The board owners give us it free, but just look at the number of posts that go unanswered by the posters on here. It's high time we all put a little more effort in and helped our fellow posters and the Shares team and management who bankroll us.

I admit Im as bad as every one else, we need to post more and not take this freebie for granted, one that will go away if we do not give bigger contributions for sure , please help.

cheers GF.

GF,

Whilst it would be nice to see more vibrancy here, not sure the lack of it (vibrancy) worries them too much, and I doubt whether it costs them too much to maintain, so not too much fear of this BB closing IMHO.

Plenty of traders paying fees in the Traders Room, so they are receiving revenue as well as some advertisement fees.

goldfinger, I am not sure what you mean? could you give a couple of examples? My impression is that this is a very helpful place?

Some of the questions asked are a bit repeative and the search function might be a better solution?

Agree Spaceman ....... and we are all here and breathing .......... look at the cafe, shortly to be under new management (!!!)... so there is definitely life. I think you underestimate the number of people that browse but don't post, probably because they are new to investing.

I thought the search function had improved recently, as a couple of months ago you couldn't even find your own old thread with it:-))

This board is very useful for passing on depressions. Especially when one finds shares you had high hopes for head south. TFC, BPRG, TEP just to name a few. But I think postings have dropped recently perhaps in part due the relative instabillity in the market.

Lets hope the new year will have a little more vigour.

It's a better board than ADVFN with it being quieter,people seem to post important stuff rather than the drivel you have to sive through on ADVFN.

People should post fewer spelling mistakes.

Im not saying its a bad board in fact its very good, Im just saying that its my bet that views per post are far higher than follow up posts. I sometimes get the feeling that when someone posts a topic or a share pick if others dont follow up they me be tempted to think 'why bother'. Just a freindly word or two would go along way. Merry Christmas.

cheers Gf.

Yes head master people that make simple spelling mistakes should be lined up and shot lol.

J50 - No need to go on the defen-sieve.

No Zoltar just tried to have a laugh with you.

Me too mate;-)
Have a nice Christmas.

you to.

GF,

That's a fair comment, it WOULD be nice to see follow ups to comments, if only to confirm that one's musings are actually being read by someone!

this BB is becoming more vibrant, slowly, as people tire of the abuse and trashing of threads on ADVFN, IMHO, and seek a more serious environment.

Ill second that Andy on the second paragraph and the rest of the post.

cheers GF.

Are these the new tea rooms?
I'll have a large white chardonnary, ta :o)

GF,

Cheers.


Brockman,

I last saw you at the ADVFN Xmas bash a couple of years ago, hope you are ok.

GF,

Please don't stop posting. Your posts are some of the most helpful and reasonable on the board.

Doug

Doug,

How's things? I had lunch with Andy G today . . .

Derek
--

Hi MM. Things are good. Second baby due next week so looking forward to a quiet Christmas.

How are you? Out in CA at the moment?

Doug

Hello Andy,

Yes, I remember, I think we ate together. I'm fine, hope you are too!
Brocks

Golfinger, I must be one of the "silent majority" - I do a lot of reading and not too much posting. I must admit I really enjoyed reading your thread and found many useful tips. Shame you had to finish it. Any good ideas for the New Year?

Clive

dclinton:

Nope, back here in Blighty, worse luck, could have done with a warmer Xmas. Congrats on offspring #2. Enjoy!

Derek
--

Keep posting on MoneyAM please,been me hobbie for last two years so it's good to hear other views and predictions(often with a pinch of salt-lol).
Funny thing is though,in the first year made money but this year,now i know/think i know,a bit more about it i'm losing....sorry they are now'long term multicarriers or is that baggers'-lol

banjomick: Sorry to hear you've not done well this year. Where do you think you went wrong?

G2,
Trying to make money in a few weeks,not selling sooner and putting the money into something else when the companies were on the slide.Luckily i had corus earlier on this year which counteracted my other dubious buys-lol

The only bad decission was GON,been a realy big loss in percentage terms..not happy with their performance through 2004.grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr---lol

Just so you get some idea on who is looking, so far 3700 different people have opened this particular thread!!. Seems there are a lot of people in lurkerville:-)


mike

I'm a lurker not a writer!

Bullshare, now that is quite an amazing statistic! 3700 lookers. Lets be grateful that not all are posters.

3,700 lookers, only because the thread title sounds like the final cry before a suicide :-)

OPto

Agreed, but it would be nice if a few of them did. I wonder how many lookers and not posters we get in the tea rooms????? And what they make of it lol

Fundamentalist: GD's Room - strangely get less than this thread has had. We get about 8500 a day looking at the Investors Room each day. So only a tiny % actually post.

Fundy, if anyone calls in the tea rooms first they would probably log off and stop investing on the market. A lot of folks must think we are quite mad,I can't think why! lol

Bully

Interesting to know. I dare say for the majority one look at the tea room is enough - keeps the mad ones amongst us sane though!!!!

Out of interest if 8500 use the investors room how many use the traders room - or is that confidential?

Opto

posts crossed - fully agree

I dare say the conscience factor played a part in all the lurkers visiting this thread - a case of "have i got to start posting to keep this board going?"

Fundamentalist: Not quite as many. Although the boards might seem quiet we still have record sign ups to the Free and Paid for areas of our sites.

Hi guys - I am a lurker - rather than a poster - but thats maybe because I consider myself a novice and do not feel that I know enough about dealing and capable of understanding some of the research information - yet. I guess there are a lot of others who are in the same boat as me.

I read nearly all of the threads where I hold shares - and others too that I am researching - but to be honest - I would like to say that I understood everything that was said on this board - (which incidentally I think is one of the best) - but I dont - and I continue to learn from others who are wiser and more experienced.

So just because there is not a lot of traffic on the board - does not mean to say that it is not being read by many others who watch, listen and learn from others.

Merry Christmas to all -

Merry Christmas bhunt, keep watching but don't be afraid to call in. Any questions just ask, you will always get replies to consider.
opto

jj50
One reason the search facility did not work was that an Epic required to be entered in upper case. Lower case just reported back as nothing found. I reported that problem ages ago but it has only recently been fixed, a basic error that took too long to sort out.

In hindsight I should have worded the tittle better, it does seem to be negative.

cheers GF. Happy xmas to everyone.

I have enjoyed this board for months now and would hate to lose it. It has kept me entertained when losing and given me some great info. to help me win some. even the squabbles are amusing on a dull day! Merry Christmas to all 8700 of you even the lurkers and a peaceful prosperous New Year. MP

Happy Christmas Everyone!!..
...just merry go lurking along!

Some of us Lookers are Learners. I don't actually understand half of these threads. You that know what you're talking about - please keep posting, and I think I may get the courage to start to put my hand in my pocket...

ffw

Perhaps part of the problem is that there's little coverage of the most widely held UK shares on here - The vast majority of 'investors' don't often touch the high risk stocks which tend to be 'featured'.

UK's most popular shares by number of shareholders

1 - HBOS - 2,588,000
2 - BT GROUP - 1,604,000
3 - MM02 - 1,578,000
4 - NATIONAL GRID TRANSCO - 1,435,000
5 - BRADFORD & BINGLEY - 1,181,000
6 - CENTRICA - 1,160,000
7 - BG GROUP - 998,000
8 - LLOYDS TSB GROUP - 974,000
9 - FRIENDS PROVIDENT - 890,000
10 - BARCLAYS - 876,000
11 - AVIVA - 875,000
12 - ALLIANCE & LEICESTER - 699,000
13 - VODAFONE GROUP - 619,000
14 - INTERNATIONAL POWER - 560,000
15 - SCOTTISH POWER - 450,000
16 - SCOTTISH & SOUTHERN ENERGY - 447,000
17 - BAA - 382,000
18 - BP - 356,000
19 - ROLLS ROYCE GROUP - 319,000
20 - MARKS & SPENCER GROUP - 317,000
21 - TESCO - 285,000
22 - BRITISH AIRWAYS - 245,000
23 - SHELL TRANSPORT & TRADING COMPANY
24 - GLAXOSMITHKLINE - 235,000
25 - NORTHERN ROCK - 207,000
26 - ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP - 197,000
27 - ASTRAZENECA - 170,000
28 - BAE SYSTEMS - 170,000
29 - IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES - 167,000
30 - IMPERIAL TOBACCO GROUP - 164,000
31 - CORUS GROUP - 158,000
32 - UNITED UTILITIES - 154,000
33 - CABLE & WIRELESS - 147,000
34 - DIAGEO - 119,000
35 - BOOTS GROUP - 107,000

Pity there's not more interest because there is money to be made from them.

Many thanks for that list Brian sifted by number of shareholders holding a stock, something of a rareity today to cover. Very interesting indeed. One for my word storage files .

cheers GF.

Freinds Provident at number 9, amazing.

gf.

I think this BB is lurked in far more than posted on - is that making sense? ;-))

The difference between here and ADVFN, to me, is that many here have come to it directly via the Mag and there is therefore a different cross-section. Given the state of much of the FBB (and some of the PBB) on ADVFN, I like this place. At least much of what is posted has good info rather than constant slagging matches.

Al
;-)

...............and Season's Greetings to both posters and lurkers.

BTW, lurkers, don't be afraid to start a thread if you have a question. Nobody is a genius first off! ;-)

Agreed on the policing matter, Ian and the team really have turned this around. No more messing with posters who were just here to spoil, they are now kicked off if that is their agenda. Well done.

cheers GF.

Hi Goldfinger

Are you Slater? I have been told by a poster called Katie Price (not sure if you know her) that you are known from time to time to have some great tips up your sleave.

She rates you highly and seeing as I have made a few pence from her trading abilities, I would be greatful if you would be so kind to pass a few my way.

Thanks in advance Goldfinger

JE

I can believe FP at #9 - I'm a shareholder only because I was a policy holder when they went public and got a bunch of 'windfall' shares. I should imagine most of the policy holders, like myself, haven't bothered to sell.

Doug

jonny e - I've done quite well out of a few of goldfinger's tips. Also, whenever I buy into a share and he subsequently turns up on the related message thread saying positive things I immediatly feel much less nervous about that one :-)

Doug

JE - would never believe much that Katie Price posts. She/He/it seems to wade in all over the place posting tripe for much of the time.

goldfinger - no offence meant by that! ;-)

Thought somebody was trying to start a local riot here.... be politics and religion next no doubt... :-)

Quality is far superior to quantity, and "chatting" via a BB is a strange thing. Even puts the teenager texters to shame. :)

One of the major differences between Invest and Traders sections is the level of BB self-confidence that exists. The Traders are a rowdy argumentative lot but with an incredibly "must-help-all" heart. The Investors are a more polite bunch who say "Hello" and then wait for somebody else to take up the running.

It's the old thing of a crowd attracts a crowd. I would say just keep posting, eventually a bus or 2 will turn up.

Lastly, if you hadn't noticed - whenever the market flattens ALL of the BB's go really quite. That's why I'm here atm.. :-)))

Ho, Ho, Ho, Happy Christmas.

Happy xmas Brian.

cheers Gf.

Hi boys and girls- I to like bhunt1910 am a novice, small time investor with a leaning towards the "penny share" market. I can get totally lost in some of the posts from the more learned traders and investors, but I'm learning( losing money tends to make me learn quicker), Love to read the banter and squabbles between you.
I think being a learner, makes you a lurker until you have enough confidence to post and not to worry about the replies you may recieve.
Wishing you all a merry christmas and a prosperous new year, and many thanks for all I've learnt through your posts

happy Christmas one and all!!! I too am a 'lurker' on this bb. I'm also following the PET bb with avid interest and sympathy. Usually it's one of my shares that nosedives and my husband believes that if I were to take a financial position in any country in the world they would suffer immediate economic collapse, such is my adverse influence! I too am learning and am finding, after one year's investing, that it is a steep learning curve. I will be reading this bb every day and if I have anything of interest to share I will add my two pen'orth.

May you all have a prosperous New Year.

Happy Christmas everyone and a very prosperous New Year.

Challenge for lurkers - start your own thread about anything for 2005 and I vote GF to judge best new lurker thread and maybe a prize might be on offer :-(
Header should have GF IN IT.


LURKER

Like I said e-mail, header too strong and perhaphs if I win the lottery a prize is on offer.

Happy christmas.

cheers GF.

Socs.

You hit the nail on the head. All the different things I tried, I probably didn't enter the epic in upper case!! You learn something new every day.

Happy Christmas everyone, especially the "lurkers"!!

morning all I'm with you, mainly as a lurker :o)

Douggie

you're a smiler not a lurker lol!

For all lurkers who feel nervous of posting your questions or opinions.....

Drop in to 'GD's Tea Rooms' and make yourself known....even if you just say 'Hello!' Lots of virtual booze, chat and a bit of share talk. You might just gain the confidence to post to other threads once you have made a few friends. To give you an idea.....

The landlord is a dog, meals are prepared by a bunny and Socrates is in charge of Planestation and supplies of sherry trifle!

Priscilla

have you had too much of bunnys mulled wine already?

Possibly your definition of 'too much' isn't quite the same as mine....!

lol!

I had no idea that it was possible to know how many people view certain threads. Is it like Big Brother? Do you know where i'm going next?

:-)

The broom cupboard?

You know me so well Chocy. ;-)

A simple question(s) - what is the difference between spread betting and CFD's, and what advantage (if any) has one over the other? And who are/is best to deal with for a spread betting account?

Thanks
Steve

whyallsteve,

spreads are free of CGT, whereas CFD'S aren't is the main difference imho.

There is more choice of SB's, as CFD'S have a more limited selection to choose from.

IG Index are ok IMHO, they allow SB'S on AIM stocks over 20 million market cap.