It seems incredible, but Slope of Hope sprang to life six years ago today. I first started this blog during a profoundly happy time in my life – – I had just sold Prophet two months before, and I was enjoying a vacation in Cancun with my family. At my wife's urging, I started a personal trading diary as a blog. My last sentence on that first post was "The real question is going to be if I'm going to find enough time to do regular posts!". I guess I found the time!
I've learned a few things about blogging in the six years that have passed since that first post. A few tidbits of wisdom are:
+ You can't please everyone – I confess that I'm a person who likes being liked, but when you get a self-selecting group of traders who are going to have all kinds of personalities and quirks, there's going to be conflict. I have tried to run as decent an establishment as possible, but over the years, there have been plenty of folks who have moved on for various reasons. My heart's in the right place, and I try to make Slope welcoming for all, but I've learned that finding a good middleground is a big challenge.
+ Culture Counts – Part of the reason for Slope's popularity and longevity, I think, is because it's a relatively peaceful oasis in the wild, wild west of trading blogs. Some of our brethren trading sites are a cross between Lord of the Flies and Animal House, and my desire is for Slope to be a place where traders can share ideas, stories, anecdotes, travails, and ideas. I want Slope to be a place where I feel comfortable and where I can safely assume most others are comfortable as well, and I think we've achieved that.
+ The blog will ebb and flow with the market – I know this is perceived as a bearish blog, and the traffic shows that. During the (all-too-brief) Japanese-led dip in the market earlier this month, traffic on the blog nearly doubled. Now that things are moving higher in the market again, traffic has softened. I've learned not to take it personally. There are a lot of fair weather friends on Slope.
I am deeply grateful for three groups of people. First, to those of you who have stuck with me through thick and thin and are still here, you have my deepest gratitude and respect. Second, to that "vast silent majority" that comes here every day to anonymously enjoy the blog, I offer my thanks, but I still encourage you to get active in our wonderful, friendly comment section! Third, to those of you who recognize that the only compensation I get from this blog is from clicking of ads which interest you (whether I mention it or not) – thank you for your clicking finger's hard work!
This blog has changed my life, mostly for the better, and as we enter our seventh year – – surely a profoundly rare feat in the world of trading blogs – – may the trading gods smile upon us Slopers and grant us an abundant harvest. Thank you for being here for me, and for each other.
