For quite a few weeks none is posting except for BigDog and TradeKing, but that is their job...to keep business going. People don't even read what other are posting anymore.. Now and then someone posts "I Love IT" or demand "Show your trades!" and then...gone with the first weak wind...yeah my invisible friends - THAT is trading...come back anytime when you get more money...I am out there 24x7 waiting for you.

To all of you who sent me emails with kind words on this call as of August 13th 2008 Energy ready for prime time (yet ANOTHER one) = THANK YOU VERY MUCH I hope you made up good as well. ( No - I don't do "public trades" and I do NOT give investment advise). To everyone else - keep thinking that market is irrational and cannot be traded/called ( because people don't work and learn hard enough for that) and keep searching for directions from  Wall Street Pros.

Imottahere...

DavidDT A.K.A. David Dumb Trader who saw a lot and has not seen nothing at all.

Not many are going to miss me here - those who will just google DavidDT - yeah, that is right, that one, the first one....

David,

While the community aspect of Tradeking is nice, it is not the primary reason for the site. The primary reason being of course trading. If you look at the calendar you will notice that it is summer and therefore typically a lot less active, with vacations and genreal outdoors family  and friends stuff going on. It doesn't mean people aren't trading. A quick look at the Trading activity section proves that, but they may have better things to do with their summer than be online once their orders and strategies have all been setup

The nature of the beast is that many 'give trading a try' only to lose the first $500 or $1000 they were so sure was going to make them rich after a few months and slink away with their head hung down in defeat. This will always be the case unfortunately and yet some of us will endure to help guide those that stick it out. However, trading is a very personal thing, even I do not show the value of my portoflio, but do allow my trades to be seen. Everyone has valid reasons for the things they hide or show and I for one do not judge anyone for it.

Trading is also a learned skill, and people will make mistakes and yes even lose money, but if you learn from your losses, wins are right around the corner waiting for you. As for the community, I find it a valuable tool in the overall picture, but I do not feel the need to post for the sake of hearing my myself speak. Sometimes, as with many of us, the ideas and blog post ideas flow easily and other times there is just nothing to say and/or time to put it into words.

I cannot attest to how many would 'miss you' if you were no longer part of the community, but what others think shouldn't be the reason you are a member of the community anyway. Good luck in your ventures elsewhere.

I click over to the community side still every once every two days or so, I just don't have time to blog. But I do enjoy reading the blogs people post and especially learn a lot from TK's staff.

As far as your energy call, nice one. Although I would have jumped on the energy wagon after LDK reported as well, if I wasn't already in it. LDK reported on the 11th and jumped quickly over its 50 and 200 dma in AH with its EPS doubling the estimates. The solar sector has generally always traded in tandem and so it was no surprise to me that many other solars including my two that I hold both went up these past weeks. Don't get me wrong, nice call.

I love to blog, but haven't been trading much lately.  I had to "gasp!" go back to work when the fall semester started, and I'm taking MBA classes part time.  I'm up 20% on the year, and I hope to be up 30%-40% by year's end.  My lack of blogs and trading lately is due to just not having much time to trade lately. 

Don't worry David, we other bloggers and traders are still out there. 

Also, David, some people get offended by your posts, but I love how your blogs are usually so gung-ho, blood and guts trading.  I can see how people do get offended sometimes, but it's cool. 

You're not really gone, eh? 

It's tough.  Why write if no one is going to read and comment?  Why read if no one writes?  So it's kind of a chicken and egg problem, where the TK Community just isn't able to hit that critical mass of enough people to have conversations every day. 

Also, keep in mind that most people--I forget the statistic, but I think it's 80%--only go long.  Over the last year or so you could understand why they might clam up.  I don't know if you've ever been in a spot where you don't even want to turn on the computer because you're afraid of seeing how quickly your account is blowing up, but I bet there's quite a few people in that situation today.  Bull or bear alike has been mauled.

I'm still around.   I usually check out the blog area once or twice a day. Just haven't logged in lately this week. Tthese past couple weeks have just been really busy for me, especially this past one (in all aspects of my life). My house is just now getting repaired from the tornado damage it suffered in May,  just got the roof finished the day before yesterday,  siding is going up all around next week followed by the deck, porch and garage door,  pretty much a whole new exterior.    My brother and his wife who I haven't seen in 2 years flew in from DC this week for a visit so I've been hanging out with him every evening. 

Finally broke down and bought an I-Phone 3g , so I've been tinkering around with that in some of my spare time (there's a lot of things I like and also a lot of things I don't like about the phone).   The wife and I were out registering for her upcoming baby showers last Sunday and happened to go past the Apple store, surprisingly, no line at all.  Plopped down $199 ($212 with tax) and was  out of there in 10 minutes.

Work has also been busy.  The economy is going to crap,  small business are feeling the pinch,  yet the company I work for is having a record year for revenue (we database marketing).  It seems a lot of companies are actually increasing their marketing in an effort to retain existing customers in this downturn.   Busy is good though.   One benefit of my job is that my hours are flexible.  Since I'm salaried,  I can pretty much determine my schedule as long as I put my time in for the week.  I also like having the ability to work from home.

Corbinb2 is correct - August is one of the biggest vacation times of the year - at least here in Minnesota.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling on about stuff that has nothing to do at all with the stock market.

 I'm with Danny in that I like the fact you speak what you want/feel and don't give a damn what other might think (that's an assumption on my part),  although I don't respond to most of your blogs.  I do read them all.

agreed - too many blogs/formus are interspresed with questios like "WHAT IS AS MARKET ORDER?", etc., etc.,  Equally laughable are traders that go on and on that think they got it all figured out.  How boring is that ?  I also like to hear brief opinions and market commentary too , just not that long winded crap, especially when they go off on tangents like what they did for their birthday, summer vacation, blah blah blah......