Tectol seems to be quite a bit like me, at least as far as background goes. I've worked for minimum wage, my father was a postman, and while I sometimes like to tell myself that I darn well deserve to be in the investing business (e.g., because I've outperformed any Canadian bank's mutual fund in my rookie year), I still recognize I'm a small fish.

He said: I understand as a retail investors i'm a small fish swimming in deep waters and i look nervously around ready to jump when i feel the surrounding is threatening .

Same here. But one principle of warfare in our favour is that the small mobile force will always defeat the large empire, when commanded properly. Afghanistan vs USA, Afghanistan vs. USSR, and Vietnam vs USA are just three of the many examples. The Teutons used hit & run warfare to destroy an entire Roman army in the Battle of Teutoburg Forest.

So I've been learning that it's good to stay mobile, keep several options open, and whenever my position is under attack I retreat into the woods, regroup, and then move in another direction. This means owning lots of different stocks (trying to get over 10), taking profits liberally, always buying low, always staying below my pain threshold, limiting myself to sectors that have the best fundamentals (miners, right now - won't be so forever) and keeping loads of cash available so I can immediately take advantage of opportunities.

When i comment or read comments here , judgment about pumping or bashing are irrelevant , they're only emotional reactions as i see it . Facts , NR , analysis by more knowledgable people then me is all that matters , it's my job to understand what's what to protect my investment , and make the calls .

Way back many months ago when my investment decisions were clumsy and stupid, the first thing I learned that started to turn things around was to completely ignore anyone whose posts include "hope" or "might" or "could". Too many people post on the internet about their hopes and dreams for stocks... but wishing don't make it so. It's always dangerous when you start participating with your money in other peoples' fantasy stories.

I've also come to learn that anyone who can't spell or use proper grammar probably should be ignored: you learn grammar and spelling through reading, and I've come to see that the only opinions that might have value are those of people who've actually read something.

And I've also read some of the Hard Rock Miners' Handbook; I've read about how to properly value a miner; I've learned about NPV and asset value; I've learned to avoid companies that "over-produce and under-deliver"; I've learned how to really read a chart for TA purposes, not the garbage that passes for TA by whoever decides to post that day.

It's still hard to figure out who to trust on the internet. It's a very flawed medium. People who are conformist, trusting and friendly will always be taken to the cleaners. It's just the way it goes.