RE: Please people just don't answer them23 Feb 2026 08:44
This topic is a current theme on just about every BB on LSE at some time or another. Obviously, it is more prevalent on high(er) risk stocks.
If we break it down:
Is it being asked that no post can be posted expressing the risks of the stock if they believe the chances of failure are higher than success?
Is it reasonable in high risk stocks to accentuate the possibilities of things going wrong? (delays, finance, ambiguous RNS's etc etc)
(It is worth noting that the reason these stocks are labelled "high-risk" is because typically most of these companies go bust and therefore to highlight this is both reasonable and helpful to investors new and old.)
There will always be a majority of "positive" posts on these BB's as it is reasonable to think they outnumber non-holders so it tends to look like this is an over reaction when the cry goes up to stop a view the positive posters disagree with.
Then we get to the "influence" factor.
I can't prove this but I think highly likely that the combined poster base here cannot with their buys or sells influence the SP. Even if it could it would be by a tiny margin and given the spread makes it unlikely that a profit could be made by this.
However i do accept that posts, both positive and negative, might influence others here to buy or sell. If that is the case and you recognise that you are susceptible then STOP READING THESE BB'S!
By and large they are not helpful. At all.
Gambling (and when you do not know the outcome that is what it is), then it is a highly emotional experience that is very addictive. These BB's both with their positive and negative bias posts exaggerate that FEAR and GREED tap dance that any type of gambling stimulates. That is why I am not a fan of these BB's.
(If you wonder why i bother posting it is always interesting to me to see how different posts generate different reactions. I had to control my emotional response to trading some years ago so try to remain detached from the emotional pull. FWIW having a mechanical plan really helps with this natural emotional response.)
At their best these BB's can throw up some genuine insight and general helpful big picture stuff, but when it comes to detail, we are guessing like everybody else and should be taken in that light, potentially interesting but hardly conclusive.
If there are just continual wilfully rude or unjustified opinions from a poster or posters, and you find no benefit then just filter them. The fact this rarely happens again highlights the emotional grip the stock has over the poster proposing "action"
Anyway, again fwiw, capital protection is the single most important part of "investing"