*** LINK TO THE NEW MEGATHREAD ***

Since some people are getting upset at me threatening to ban people who guide posts towards off topic territory, I've thought up a solution that should please both the people who think their extreme contrarian ideas are legitimate, and those who want to keep threads on topic and about people's situations.

A megathread concerning alternative investment ideas is going to be created, under the premise that posters who are a fan of these ideas will help out by providing information on how to invest in any of the following; gold, precious metals, agriculture, commodities, alternative currencies, even physical assets. For this to work, the thread needs to go into specific detail about how an interested party would invest his/her money, and I do mean specific.

You guys are also free to argue over portfolio weightings in this thread, post why traditional equities suck, and generally argue over anything you want. However, I do expect posters to be interested in providing information, rather than the thread being a place for people to stand on their soap box and preach (ie, all our previous gold/metal threads). Anyone can post asking for more information, everyone is happy.


Now, here's the next clause. When someone, for example in this thread, are requesting information on asset investment, you may not post your complete views, at least not directly. Instead, you're going to post something like the following:

This is a good template for how you should post. Non-inflammatory, but still giving the OP exposure to alternatives that might exist. The OP can then choose to read the thread and reply, asking for more information. So this is why I want you guys to provide many good posts with a lot of resources about the most optimal way to invest in these views. Now for the rules:

1) The above post is all you're allowed to say. Most people aren't interested in buying physical gold and living out in the woods, so when their thread gets derailed, they get upset, as do other lurkers who were after information. So invite them to the new megathread, and leave it at that.

2) Alternatively, people who disagree with that poster are not allowed to disagree within the original OP question thread. To disagree, they must take it to the megathread.

3) The megathread will be more or less a free for all. However, I do expect some intellectual honesty, and at least some semblance of civilness. You know, the standard stuff expected in any 2p2 thread.

Any transgression of the rules will result in a one week ban, and I don't care how established the poster is, or how much everyone hates them, it doesn't matter. So, guys who disagree strongly with the gold bugs, please restrain from starting the argument within the question thread, and instead take it to the specific megathread. Then unleash hell.

*** LINK TO THE NEW MEGATHREAD ***

I'm going to leave this thread open for any questions or adjustments. I'm going to trial this idea for a month at the very least, and we'll see if we can't start having more reasonable discussions again, from both points of view, rather then the silly flame-fests we've been having.


*** Meditate69 is perma banned due to constantly disobeying the rules. He never answered questions of not just me, but pretty much everyone on the boards. Even when he did answer, it was comprised of vague rhetoric. Not once did he use a primary sample as a source, or attempt to make an academic answer to anything. I highly doubt that he's smart enough to follow this new system anyway, considering I told him repeatedly to stop derailing threads on the penalty of banning and he couldn't help himself.

I dont see how Mediate's argument is different than what a number of nutjobs here are saying - You seem to have a grudge against him in particular.

I dont like censorship but I also dont like people who make arguments of 2 half truths and 4 paragraphs of rhetoric.

The truth is that there is a legitimate underpinning to all this gold bug type talk but unfortunately our bugs are just idiots whose sole objective seems to be throwing out nonsense for shock effect. Of course I'm not saying that their scenerios are likely at all, but anyone who has read Taleb knows that you have to assign a probability to every outcome.

Mediate was banned because he disobeyed my warnings and conducted trolling behavior, whether he intended to or not. I gave him 2 warnings and he kept ignoring them, pleading ignorance that he didn't know, so I had really no choice but to ban him.

If you don't like those people, feel free to post it in the new megathread. That's the point, everyone can argue and disagree, and I don't get blamed for some bias nonsense because I'm trying to keep threads on topic!

Then bring him back and restrict him to here since he obv has no interest and prob no capability to discuss anything else.

He's already proved he can't do that, he has no more chances left.

Violating bans by creating gnomes only works if you're very funny, very popular or both.

Thanks ArturiusX for this thread. I was really getting sick of people advising gold as an investment for someone with 10k to invest. Now the goldbugs can still discuss their asset allocation while leaving the more traditional allocators alone.

the assumptions of the OP are hopelessly biased

I thought this forum was about making money, not forcing your world view on everyone

Imo ArturiusX is fair on the gold bugs. He gives them a place to discuss making money with gold while it stops the derailment of every thread in BFI. 90% of all the threads about asset allocation got derailed into a gold thread.

I don't even read the asset allocation threads anymore just for this reason, especially when Meditate was around. He was constantly derailing the threads. Either there's some random person preaching gold, cash, or 2x long etfs for LT holds in all of them it seems.

Thread sounds like a good idea, thanks Art.

Threads are consistently getting derailed with random back and forths between two camps which does nothing for people posting for investment advice.

I only ask that people take this specific discussion to a designated thread whenever its someone looking for advice. Is that too much to ask?

I don't think Art ever took unfair bias against binions or The Don.

you're right

I just happen to learn a lot from the discussions and am afraid they will be discontinued. I think I woke up grouchy and posted that out of angry lack of sleep.

I think it is probably wise to provide a separate place for the discussion of investment strategies for those who believe there is a significant risk of financial collapse, severe deflation, and/or hyperinflation in the near future. Of course, not all gold investors fall into this category.

I would have preferred a separate subforum rather than a "megathread." I believe a megathread could be difficult to follow when multiple parallel discussions on divergent topics develop.

I'm a general anarchist, and was very disappointed with this thread =(

No problem

Chance of getting a sub forum is probably somewhere close to zero, there's not really the traffic for it.

Would a subforum with light traffic pose a problem? Traffic would increase as the global financial crisis becomes worse than the great depression, as predicted by one of Gordon Brown's senior ministers and confidants.

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/

[Click on "Worst Recession In 100 Years" if necessary.]

You haven't even posted in the new thread yet yourself and already want your own sub forum. I am pleased the new thread was started, thanks Art.

Subforum? We dont even have one intelligent poster on the subject.

I'm flattered you think an entire forum could be created simply based on me making fun of people.

doesn't the economics subforum of politics pretty much fill this already?

Aren't all investment ideas "alternative" to other investing ideas? And gold's been around a lot longer than, say, shares of ExxonMobil.

By the way, is oil a "commodity" that can only be discussed in the megathread? Will I get banned for talking about buying XLE, the energy ETF, outside the megathread?

If the answer is "no", does that same answer apply to buying shares in GDX, the gold miner ETF? How about XME, the mining ETF that has a couple gold miners but also base mineral miners?

What about the US Dollar? How's this piece of paper backed by nothing anything but an "alternative currency?" If we CAN talk about the US Dollar outside the megathread, what currencies can we NOT talk about?

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Art. There's no way in hell you can draw anything but arbitrary lines here.

But what if I don't think traditional equities suck?

Wow.

Sounds like the megathread is overkill for a Meditate69 problem.

Are you stupid?

Good idea imo. tks.

Now you have crossed the line.

Within the general rules of the forum, I'll post where I want when I want about what I want.

If you don't like it, ban me. See if I care.

PS Does "stupid" get into Duke? Does "stupid" graduate with honors from a top law school?

I'm smarter than most, bud.