My Experience with Newsgroups

Investigating the Investors Newsgroup

 

Choose one of the following Topics

Instructions For Report

Politics?

Rivals

The Future

Support

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

 

Big Claims

Rivals 2

Infomercial

Number 5

Number 6

Number 7

 

Grudge

Traits

Number 8

Number 9

 

NASDAQ

Number 10

 

What Other Students in My Class Have Done

Conclusion

 

#1

Subject: CLINTON!!!!!
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 14:24:32 GMT

Our fore fathers pledged thier lives,fortunes and sacred honor so we might be free,Clinton and the Democrats have none of the above.

 

Subject: Re: CLINTON!!!!!
Date: 15 Feb 1999 15:30:14 GMT

On the contrary, Clinton by following the polls and the whims of the public is in the American libertarian spirit that stretches from the radical reformation through the antinomian controversy of 1636 through the Emersonian romanticism of the 19th century through the sixties to today.


The Republicans by insisting on a strict application of the law, a Jesuitical Pharasaical moral code, put themselves on the other side of the great divide with the Medieval Popes and the covenant of Works. This is not about sex or perjury. It is as Tom Delay kept saying about "relativism vs absolute truth." If Delay wants to believe that he has the "truth" and has God's permission to apply it, he and COtton Mather deserve each other. Most Americans prefer the freedom of the spirit which blows with the relativistic unanchored winds. And we enjoy getting so blown. Too bad you don't. [Dave WIlliams ]

 

Subject: Re: CLINTON!!!!!
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 20:48:38 GMT

Why did you place your right-wing propaganda in a newsgroup that deals with investments? Get your topics straight, please! ... Our fore fathers pledged thier lives,fortunes and sacred honor so we might be free,Clinton and the Democrats have none of the above.


 

 

 

 

Comment:
In this particular exchange, a comment negatively commenting on President Clinton and Democrats in general. In response several people decided to write replies to his post. Here I have included two of the many posts that were put up.


First off, it is important to note that post is out of line and constitutes unappropriate verbal garbage. I say this not because I necessarily support Clinton and the Democrats, but rather because this Newsgroup is a stock and investing newsgroup and his message has nothing to do with that topic. Why engage in this kind of spamming behavior one can only speculate. Perhaps he just wanted to stimulate a heated intellectual discussion on a somewhat controversial topic, or maybe he has some deep seated hatred towards democrats and the President. It may also be the case that his sole intent was to create trouble and mischief. On a side note, it is interesting to analyze the type of spam message this particular posts represents. It is not spam in the sense that he is saying something unintelligible like name calling or swearing, nor is he merely trying to sell something. His comment is very legitimate and on a political discussion newsgroup it would not be considered spam.


Looking at the replies there were basically two categories of responses. There were those individuals who accepted the comment at face value and responded to it appropriately, engaging in friendly debate or support. And there were other individuals who were somewhat upset because the topic did not fit under the topic of the Newsgroup. D. Williams replied with some history of politics in an attempt to challenge. J. Cresseveur, on the other hand, rather straightfowardly addresses the fact that this message does not belong here, while at the same time throwing in her own little attack calling his views right-wing propaganda.


I think that the original poster's intent was to stir up trouble and get some action and response out of people either in terms of heated debate or anger towards his inappropriate post. Perhaps he is a mischievous person in nature or there may be some deep seeded need to call attention to himself. He may be insecure in the real world and by posting such messages blatantly in the wrong area gains instant attention. We also learn a little about the responders' personalities through their posts. It seems that Mr. Williams was trying to appear intellectual and superior -- to show off. I get the feeling that he merely through in a lot of big words that are not really necessary to make his point. As for Mrs. Cresseveur it is interesting that that her own political agenda is exposed as she mentions right-wing propaganda. Perhaps there are some deep seeded unaddressed issues going on with her.

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#2

Subject: BLASH IS GONE !!! IT's SO NICE
Date: 4 Dec 1998 05:02:50 GMT

BLASH is gone, is'nt it nice ? The NG has not had a nasty flame war since 11/8/98. That's a month of peace !!! BLASH got shut off by AOL because he got caught putting up a fake post. This is the secound time this has happened to him. " Hitler " shot himself and the NAZI movement in this NG vanished. I played the role of Stalin here. [Robert G Smith ]


 

 

 

 

Comment:
In this post M80s is commenting on the disappearance of another Newsgroup participant, Blash, who used to frequent this stock and investing newsgroup. M80s is both celebrating this situation as well as bragging about having played a role in this event. It is important to note the relationship between these two posters. Apparently from what I can tell, M80s and Blash don't really get along very well. They have been attacking each other on this newsgroup for quite a while. And as we will see later, when Blash comes back, the bickering starts up all over again.


Reading M80s' posts it appears that he number one, is very pleased that his rival will no longer be present. Number two it seems that he is trying to gain the support of the rest of the Newsgroup so that they will all be on his side. Number three, he obviously is bragging about his role and cunningness in the demise of Blash. And last of all he thinks that he is the superior victor. His victory, however, was not so much about saving and proteting the Newsgroup from rogue posters, but more of carrying out a personal feud with Blash. Remember M80s too contributed to the disruption of the Newsgroup. This is a common tendency, where people tend to only see events and situations from one perspective, their own. Everything that they do they see as right and good and everything else that someone else does who does not agree with them is bad. M80s also seems to be living in a sort of fantasy world talking about Nazis, Hitler, and Stalin.

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#3

Subject: Telephone vs. Cable vs. Wireless/Satellite?
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 05:11:15 GMT

For the futurists in the group--some questions. What will the Internet look like in 5 years? 10 years? Will telecommunications as we know it be any different than it is today? Will the Operating System and Hard Drive become passe? Will everyone consolidate---phone companies buying utility companies buying cable companies buying ISP's etc? Some food for thought.

 

Subject: Re: Telephone vs. Cable vs. Wireless/Satellite?
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 02:28:03 -0500

For the futurists in the group--some questions. Will telecommunications as we know it be any different than it is today? Heard on the street: I have no proof of this, but maybe something to spur those interested into researching it further. Someone I was talking to about a year ago had the opinion that in the future there would be no need for telepnone lines because each home, for example, would have a satellite dish that would telecommunicate with microwave signals. Now this is where I need to do my research because this raises questions, such as: I never studied networking, so I don't know how a computer cannot start without it's own operating system or hard drive. I know that anyone can get a direct connection to the Internet backbone, but it is cheaper for me to go through an Internet Service Provider; which goes through a gateway to the backbone.


So, how can we get to the backbone without a telephone line; or without an ISP? What would it cost? I don't understand how I can connect to the backbone through a microwave signal. Seems that the backbone will have to be set up to send and receive microwave signals at some point; obviously, but I don't know how right now. I am imagining now that the microwave signal traffic will be similar to present telepnone line traffic, except in the air, invisible, oppose to physical lines; (which now have digital signals through the lines which are invisible). Wait, I'm going to stop here because this is an investment newsgroup. After I get it all figured out and pinpoint the companies involved, then I can talk about the companies.


This is an are in which I am interested in learning about, which I will study and research on my own, so if anyone wants to converse, not to answer all my questions or expect me to answer theirs, whatever, if you are interested in this area and want to trade ideas, keep in touch as to where to find info. in this area, and how it is related to investing, etc., maybe we could help each other out if you want to take this email.


 

 

 

Comment:
The purpose of Smiledoc's posting seems primarily to stimulate a in depth discussion. As oppossed to other discussions, his post does not attack anyone, nor does it seem to seek negative attention or trouble. He seems to be genuinely interested in a sort of intellectual exchange on this topic, although his motivations are left to interpret. I would venture to guess that his reason for posing such a question is not purely out of a quest for knowledge. It is probably safe to say that he is hoping to gain from any answer some information or tips that will help him to gain bigger rewards in his investments. This is after all a stock and investment newsgroup. I suspect he is hoping for some valuable information hopefully from someone who appears to know what they are talking about -- perhaps someone in the field. I wonder, however, just how serious Smiledoc is in believing that he will get relevant information. Is he doing this more out of fun just to see what's out there, or does he really believe he will get the next inside scoop. One would have to question the credibility of anyone who replies first of all because any insight into the future is purely speculation, and second because if someone really knew why would they let everyone else in on the secret.


Nldgr's response to Smiledoc's question is pretty interesting. His approach is different from what would normally be expected. Instead of outright boasting that he knows the answer or pretending to be an expert he presents possibilities and situations that present even more questions than answers. He seems to be very cautious in his approach, maybe because he doesn't want to offend anyone. His not wanting to offend anyone seems to be supported by the fact that midway through his message he realizes that he isn't really talking stocks and kind of apologizes and tries to relate what he has said to the topic of the Newsgroup. Nldgr's response is carefully constructed and draws the reader in and makes the reader more likely to follow up.
Whether Nldgr is really soft spoken and doesn't like to offend people, or if he really just knows how to manipulate and control other people is anyone's guess. His message is effective, however, because of the fact that he doesn't offend anyone and gently eases his point of view into the post as a suggestion. He is knowledgeable but at the same time makes himself not knowledgeable maybe in an attempt to make other people feel like they have to rescue him. This is common in real life where people might pretend to need help as a form of manipulation. Sometimes people also pretend to know less than they really know.

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#4

Subject: Re: Help - I am new in this game
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 18:10:28 GMT

I'm not sure what your goals are, so it's tough to give you an answer. I tried daytrading and, while I was moderately successful to begin with, I eventually took a bath. I now stick to what I am good at - finding value stocks. My current faves are ORCL and HDIE. I am sure there are others that are good, but these are my 2 most heavily researched. I like MFNX, but I'm holding out on that one. I avoided DELL for the very reason you bought it - it seemed TOO good. No company can show 50% growth all the time. They were due. That said, I think there are lots of values out there, and you need to look at alot of factors: How long do you intend to hold? What trends do you think will manifest themselves in that time? Are the companies you looking at GOOD (look at cash flow - is it positive, is the PE reasonable (10-40), etc.)?

Don't assume that a low priced stock can go up more than a high priced one. If you can buy 10,000 shares of a stock at 1, or 1,000 of another at 10...make sure the $1 stock is showing signs of life. There are reasons stocks are valued at a low level. I don't think you screwed up, I think you saw alot of people making money, and you wanted in on it. Don't worry...the worm will turn. This is a temporary lull. If I were you, I'd sideline it for a while, study the market a little, and wait for a clear bullish signal (or a bearish one...you can make money that way, too).
 
Hello everyone,
I am just trying to see how people are making money in this field. I already lost 20% or even more and I guess the reason is that I am new. I thought that Dell was gonna do good and I bought Dell when it was 107. Now its around 80. I also bought few prodigy stocks and even that is going down now. I wanna know what is it that I am missing. Is there any book or anything that I can read to get myself familiar with all these terms and tricks?


 

 

 

Comment:
The purpose of Mr. Monihan's post was to reply to the question. Apparently is a newbie stock investor and is experiencing some difficulties with the wide fluctuation in the market. It seems as if he has just invested some money in two companies and both of them have lost money. He is trying to make sense out of the mass of confusion to see if there is something that he is just not getting. In other words, the question is reaching out for some sort of help and support. Mr. Monihan was one of the people who responded to its questionâs plea for assistance.


It is obvious that Mr. Monihan's purpose in writing the reply was to sincerely help this person to feel better about the whole situation. Mr. Monihan did not have to respond so kindly to a newbie (as some people go out of their way to destroy newbies). Instead he offered encouragement, and support through the use of his own personal experiences. This is a method that allows him to better connect to it. The person who raised the question will see that they have a shared interest and past. He will see that Mr. Monihan has gone through the same pains so that he knows what he is talking about. Instead of lecturing Mr. Monihan replies in a calm, explanatory voice. He attempts to teach him how he can better judge what stocks to buy and how to buy them in the future so that he doesn't make the same mistakes again. Another effective psychological tactic that Mr. Monihan uses is that he tries to understand the motive and goals behind his so that he can better help him. If he understands the goal then he can gear his reply more towards an effective answer.


Mr. Monihan is like a good friend telling the person don't worry your not alone this happens to everyone, you'll do better next time. His message keeps him from becoming discouraged and dropping out. Perhaps Mr. Monihan was raised in a family where helping others was a virtue that was emphasized. A better explanation, however, might be that Mr. Monihan saw a little of himself in that post and wanted that person to succeed just like him. He probably had thought to himself, if only when I was just beginning someone had been there to help me. We tend to help and favor other people who are more like ourselves.

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#5

Subject: Re: CPU-YHOO-AMZN-DELL-AOL
Date: 18 Feb 1999 01:23:41 GMT

Dude, why have you been pushing CPU so hard for the past three days? Let me guess, you were in at 14, right? [Dan ]

COMP USA (CPU) for around 11 a share. Will go up to 13 within 2 weeks. Chart it for yourself. Continued growth and profits they are their only walk in competition in the business arena. In the Computer to first user they are second to BEST BUY. since consumers find CompUSA to be intimidating. Theywill post excellent profits this year through web sales and through store sales. They will also be increasing staff to help remedy the extremly slow cashier lines when exiting the store. Which was the biggest complaint about the store and it was also for Caldor's. And look at Caldor now. CompUSA will reach 25 to 30 a share by years. Rumors about them are that they will recieve a contract from Sprint to promote them as their selected internet provider of choice in the near future. Unsure if Sprint is to purchase their current IPO in order to do this and make it legal. It would be nicer if AOL or MSN decided to do it instead.


 

 

 

Comment:
The situation surrounding this exchange is as follows. Volvo744TI was responding to a post that was posted by someone else. The person who posted the message proclaimed how the stock of CompUSA was going to go higher and higher because of all of these specific factors which he listed. Volvo744TI responded in his posts rather skeptical and with a hint of hostility or annoyance. This was not the first post by this person who was claiming all of this good fortune for CompUSA. Apparently Volvo744TI started to question the validity of the information and the neutrality of this person in regard to this stock since this person seemed to repeatedly hype this stock. Volvo744TI respondes rather sarcastically saying "dude...you were in at 14 right?" in an effort to expose the poster's real intentions.


Volvo744TI's reaction was not uncommon. In real life many people act similarly when someone overly brags or hypes something up, bigger than it really is, or if they make big claims about something that is obviously not the truth. When people get annoyed enough they react in a way that will hopefully shut the loud mouth annoying person up. The person who posted the message, on the other hand, was probably hoping to influence the actions and thoughts of other people by shamelessly promoting CompUSA on ungrounded speculation. If other people saw that someone else supported CompUSA stock then they might be more likely to also purchase the stock which would in turn raise the price and make the original person who posted the message better off. If that was to occur it would simply be the case that people are more likely to perform an action if they see other people also doing it. Another explanation might simply be that the person was trying to repress his negative feelings because he had lost money on a poor investment.

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#6

Subject: Re: BLASHLAND ?
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 15:54:55 +1300

I'm a patient person, but ... Don't you think it is time you two stopped clogging up this newsgroup with your petty dispute, whatever it is? Really, it is just as bad as spam. If you need to duke it out (or whatever you call this relationship) why not do it in private by email? That way you won't embarrass yourselves. [Gib ]

 

Subject: BLASHLAND ?
Date: 17 Feb 1999 23:29:08 GMT

Welcome to BLASHLAND where lak of knowledge is filled in with making fun of people. Where being a coward about taking risk because of a severe lak of knowledge about securities passes for sophisitation promoted by the BIG LIE method of brainwashing. It's no concidence that Hitler BLASH uses the real Hitlers BIG LIE method of self promotion because what the real Hitler and BLASH have in common the most is that they both have hate as their prime motivation. In BLASH'S case though the HATE part of him comes from Hate of oneself. This is why BLASH abuses people. BLASH has fun at others expense and gets pissed off when people have fun at his expense. Put another way BLASH can dish it out but can't take it. About the only thing that BLASH has enough knowledge about to make recomendations for is Gay sex toys performance. BLASHLAND ? = BLASH HELL. [Robert G Smith ]


 

 

 

Comment:
In this post Gib Bogle is commenting on a series of exchanges between M80s and Bash (remember them from the other posts?). She has apparently become fed up with their behavior especially because their posts have nothing to do with the Newsgroup topic of stocks and investing. This is precisely what gives her the power and justification to try to control her fellow newsgroup participants. If they had been having a heated debate over some stock or investment strategy then she would probably no longer have the ability to tell them to stop and leave. But because M80s and Bash have in essence violated the rules of the community Gib Bogle has a right to criticize and is also more likely to have the support and backing by other members of the newsgroup.


It is interesting to note that all along for some reason I had pictured Gib Bogle as a female. But only later did I realize that I actually had nothing to base that assumption on. No where in the post does it make reference to male or female and the alias name means that the poster could be male or female. I think the reason I thought it was a she was because of the way they responded. Although this person was obiously upset and angered by the multiple spamming by these two people he/she replied in a way that was more friendly and less likely to offend the other people. Instead of coming straight out and telling them to shut up and leave, the person politely (which I might have also interpreted as timidness) commented "I'm a patient person, but... don't you two think its time to...". I think another reason was that it kind of sounded like a mother trying to break up a fight between two brothers.


I agree with what Gib Bogle did and I think that many other people would agree too. In any community when people are being disruptive and ignoring rules then someone has to step in and regulate otherwise chaos will result.

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#7

Subject: Double Your Money In ONE MONTH!!!
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 17:23:15 GMT

Think it's impossible?
Go to [ http://www.ameribucks.com/sginfo.html ]

and request the info! I'd love to hear people's opinions on the subject. -Tony
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==---------- http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own


 

 

 

Comment:
I chose this particular newsgroup post to illustrate a specific point. This post is an another example of spamming. It's not spam in the sense that the person is attacking other people or making trouble, and it's also not spamming in the sense that the information doesn't match the topic of the newsgroup because it does. In this case it is spam because in a sense that is advertising or trying to sell something, kind of like an infomercial, and like an infomercial this post is annoying. The interesting thing is that unlike other situations where people respond to the annoying poster by telling them to shut up or to leave the newsgroup, in this newsgroup people pretty much ignore these types of posts. In this stocks and investment newsgroup about 1/4 to 1/2 of the posts are this type of spam and one has to be able to differentiate between legitimate, useful information and useless ones like these. As you can see no one has responded to his post.


Why did bufort@injersey.com post such a message? I assume perhaps he was trying to trick gullible or desperate people probably to make money -- just like the informercials. I think maybe he gets paid according to how many people visit the site. It is interesting to me to read a message like this and to think of who would respond to such a claim. I don't doubt, however, that a lot of people might have checked the site out. There are many people in our society today who are suckered into get rich quick schemes either because they're lazy, broke, desperate, etc. People want to be rich, but don't want to work hard for to achieve their goal. I think they justify to themselves that these scams are not a hoax and that somehow they will become rich because they're too afraid to face reality. Remember if something is too good to be true then it probably is.

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#8

Subject: Re: Thought people would benefit
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 21:02:27 GMT


See Also: Investing for the Future, Technical Analysis of Investing

Not looking to spam, but I think that some people in here may benefit. not looking to spam, huh? well, shay, i thought your name sounded familiar, so i got sifted through the old agent outbox and found this: I am unceasingly amazed by the general lack of intelligence shown in this newsgroup, I am amazed, although only ceasingly, that spammers are so unintelligent that they think they are fooling someone by posting one of these fake testimonials. yet I think I have found something that can help. Labotomy? For the past seven months I have subscribed to a newsletter from ZXXX InveXXXXXXX that has given me exceptional returns for a very low price. Phew!! $79 x 7 months . . . $553 . . . no thanks. . .hope you subtracted that for your basis . . . He does not advertise, but I thought that you all would like to see what real performance is. Hmmm . . .when did "they" (Zxxx-Invexxxxxxx) become "he"? Sounds like you know "him" personally . . . He offers a free two week trial, and will never spam you. Like you have just done? His website is www.XXXX-XXXXXXXX.com. I hope that you achieve the success in the markets, with the ease that I have, as well.


You spammers are fooling no one. You can run, but you can't hide . . ;-) Have a nice day, [ Shay Horowitz ] and happy trading everyone (hope everyone didn't get hit too bad on Monday) ;-)
=========================================================
 


 

 

 

Comment:
Here is still yet another post in response to unsolicited spam. As was the case with the responses to other spam messages, Ryan is obviously extremely annoyed and has chosen to make a big statement about it. Here is the situation. Someone named Zeus posted a message that was in essence advertising some sort of money making news letter (not the same as the previous post). Ryan has taken personal offense to this blatent promotion mainly because it seems he has had a bad experience with this person in the past -- or at least he thinks so. Ryan believes that Zeus is really someone named Shay Horowitz. I really liked Ryan's attempt to expose Zeus. I think his techniqe showed creativity. I especially enjoyed the way he took little snipets of what Zeus had said and then made little comments specific to each individual part in an attempt to dismantle his post. It was hilarious when in response to Zeus' statement "He offers a free two week trial, and will never spam you", Ryan replies, "Like you have just done?".


Two things seem to be going on in this situation. The first is that Ryan is trying to act as the regulator, regulating the Newsgroup to make sure that spammers don't disrupt the social fabric of this particular newsgroup. He appears to be a regular contributor to the Newsgroup and his comments are intelligent and insightful. He knows what he's talking about. In this sense this newsgroup mirros real life where in a community it is the elders (people who have been a part of the group for a long time) who keep order and are respected. If someone is out of line then they attempt to put them back into place. The other issue that is a factor in Ryan's response is that his reason for responding in such a manner is not purely for the good of the community. Ryan also has a personal vendeta against Zeus. He is driven not just by altruism or a sense of collectiveness, but also by anger and revenge. And not only that, but it seems that Ryan has a general dislike of all spammers and doesn't just sit quietly and put up with it. It says a lot about the kind of person he is that he speaks his mind with authority, and dismantles Zeus' statement in a logical, systematic way instead of just attacking him back.

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#9

Subject: Crystal ball for sale....
Date: 18 Feb 1999 17:42:21 GMT

Place your orders for GBFE tomorrow morning. At aroung 12:00 there will be an announce emnt of a Disney buyout and then the stock will hit 4-5 dollars. To buy it at 2 dollars is a bargain, soon it will reach the 52 week high. Uncle Arnie" Computers will never replace human stupidity"

 

Subject: Re: Crystal ball for sale....
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 13:11:01 -0500

To buy it at 2 is bullshit. The stock is only worth 50 cents a share at most. You must want to sell your stock.


 

 

 

Comment:
Here once again is the infamous Blash404. In this situation it seems that Blash is actually making a useful and relevant comment. After all the topic relates to the topic of the Newsgroup, and he's not bashing or attacking anyone. However, upon closer inspection, his comment still falls under the category of posts that in a way can be considered spam, or at the very least it is the type of message that most people don't appreciate. All Blash404 is doing is shamelessly promoting and hyping up a stock probably not bashed on any kind of real information. Most times other Newsgroup members ignore such a post but I guess Blash404's reputation as a troublemaker has preceded him and now anything that he says is not taken at face value. It is the truth that often times once someone has had a particular personality trait associated with them or their behavior, other people continue to only view them through that one light. Nemesis apparently has some kind of issue with Blash404. He says rather bluntly, "To buy it at 2 is bullshit". I guess Nemesis did feel the need for whatever reason to come up with a long witty comment.


Now why did Blash404 depart from his usual nonsense and make such a comment? I think one possiblity based upon the type of person I have come to view him as, is that he is only out to further is own good. If at the moment he needs to quarrel with M80 then so be it. If he wants to get people to buy the same stock has him so that he can make money and feel like an authority then he will do that to -- anything that pleases him. Blash404's behavior can be classified as deviant or antisocial behavior and as such needs to be dealt with and properly treated or he will contiune to bug this community.

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#10

Subject: NASDAQ
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 15:55:41 GMT

What does NASDAQ stand for?
[ http://www.talkway.com ]

 

Subject: NASDAQ
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 15:58:37 GMT

Could someone tell us what NASDAQ stands for?????PLease????? Thanks!! --
Posted via Talkway ö [ http://www.talkway.com ]Surf Usenet at home, on the road, and by email -- always at Talkway.

 

Subject: Re: NASDAQ
Date: 18 Feb 1999 16:07:38 GMT

national association of securities dealers automated quotation

 

Subject: Re: NASDAQ
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 16:14:46 GMT

National Association of Securities Dealers and Automated Quotations I've looked everywhere, and I'm doing this from memory, because I can't find it online anywhere. But, it should be something like this...one word MIGHT be wrong.

 

Subject: Re: NASDAQ
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 10:08:01 -0800

Never Assume Stocks Dilligently Apprectiate Quadrupally

 

Subject: Re: NASDAQ
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 20:44:02 GMT

Never Assume Stocks Dilligently Apprectiate Quadrupally Newbies Ask Silly Dumb Ass Questions (-; -- E-Mail: SkyWalker1689 at Hotmail period Company

 

Subject: Re: NASDAQ
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 15:40:34 -0600

Newbies Ask Silly Dumb Ass Questions (-; Never Actually Search During A Quest.

 

Subject: Re: NASDAQ
Date: 18 Feb 1999 17:12:37 -0500

NASDAQ: National Association of Sex Dealers And Quacks


 

 

 

Comment:
This exchange between participants of the stocks and investing newsgroup is the most amusing one that I have come across yet. Check it out. Here is a brief summary of what unfolded. Basically it started off with a fifth grade class posting a message asking what NASDAQ stands for. Now the NASDAQ is just another stock exchange just like the New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange. Assuming that this a real fifth grade class that is writing the message (there may be some doubt since the e-mail address is -- questionable), the responses to the question are hilarious albeit a bit mean.

The first two responders Tbloom27 and Mr. Monihan (a previous poster) replied similarly giving the answer as National Association of Securities Dealers and Automated Quotations. This answer is of course the real answer. The next person to respond, Lovenox, gave the answer Never Assume Stocks Dilligently Apprectiate Quadrupally. Now this too is not the right answer, but nevertheless one can see how it is at least related to investing and could be a lesson in itself on realizing the risk involved in investing in the stock market. Lovenox, however, with his cute reply seems to have set off a whole chain of silly responses. In other words it is as if his response magically made it okay to respond with dumb acronyms for NASDAQ. Some were very out of line especially since children may have actually written this question. Imagine logging on to check this newsgroup for their answer and then they see Newbies Ask Silly Dumb Ass Questions, a response given by Sky Walker.


It seems that Tbloom27 and Mr. Monihan just wanted to help what they thought of as a class of fifth graders engaging in research. Lovenox too I think had good intentions. Seeing that two people had already given the correct answer he probably just wanted to help them learn something else in a silly manner. Sky Walker's post is just simply unappropriate behavior towards children, much less any newbie with a real question. Maybe he too was attempting to be funny trying to imitate Lovenox, but it didn't work. Or maybe he is just a mean person who doesn't remember that he too was once a newbie.

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Class Info:
After browsing my fellow classmates' newsgroup reports I have several comments to make. First off it seemed like hardly anyone made the effort to take a risk and make their web page different from the first one. I think it would have been more interesting to have seen different things. Instead many it looked as if people used the exact same format as the first report just with new text. Other than the visual asthetics of the pages I must congratulate my classmates on a job well done as far as the content. I think we all did a good job of researching a wide variety of newsgroups and making interesting and intellectual comments. I think that as people become more comfortable with HTML they will feel more comfortable extending their skills.


Conclusion:
How can future generations use my document for studying newsgroups? I think first of all students can see a sampling of what a newsgroup actually is and what happens at a newsgroup. They will be able to experience the interaction that occurs between the participants. Secondly, students will have a running explanation along with the samples so they can better understand various terms as well as the motivation of the posters. I think one way future generations can improve upon my generation's report is to go back and look at all the previous generations' newsgroups reports and observe whether or not the norms of the newsgroup communities seem to have changed or remained relatively the same. By norms I mean the type posts, topics, behaviors, etc. that are deemed as acceptable and unacceptable.


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