I saw this comment and response earlier today………
I want to emphatically agree with loaf_of_bread on this point. It got me to thinking a lot about what reputation really means here.
As many of you know, I've been "online" since 1982 (maybe even 1981; I can't really remember; suffice it to say my 300 baud modem was pretty high-end back then). I have an innate sense as to the nature of online communities. Given that, I am immensely proud of the community we've built here on Slope. I've been doing this blog for over four years now (do you realize how may posts that is? Probably over 10,000!) And, over those many months, I have tried to behave in such a way as to cultivate the kind of culture that I think has the most value for this group.
If you want a reputation here, you have to be an active participant. Even though thousands upon thousands of individuals come to Slope each day (I'm not sure how many, but we get about 50,000+ views every weekday), only about 30-40 people are truly active in the comments section. Probably about ten of them constitute 80% of the comments! But they have, through their actions, created a deep and lasting reputation on the blog.
It's no different for me. I get the extra "voice" of being the guy writing the posts, but since the vast majority of the content is dedicated to comments now, my own participation in comments is very important to my reputation here.
What kind of reputation do I want? I'd like to be known as a gracious host; I'd like to be known as someone who wants to learn and likes to share ideas and thoughts with others. The reason I avoid censorship and banning is to establish a reputation as a person who is open to other points of view. I know that some blogs have a reputation for only wanting "yes-men"; I don't want Slope to be like that. Respectful dissent is always welcome.
So my response to gannsecret is……..keep posting! I have long been intrigued by Gann, although I have yet to find any interpretation or application of it that I've been able to put to use. But the fact is that if you make good calls, that will become evident over time, and believe me, you will have people's attention! 2sweeties made a reputation for himself here, and now he has a thriving business (RetracementLevels.com) partly because of that reputation.
I hope this message brings some lurkers out of the woodwork as well. I don't wander off the ranch very much, but when I do – like at xTrends or Evil – I've been making a point recently to say something, since I need to practice what I preach at other blogs too. Thanks, and good night!
