Posts on multiple boards or, which board to post on

[richfool]

Reading Dod's post this morning has prompted me to raise the above question, re the proliferation of topics about the same investment trust or company posted on separate threads and boards, and indeed where to post investment discussions. Currently, it doesn't help that posts are often spread across multiple boards.

I find it quite frustrating that if I want to post something about a particular Investment Trust, I do a search and all too often find that there are multiple piecemeal threads in existence spread across multiple different boards. For example, often there will be a thread or threads (note more than one) on the "Company Share news (LSE Main Market)" board, as well as on the "Investment Trust and Unit Trust" board, and sometimes even on the High Yield Shares and Strategies General board.

And in some instances there will also/additionally be topics on the Green Energy board, as well as on the Investment Trust and Unit Trust board, and on the Company Share news (LSE Main Market) board, all about the same investment Trust/Energy Company.

And in the case of REIT's/Property Coys, I often find topics on the Investment Trust (and UT) board, and on the REIT's and Property Companies board, and also on the Company Share News board.

GRID (Gresham House Energy Storage Fund) is a recent example. There was already an existing thread on the Green Energy board, then a new post was made on the Company Share News board, which I believe a moderator moved to the Green Energy board as a new topic. I then reported that there were two (in fact adjoining) threads on the Green Energy board, so the new thread was moved back to the Company News board and a cross post created linking the two, (instead of IMV the new post being merged into the existing thread).

It just seems common sense to me, to post about an Investment Trust on the Investment Trust (and UT) board and then for any subsequent posts to be added to the same existing thread. Thus we have a sequential stream of information and discussions, which can be easily and readily located on that one thread. The same with any other individual share, or with a particular theme, ...being posted on an appropriate, wherever possible, single topic/thread.

I often want to research or re-visit a dialogue which I recollect having taken place in the recent past, so I search for the thread, only to find multiple threads spread across multiple boards, often most of them are short news related threads, rather then the meaty discussion I am looking for. It is let's say, quite frustrating.

I recently exchanged some PM's with moderators regarding one such incident, but seemingly to no avail.

The above said, my purpose wasn't/isn't to blame anyone for anything, but simply to highlight the vagaries and inconsistencies of a system which currently seems to result in new topics being posted across a range of different boards, and often duplicated, rather than, where appropriate, being posted on an existing thread, on one appropriate board.

So in the light of the above and how things stand currently, and against the background of the continually reducing number of investment discussions taking place (and the increasing number of non-financial, political, current affairs discussions), (which have been raised before), I have pretty much thrown in the towel now, and am directing my energies in other directions.

[seagles]

I agree with some of your "complaint" but, let's say I post on the high yeld board asking for advice, quoting a number of different requirements, what happens when posters come back wth a mxed bag of ITs, Shares etc. If one IT, such asHFEL starts to dominate do we then move the thread? I do not think so. But yes I have reduced my posting over the years as I do find it "annoying" trying to keep track of some of the "shares". Mind you since I stopped purchasing shares regularly and concentrated on IT's in my SIPP I have a much reduced remit on TLF.

[dealtn]

My real bugbear is abuse of the Company News board. Clearly a place for information on company news as explained in the board guidance.

People wanting to talk about their shares, or portfolios, or strategies, are well catered for in places such as Share Discussions, Portfolio Management, Investment Strategies, HYPP. It's not difficult.

[richfool]

I agree with some of your "complaint" but, let's say I post on the high yeld board asking for advice, quoting a number of different requirements, what happens when posters come back wth a mxed bag of ITs, Shares etc. If one IT, such asHFEL starts to dominate do we then move the thread? I do not think so. But yes I have reduced my posting over the years as I do find it "annoying" trying to keep track of some of the "shares". Mind you since I stopped purchasing shares regularly and concentrated on IT's in my SIPP I have a much reduced remit on TLF.

I quite agree, if it's a question, comparison or discussion about which of a range of IT's or shares, then it may well be appropriate to post about it under High yield shares & strategies or even Investment Strategies. Though if it is a comparison just between different IT's then a post on the IT board would still be appropriate.
E.g. viewtopic.php?p=624916#p624916
or a topic comparing Ruffer v Capital Gearing v Personal Assets.viewtopic.php?p=173959#p173959

But most of the topics and posts I was referring to were new topics/posts about individual IT's or investment companies and weren't a discussion or comparison with that company's peers.

[richfool]

On the subject of multiple new topics being started on the same one Investment Trust, take a scroll through the first 5 pages or so of the Investment Trust and Unit Trust board. See how many new topics are started on the same IT each with single pieces of information. Why couldn't those all have been posted/added to the same on existing thread:

Eg. viewforum.php?f=54&start=25

Across those first 5 pages, there are 13 NEW topics about Witan IT, 4 of them on page 2, and sometimes adjoining each other, so surely it couldn't have been difficult to have found an existing thread/topic. There are several other IT's, including Edinburgh, which also have multiple new topics.

[mc2fool]

On the subject of multiple new topics being started on the same one Investment Trust, take a scroll through the first 5 pages or so of the Investment Trust and Unit Trust board. See how many new topics are started on the same IT each with single pieces of information. Why couldn't those all have been posted/added to the same on existing thread:

Eg. viewforum.php?f=54&start=25

Across those first 5 pages, there are 13 NEW topics about Witan IT, 4 of them on page 2, and sometimes adjoining each other, so surely it couldn't have been difficult to have found an existing thread/topic. There are several other IT's, including Edinburgh, which also have multiple new topics.

And all of them by the same poster. Maybe you might draw their attention to this thread.

On the overall topic, while I understand and, to a degree, agree with your general sentiment, there are different "audiences" (one might even say cliques) on these boards, and ITs (and indeed other investments) often have a variety of characteristics that interest the different groups.

E.g. Gresham House Energy Storage Fund (GRID), which you mention, has the characteristics of being an IT, being "green", being high yield, and being a company. You want posts about it to be determined by its Investment Trust characteristic, but those "green" investors that follow the Green Energy board might prefer them to be determined by its "green" characteristic, and the high yield investors who wouldn't be seen dead on any other board would want it to be on their board.

So, while clearly there are some definite cases for consolidation, I'm not sure I see a "keep everyone happy" solution. Under another system we might be able to "tag" posts with their characteristics (as IT, green, HY, etc), such that a single post can have multiple characteristics but folks only see posts that have the tag(s) of their interests, without having to sully themselves by going into other places, but phpBB doesn't have that facility.....

[richfool]

On the overall topic, while I understand and, to a degree, agree with your general sentiment, there are different "audiences" (one might even say cliques) on these boards, and ITs (and indeed other investments) often have a variety of characteristics that interest the different groups.

E.g. Gresham House Energy Storage Fund (GRID), which you mention, has the characteristics of being an IT, being "green", being high yield, and being a company. You want posts about it to be determined by its Investment Trust characteristic, but those "green" investors that follow the Green Energy board might prefer them to be determined by its "green" characteristic, and the high yield investors who wouldn't be seen dead on any other board would want it to be on their board.

I can relate to that, but to me it would seem logical that if one is posting information specifically about the Gresham House Energy Storage Fund (GRID) itself, it could/should be posted on the Investment Trust board. If on the other hand someone wants to discuss and compare various Green Investments (IT's/Funds), or to discuss green matters or green trends generally, then logically those posts would best fit on the Green Energy board.

If it was preferred/decided/decreed that posts about green energy trusts/funds should go on the Green Energy board, then so be it; but in that case, it would be counter-productive, not to mention confusing, to also post about those individual energy trusts/funds on the Company Shares News board, which would only serve to further fragment discussions.

And ultimately not to start a new topic with each successive post.

[mc2fool]

If it was preferred/decided/decreed that posts about green energy trusts/funds should go on the Green Energy board, then so be it; but in that case, it would be counter-productive, not to mention confusing, to also post about those individual energy trusts/funds on the Company Shares News board, which would only serve to further fragment discussions.

Well, the Company Shares News board (which I don't follow) is not supposed to have any discussion on it, just news!

[dealtn]

... but in that case, it would be counter-productive, not to mention confusing, to also post about those individual energy trusts/funds on the Company Shares News board ...

Not just counter-productive or confusing BUT also off-topic there!

[seagles]

If it was preferred/decided/decreed that posts about green energy trusts/funds should go on the Green Energy board, then so be it; but in that case, it would be counter-productive, not to mention confusing, to also post about those individual energy trusts/funds on the Company Shares News board, which would only serve to further fragment discussions.

Well, the Company Shares News board (which I don't follow) is not supposed to have any discussion on it, just news!

I believe you can discuss the "news", but get your drift when it morphs into a general discussion about the equity.

[dealtn]

Well, the Company Shares News board (which I don't follow) is not supposed to have any discussion on it, just news!

I believe you can discuss the "news", but get your drift when it morphs into a general discussion about the equity.

Its LSE main market only. How many of "those individual energy trusts/funds" fit that description? I don't and wouldn't, invest in them, so don't know. makes sense to use the other boards mentioned I would think as a natural fit for such discussions.