Not sure why $100k would be paid to a site where legitimate posters have zero control over endless negative postings by bashers without a speck of evidence to support their lies.

What Is a "Basher"?

A "basher" is a person who sets out to ruin the credibility of a stock or company that has shares on the open market. They usually do this for two reasons. They either profit from falling share prices via a method called "shorting," or they wish to scare investors into selling their shares at low prices so that they can buy them at less than what they believe they are actually worth.

Even casting a shadow of doubt can be enough to keep a potential investor out, thus keeping the price where they want it until they have accomplished their goal.

There are a few who just enjoy stirring the pot, but usually, if a person sells their position in a stock, they leave any chats or forums where that stock is the main topic of discussion. Why wouldn't they? Who wants to sit and talk about a stock they are no longer invested in? A basher, that's who.

There are some bashers who are actually paid by others to do their dirty work. A big-time investor who perhaps stands to make thousands of dollars shorting a stock doesn't actually want to sit and bash their day away so they pay others a fraction of what they believe they'll make to do so for them.

There are even writers, who create articles specifically to bash a targeted stock. They are like sledgehammers because when people find these articles via searches to learn about a potential investment, they believe what they read. They trust it because "It's a whole website and looks legit" or "It came up in a search. It must be true."

While it doesn't help when the moderators are in on the gig, there are still some things you can do to help.

• Don't comment on or respond to their posts.
• Be careful who you invite into other groups so as not to bring home the bugs.
• Expose them. If you can expose their misgivings with indisputable facts, people will know not to listen. If they admit they have no position, they are a basher. If they admit they have a position and still talk down on the stock, they are a short.
• Don't share information with them that they can try to use against you or to their advantage.
• If you do respond to them, only post indisputable information on their posts so that anyone who does read their garbage sees your reply tied to it.
• https://toughnickel.com/personal-finance/Investors-Hub-iHub-OTC-Boards-Are-A-Bashers-Paradise

Welcome to the jungle?  I would not waste a minute of my time on the SH site unless some control is given to the actual shareholders who have a financial stake in POET, and I don't mean the shorts, or naked shorters.  Some of the posters there have been posting the same vitriol for YEARS.

POET Admins., what were you thinking?