What Good Do We Do? Why do I, why do we, post on a Bulletin Board? I guess that thought has crossed your mind at times. It certainly has mine.
I have only visited a few boards in my time, and then it was usually out of curiousity, looking to see what others think and looking to find scraps of information about a stock that I had already jumped into, usually with the minimum of research. It was usually a case of trying to justify to myself why I bought in the first place.
My first reaction, when arriving at a new (to me) Board, is usually one of disappointment. There are pumpers and anti-pumpers (or whatever the proper term is!) hurling insults at one another, with only the occasional burst of light though from someone. After visiting the Board for a while, I finally get fed up with it and turn away.
One has to ask oneself, "What good do these Boards do, all things considered?"
Since I joined the Silvermex Board I have had an altogether different experience! The level of knowledge, politeness (which is important to an ol' Limey like me!), and general usefulness has kept me coming back day after day. Of course, it doesn't hurt that this Board is home to Silvermex shareholders.
But, cutting to the chase (as they say these days!), the question asked is, "What Good Do We Do?"
I think we have a very important role to play! Silvermex appears to have a very dedicated management team that is devoting most of its energies towards developing what must ultimately be a major silver producer. Its members have made it clear that hype is not the name of the game, and that they are working to improve the company from the ground up. To me, that has to be the most important to do, and they are doing it.
Our role? I think it is our job, nay duty, to support them by presenting in this forum information, opinions, arguments, and even criticism when we feel it is warranted.
We serve a couple of functions:
1. We help others! Shareholders and looker's on alike, look to the Board to get a better understanding of the Company.
2. We look over Management's shoulder and prod or pat them according to our individual assessments.
3. We compare between ourselves the relative values of like and unlike silver companies, and
4. We help one another with our tips about things learned through personal experience.
5. We share news articles etc, because we are all looking at things from a slightly different set of sources.
There are, no doubt, many other functions which I haven't listed.
All in all, I sum up my feelings about what good we do thus, "I wouldn't know a quarter of what I know about Silvermex , or appreciate its history, or realize its potential if it wasn't for the great contributions made by other members of this Board."
In conclusion, let me say it's a joy to be a member of the Silvermex Board! For me, it has been a way to learn more about the wonderful investment I blindly stumbled and bumbled my way into.