Die Legende von bezahlten Bashern - Enttarnung der "Geständnisse eines bezahlten Bashers" - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[jigajig]

Der „Raging-Bull“-User firebird_1965 (a.k.a. „Steve Tracy“, a.k.a. „Tom Martin“) verfasste am 1. November 2000 um 11:51 morgens EST ein ziemlich langes und detailliertes Posting, das hohe Wellen schlug. Es ging um nichts weniger als die „Geständnisse eines bezahlten Bashers.


Das Originalposting wurde relativ schnell gelöscht, aber es kursierte schon auf diversen Boards, noch ehe in "The Street" ein klärender Artikel von Robert Kowlaski erschienen war, in dem auch der Verfasser des angeblichen "Geständnisses" zu Wort kam (siehe unten)

Hier exemplarisch eines der postings, die das "Geständnis" verbreiteten. Dort ist schon ein klarer Hinweis enthalten, dass dieses Geständnis ein Fake ist...

https://boards.fool.com/basher-trys-to-come-clean-on-enga-13…


Jetzt erst einmal zu dem Posting selbst:

Den Timestamp des Postings, das (wie gesagt) nicht mehr verfügbar ist, entnehme ich dieser Quelle (https://boards.fool.com/basher-trys-to-come-clean-on-enga-13… )




In dieser Quelle wurde das komplette Posting in seiner ursprünglichen Fassung kopiert. Here we go:

(geposted wurde das von einem User “bulldodge”. Ein Bulle halt... (Quelle)
here is the Basher Confession..
By: firebird_1965 $$
Reply To: None Wednesday, 1 Nov 2000 at 11:51 AM EST
Post # of 220130



http://www.ragingbull.altavista.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=…

Confessions of a Paid Basher

By Tom Martin
aka “Steve Tracy”
aka “Firebird_1965”

Today I want to come clean about something I feel very badly about. I cannot undo some of the things I have done, but hopefully this message will prevent other such occurrences in the future.

I am a paid basher.

Yes, it is true. Today is my last day at this company; I'm moving on to a new job. But before I go, I want to explain a few things because this just isn't right and I won't feel good about myself until I expose this sham. It's hurt too many people and I don't want it on my conscience anymore. I can no longer live with a lie.

I work for a company called Franklin, Andrews, Kramer & Edelstein in Stamford, CT. Basically, it's a Boiler Room much like the one in the movie of the same name. The idea behind my group is to bash the price of a company's stock down low enough to where the group of investors who retained our company's services can buy the stock really cheap and perhaps even take it over all together.

There are approximately 70 people at the company divided into several groups. My group, consisting of 5 people, is responsible for BIFS. While I probably shouldn't give any names of anyone working here now, what the heck, I'm leaving here, so what can they do – sue me? Ha! I can tell you that GUTTWRENCH was part of my group until he left last week, as was Richardphx. Others who have been part of this include early bashers like Epiphonics and Simontaz. You may be interested to know that some hypsters, such as Amato7 and BIFWATCHER, have also been part of the scam (more on that later).

There are several companies engaged in the bashing business – ours is not the only one. However, I can tell you that not every basher in here is a paid basher. Having done this for two years, I can usually tell who is a paid basher and who is merely someone having a little fun. While unpaid bashers have a different motive than someone like me, they can be unwilling accomplices to helping me achieve my ultimate goal and they also spread rumor and confusion throughout a room, which also helps me.

What is that goal? Well, I am merely a cog in a much larger machine, so my bosses never really explained the big picture to me, but I'd say essentially, GUTTWRENCH was right. There are several companies who are quite familiar with SWOMI and who are deathly afraid of it.

There are three types of bashers here at Franklin, Andrews, Kramer & Edelstein: Advanced, Intermediate and Beginner. An Advanced-level basher (also known as a Silver Tongued Devil) would spread false or misleading information about the company. They would deal in facts, countering every longs post with articles, news reports and opinion surveys that gave a negative impression about the company.

An Intermediate-level basher (also known as a Serpent) would try to weasel their way into the confidence of longs and create doubt using rumor or innuendo.

Finally, a Beginner-level basher (also known as a Pitchfork) would attempt to create confusion in the room by distracting other posters with satire, name calling and pointless arguments. The idea was to make sure no serious discussion of the stock could take place. A Pitchfork was usually a basher, but not always. Sometimes, we would throw in a hypster Pitchfork such as Amato7 or BIFSWATCHER to create the illusion of an argument going on. What was really funny (in a perverse way, I guess) was that Amato7 and I sat next to each other, laughing the whole time.

I was a Pitchfork. I was paid a base wage of $12 an hour for my services. I was given a $1 bonus for every post over 100 per day as well as a monthly bonus of $100 for every penny the stock had dropped from the previous month. I was also paid a bonus for bashing on weekends. While this may not sound like much, I made a decent, though dishonorable, paycheck.

Each of us sat in a small half-cubicle in a cluster with our teammates. Each group (usually five people) was made of three beginners (two who would bash and one who would hype), one intermediate and one advanced level basher. Occasionally for some of the hotter stocks, one of the beginners would be replaced by an intermediate depending on how much the stock was rising. BIFS was a low-level stock, meaning it got the 3-1-1 configuration.
Somehow, I get the feeling that JPACK2 may have worked for a basher company or knows someone who does because the “Basher Handbook” he occasionally posts is eerily similar to the one we actually use. While not a word-for-word match, I'd say it is about 90 percent the same. We do have certain rules that we follow.

First, we have to develop a character and stay within that character in order to build a “following.” My character, “Firebird_1965,” was a sarcastic, obnoxious supporter of free speech, but only when it came to bashers.

Next, we had to follow certain guidelines on what we could say. We were urged to have an “answer” to every long's question, but we were to frame that answer in a way that ridiculed the questioner for asking such a question. However, we were never to use profanity or vulgarity because that would cause people to ignore us. We were to make fun of people, but in a civil way. The idea was to get “play,” i.e. – reaction from other posters. The more play we got, the more the room would be disrupted. Ignored posters get no play. One exception would be the hypster – since they were “defending” the stock against our onslaught, they got a little more leeway. People would side with the hypster because they thought he was real since he appeared to be on their side, but was really on ours, setting us up to disrupt the room. Padelcars is quite good at this and gets paid very well.

I've worked on BIFS for about three months now. In addition to the Firebird_1965 alias, I've used a few others on the BIFS and several other boards as well. I stuck with Firebird_1965 because it was the one that got the most play from other posters.

In closing, I feel absolutely terrible about this. It's just awful how I've been part of a scam designed to cheat honest, hard-working people out of their investments all for the benefit of a few wealthy people who already have enough money to last a lifetime. These greedy people MUST be stopped. That's why I'm posting this before I leave. I want to make up for some of the damage I've done. I can't live with this lie anymore. You can't imagine how hard it is to look at myself in the mirror each morning knowing my job is to cheat and lie.

I have to go now, I'm too broken up to continue. I hope this confession can make up for my sordid deeds; I would urge everyone who reads this to copy and repost it as many times as you can. Only by shining the light of truth can we drive these rats back into the darkness from whence they came. Believe me, they don't want publicity.

I hope all of you can forgive me and save me a seat on that BIFS rocket to the moon. If this helps, let me leave you with this…

GO BIFS!!!!

With fervent remorse,

Tom Martin
aka “Steve Tracy”
aka “Firebird_1965”

enjoy and best wishes
~dodge

Robert Kowalski schrieb dazu

Tracy posted the purported mea culpa with considerable fanfare, including a message-by-message countdown to its launch.
In the missive, he came clean in gushing prose about what many of the conspiratorial types have suspected for months about the Internet message boards: He claimed he was being paid to bash stocks as part of an orchestrated effort to drive their prices down.
(Tracy postete das angebliche mea culpa mit beträchtlichem Trara, einschließlich eines Countdowns für jede einzelne Botschaft bis zum Start. In dem Schreiben machte er in überschwänglicher Prosa deutlich, was viele der Verschwörungstypen seit Monaten über die Internet-Messageboards vermuteten: Er behauptete, dass er dafür bezahlt werde, Aktien als Teil eines orchestrierten Versuchs, ihre Preise zu drücken, zu zerschlagen.)


Zur Auflösung:

Das obige Fullquote erschien am Tag nach dem Original, am 2. November 2000 um 12:27 AM
Noch am selben Tag erschien eine Antwort, die das Posting nicht nur bereits jetzt als Fake enttarnte, sondern sogar noch aufzeigte, dass bulldodge einen kleinen Satz (zufällig?) „übersehen“ hatte:
"and if you believe this... lol " is at the end of the original post That was missing from the one on the link provided in your post.
Be careful out there.
jj
http://www.ragingbull.altavista.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=…
Unter dem angegebenen Link wird bereits auf eine entsprechende Diskussion dieser angeblichen „Geständnisse eines bezahlten Bashers“ verwiesen, aus der hervorging, dass es nicht ernst gemeint war...
Doch das konnte die Geschichte nicht mehr stoppen. Diese angeblichen Geständnisse machten weltweit die Runde, wobei der Text einigen Änderungen unterzogen wurde. So wurde beispielsweise relativ schnell der Name der angeblichen Firma geändert. Doch dazu gleich mehr...
Bereits in dem Artikel von Robert Kowalski wird die schnelle Verbreitung des Beitrags erwähnt (https://www.thestreet.com/technology/raging-bull-chat-room-d… )
But that's [die Tatsache, dass es mit "and if you believe this... lol" endete] the part no one picked up initially when they electronically copied the confession and began posting it all over other message board sites under headings for at least a dozen different stocks.
Robert Kowalski zitiert Tracy aus einer Mail:
"In my view, this thing has gotten totally ridiculous. While at first I was pleased at the reception it received, I am quite dismayed that so many people would believe what I had thought to be an obvious joke."
(Meiner Meinung nach ist diese Sache völlig lächerlich geworden. Während ich mich anfangs über die Reaktion gefreut habe, bin ich ziemlich bestürzt darüber, dass so viele Leute glauben, was ich für einen offensichtlichen Witz gehalten hatte )

weiter:
There is no listing for Franklin Andrews in the Stamford phone directory. No sign of it in standard corporate records databases either. One clever observer later noticed a pattern in the first initials of each name in the firm when linked together: F-A-K-E.
"Come on, that's as obvious and silly as those acronyms they used in the old 1960s spy movies," Tracy said.

Und zum Abschluß seines Artikels zitiert Robert Kowalski noch einmal den Verfasser:

"The truly sad thing is that after learning it was a put on, some of these people still want to believe it was part of some grand conspiracy," he said. "My suggestion to these people is: Don't go to Burger King for a while -- you've already had your share of Whoppers!"
(Das wirklich Traurige ist, dass, nachdem sie erfahren haben, dass es sich um eine Inszenierung handelt, einige dieser Leute immer noch glauben wollen, dass es Teil einer großen Verschwörung war", sagte er. "Mein Vorschlag an diese Leute lautet: Gehen Sie für eine Weile nicht zu Burger King - Sie haben schon Ihren Anteil an Whoppers gehabt.)(Whoppers ist hier ein Wortspiel, es bedeutet hier wohl „Bullshit“)

https://www.thestreet.com/technology/raging-bull-chat-room-d…

Was passierte mit diesem Fake?
Dazu ein Artikel aus dem Jahr 2007:
https://valuewiki.wordpress.com/2007/04/26/the-myth-of-the-p…
„The Myth of the “Paid Basher”
Post anything mildly critical on a stock message board, and chances are someone will eventually call you a paid basher. No matter how cogent your argument, you will soon find yourself on the defensive, with your credibility on the run.
(Wenn Sie irgendetwas leicht kritisches auf einem Börsenforum veröffentlichen, besteht die Chance, dass Sie irgendwann als bezahlter Basher bezeichnet werden. Ganz gleich, wie stichhaltig Ihr Argument auch sein mag, Sie werden sich bald in der Defensive befinden, und Ihre Glaubwürdigkeit geht dahin.)

To prove “paid bashers” exist, message board regulars will post this Confessions of a Paid Basher, allegedly written by a guilt-ridden employee of Global Calumny Funds in Stamford, CT. This confessed “paid basher” outlines how he is paid to manipulate stock message boards, (...)
This article is held up as final proof of the paid basher conspiracy. But there’s just one problem… It’s a Fake
(Um zu beweisen, dass es "bezahlte Basher" gibt, werden Stammgäste der Messageboards dieses Geständnis eines bezahlten Bashers veröffentlichen, das angeblich von einem schuldbeladenen Mitarbeiter des Global Calumny Funds in Stamford, CT, verfasst wurde. Dieser gestandene "Paid Basher" skizziert, wie er für die Manipulation von Börsen-Boards bezahlt wird (...) Dieser Artikel wird als endgültiger Beweis für die Paid Basher-Verschwörung angeführt. Aber es gibt nur ein Problem... Es ist eine Fälschung)
(Dann wird die Geschichte des postings beschrieben unter Verweis auf meine obigen Originalquellen)

Das Fazit bei Valuewiki:

Why Paid Bashing Doesn’t Exist
There are only two possible profit motives of “paid bashing”: to short a stock or buy it at a cheaper price. But either explanation falls flat. Only microcap stocks are small enough to conceivably be manipulated by an online message board. But it is virtually impossible to find a broker who will allow anyone to short a stock under $5. Not only is shorting penny stocks closely regulated, but it seems obvious that brokerages would quickly go bankrupt if they allowed the practice.
(...)
I’ve followed these accusations on stock message boards for more than a decade, and not one ounce of proof has ever been produced. It is clear that the burden of proof is to provide evidence that such operations do exist, since there is only evidence that they do not.

(Warum es Paid Bashing nicht gibt
Es gibt nur zwei mögliche Gewinnmotive für "bezahltes Bashing": eine Aktie leerzuverkaufen oder sie zu einem billigeren Preis zu kaufen. Beide Erklärungen fallen jedoch ins Leere. Nur Microcap-Aktien sind klein genug, um möglicherweise durch ein Online-Messageboard manipuliert zu werden. Aber es ist praktisch unmöglich, einen Broker zu finden, der es jemandem erlaubt, eine Aktie unter 5 Dollar zu leerverkaufen. Das Leerverkaufen von Penny-Aktien ist nicht nur streng reguliert, sondern es scheint offensichtlich, dass Maklerfirmen schnell bankrott gehen würden, wenn sie diese Praxis zulassen würden.
(...)Ich verfolge diese Anschuldigungen auf den Message Boards für Aktien seit mehr als einem Jahrzehnt, und kein einziger Beweis wurde je erbracht. )

Als besonderes Leckerli habe ich hier einen Screenshot der Originalmeldung. Es war nicht so einfach, den zu finden...
https://www.img1.de/?img=paidbasherurbanlegendc1cf6.jpg
Quelle: http://web.archive.org/web/20010111010500/thestreet.com/tech…

[jigajig]

#geständnisseeinespaidbashers
#confessionsofapaidbasher
#paidbashersareanurbanlegend
#fake
#paidbasherfake

[jigajig]

http://sharesleuth.com/investigations/2018/03/pretenders-and…

In addition, he wrote bullish articles about other stocks that have been spotlighted by Rae, Ronan, Holder and Small Cap Exclusive. They include Wirecard AG (OTC: WRCDF) and (...)

Douglas’ byline now has appeared on 25 articles. All of them were about companies being touted by the stealth promotion network.
Eight focused on stocks linked to Honig and his associates[...]
The remaining three were about Bingo Nation and Wirecard — companies touted by other members of the stealth promotion network. We believe that Douglas is fictitious. We could find no previous analysis pieces about public companies by anyone with that name. Nor could we find a writer by that name on LinkedIn or any social-media platforms.

[jigajig]

Am späten gestrigen Abend kam im Wirtschaftsmagazin ECO auf ORF2 ein kurzer Bericht über die Firma Wirecard. Darin wurde berichtet, eine Wiener Firma habe Leute beschäftigt, die deutsche Internetforen mit positiven Meldungen geflutet haben. Kritiker der Wirecard wurden nicht nur gezielt angegriffen, sondern sie wurden laut Aussagen eines Insiders auch ausspioniert, indem man sie direkt kontaktiert hat. Es werden keine Namen der Foren genannt, aber wer den Beitrag aufmerksam gesehen hat, dem ist dies hier nicht entgangen:



https://tvthek.orf.at/profile/Eco/11523082/Eco/14067384

Im Falle Wirecard ist also klar, dass es bezahlte Pusher gab. Und zwar wohl auch hier.

[borazon]

Oh welch Wahnsinn, bereits im Jahr 2000 gab es Wirecard-Basher.
Nur dadurch wurde das Ding ermöglicht.
Das Ding vor dem Ding.
Jetzt erst verstehen wir es.