discussion “offline” concerning what I know and what I don’t know. To date, very few people have taken me up on this offer. What I find most hurtful are the DD forums that stifle debate. I don’t mean they censor whining, I mean they stifle critical thinking. People love to hate iHub but it does a pretty good job of allowing BOTH sides of the issue to be framed. A good mix of moderators who follow the rules really allows for good debate. If you bring facts to the table and are open to having your facts scrutinized by fact-seekers and fact-checkers, iHub is an excellent forum. If you simply want to bring platitudes and wild assertions, then you will find iHub undesirable and you should probably go to a forum that is more akin to a sewing circle. The presence of HR is welcome here and in spite of the differences he may have with some posters, his input is valuable and provides another side to the MDMN story. There will always be riff-raff on both sides on an issue but I find most intelligent people can ignore the noise and focus on the actual facts.
There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.
