Let me start by saying this is just my opinion. Others are entitled to look at it completely differently and I would appreciate hearing other perspectives. I must admit that I find this thread particularly offensive and “Madam Butterfly” singularly obnoxious, but there are others which also evidence a disturbing trend at the site.
My understanding of the original mission of BP was to create an open, sharing forum where no one found it necessary to claim the grail or “100% winners” because no one was selling/promoting anything. When you’re selling something, you need to pump it up and appeal to the baser human interests. In the marketing world, these strategies are known as “psychological hooks.” Contrarily, the idea of BP was to humble ourselves before the unpredictable power of the markets and join together lest we be swept away. Within that framework of humility in sharing was the notion of tiers, i.e., the FX-Men, Honorary FX-Men, etc., rankings presumably based on experience and contributions. Implicit in those rankings is the thought that, although none of us know much, some of us know more than others, and, collectively, we know a lot and can be of service to others. Excuse me if I sound paternal, but, to me, there is also a protective element imbedded in that tiered relationship, meaning that those who have been to more than one rodeo might be able to offer some advice that would keep someone else from getting gored by a bull. If all this sounds naïve, tough potatoes, it is the world as I have chosen to see it.
I know we can’t hold everyone’s hand and guide them through the forex world, otherwise known as the fires of hell. In fact, we wouldn’t want to usurp anyone’s free will, including the freedom to be stupid, a freedom I have exercised often. On occasion, however, I have had the good fortune to involve myself with someone who had a genuine interest in me and my success. They offered wisdom that “from many a foolish notion” freed me. Saved me money, time, humiliation, and that unique despondency that comes when you throw your heart into something and it gets eaten.
The disturbing trend I see strikes me as a fundamental betrayal of the BP egalitarian underpinnings. It involves hidden motives, an unwillingness to disclose, a “bait and switch.” It uses BP as a launching platform for personal interests. It says, “For all these reasons, I just can’t be open and straightforward about what I’m up to, but if I can lead you over here or over there, somewhere other than this somewhat protected environment, I stand a better chance to take you down.” These threads include ones like this where the author claims to be just so ignorant and knocking out 100% winners. But, they also include those that offer a completely free system/indicator/ea that you quickly discover only works on demo. Oh, you have to pay for the one you can actually use. They include free signals that, all at once, aren’t free anymore. In general, they include any gimmick, lie, half-truth, secret, or unwillingness to share that someone can come up with.