PS Subscriber's names

[burrocrat]

what do you think about the blocking Premium Service Subscriber's names on the tsp autotracker?

IFT's and returns achieved are the result of the exchange of intellectual property, this poll is about names only.

are you a PS-sub or a non-sub? hide names or don't hide names?

what do you think?

[Sign_Stealer]

As I said in another post:

I think calling subscribers "PS Subscriber" detracts from this site. I like to watch others and get familiar with names, and learn more about them by reading their posts. I don't know and I don't care who's a PS Subscriber. Plus, there are now 5 premium services, right? So not only do I not know if another person subscribes to a service I also don't have any idea which one.

I think it's part of the fun to see everyone's name and allocation, but blocking the actual services' allocations, as it used to be up until last week. I can make a guess as to who's on the move each afternoon. Again, I never had any idea in the past whether a person was a subscriber or not.

This contest is in fact fun. For years before I found this site I wondered how my TSP performance compared to other's and I wondered what strategies (allocations and frequency of IFTs) yield frequent success. I've learned a ton here since I joined and I'm grateful to Tom and everyone that shares their thoughts.

Even if I subscribed to a service not seeing my handle would take away from the enjoyment. Its like there's a bunch of ghosts - why even post those people if we don't know their handle, performance, or allocations?

[Frixxxx]

I don't care,

Look, I have seen the AT for three years now....It is easy to tell who's following what to a "T"!

The trick of this exercise is to "out-do" the market.

If you follow a sub to the "T", don't get on the AT, we can see your performance.

If you want a name out there, post their moves AFTER the 1200 EST time.:cool:

[tsptalk]

I am open to suggestions and have obviously played with some options.

I'm having deja vu back to 2007 - Anyone remember those days when Ebb and Fred went to a PS. Holy cow! You thought the folks in Cairo are pissed off. We went through this AT issue then as well so for you newbies, we've been down this road. I actually have a pretty good idea how this will play out, but I hope I'm wrong.

Here's the deal:

Foremost, I have to protect the integrity of the Premium Service's allocations. You may not care if your info shows, but there are more subscribers that are not on the AutoTracker than who are on it, and they may not appreciate the allocations being shown publically.

I saw someone say today that they may cancel their PS if their name is blocked, It seems like a strange priority but I am seeing the passion. As you may know, my allocation has always been blocked but I track my return in a spreadsheet so it's no big deal to me.

What I am considering is showing everything on the standings pages, but blocking the IFT's completely as I do now for the Premium Serices themselves.

Open to suggestions. Thanks

[Intrepid_Timer]

The names will be on the monthly returns tally anyway. And, premium subscribers can see their own names. Why would one want to see everybody on a daily basis anyway? Too much more to life.....................;)

I much more concerned with my returns on a yearly basis than how I move up or down on a tracker everyday. The coffee mugs are nice, but really............:p

[ArchAngel]

As long as I can stay in the top 194 so I can make sense of the tracker, I'm good!

[Boghie]

I just figured it all out.

If I login to AutoTracker than I can see all the details - names and allocations.

The 'PS Subscriber' thang only appears on the purely public site. Maybe a nice adjustment would be to show all details after one logs into the TSPTalk site. Having the AutoTracker available is fun and helpful.

[WorkFE]

There are names I watch on here on a regular basis. I have no clue if they subscribe or not (Thats actually a lie, more on that in a minute). I do know the system owners but I assume they have a different name on the tracker therefore I don't know who they are.
Back to the lie part. If people would PM like the thread message says to do then you would not have this issue. Obviously I could follow those doing well (one of the reasons alot of us are here) but that is no indication they are PS subscribers.
Is it possible to block the PS peeps moves for 24-48 hours? Two separate trackers with monthly view for the masses once the month is over. Gotta have that advertising:D

Tough one guys, Good Luck.

[JTH]

Tom, it looks like you've created a mini Egypt on your hands, free the people from the oppressive chains of the Autotracker :D

Seriously I like the AT the way is was, I like knowing where I stand against my countrymen. I don't mind hiding the allocations (everyones) but I do mind not being able to see folks names on the AT. Sometimes I like to congratulate folks who are doing good, and rag on those who aren't and hiding the names denies me this pleasure.

I realize the predicament you're in, but I also believe the vast majority of us here have the integrity to not cheat IT out of his life's work. Folks, if you're too cheap to not pay the 20 bucks and cheat, I hold a special place in my heart for you, along side Mr. Long...

[david.alan.williams]

Before, it was very transparent to all of us as far as who was, or was not a PS subscriber. Now, there is a defined noticeable division. I personally like seeing all the names and I have no problem SHOWING the names but HIDING the allocations. I believe that makes perfect sense.

If someone is doing well on the tracker, I can most likely tell which subscription they are using. If several people are doing great as a subscriber, then that might motivate me, or anyone else, to BECOME a subscriber.

As earlier posted, when the share prices post this evening, I will be following the 10mo. M-SMA system starting tomorrow anyway and try it out.

[burrocrat]

along side Mr. Long...

oh yeah, mr. long, he's right between weft and wite, wite?

[grandma]

...Seriously I like the AT the way it was, I like knowing where I stand against my countrymen. I don't mind hiding the allocations (everyones) but I do mind not being able to see folks names on the AT. Sometimes I like to congratulate folks who are doing good, and rag on those who aren't and hiding the names denies me this pleasure.
I realize the predicament you're in, but I also believe the vast majority of us here have the integrity to not cheat IT out of his life's work. Folks, if you're too cheap to not pay the 20 bucks and cheat, I hold a special place in my heart for you, along side Mr. Long...
JTH, I agree...way-back-when didn't we have PS names & their % listed on the tracker, but not their moves? Yet, at the same time, I know personally of certain trackers who have been PS'ers, but continued visible in totality (careful, there, you two - Buster, Burrocrat !! ;)) on the Tracker. And I do believe, that viewers will soon find that there will be a discrepancy in allocations even among any one PService itself.
Tom has done some mighty heavy work getting these programs programed (right wording?) so he is to be highly commended; and I greatly appreciate it, Tom.
As for me, I can take seven different systems, throw them together, weight them, and still come out in the bottom quarter.... Who on earth would want to figure out who I am following - or not following?:embarrest:

[FAB1]

The recent IFT identifiable Data is where someone is going to look at 11:45 to play follow the leader. But do you hide everyone's data or just the PS folks? I don't know.

As for the tracker...do I have a preference? Signing in to see my own data is fine - I am flexible in that area. There are not that many PS users right now.

[Lostdawg]

2 cents tossed in....

Just take the PS people off or give them a separate tracker. I thought the tracker was to see how your doing against others on the board. It's interesting to see how others allocate and if somebody wants to copy somebody's moves, go for it. You might get lucky. I thought the idea is to help each other out. If you are paying someone, well take your self out of this part of the "game". No big deal really.
Personally I wouldn't copy someone's allocations like a blind squirrel :) but that's just me.

Now somebody go fix Egypt please.

[SteveTSP]

As a PS paying guy, I would prefer to keep the AT fully functional and see how members are performing in their returns. In my opinion, the strength of this site is the open exchange of ideas from everyone. Seperate trackers and hiden threads take away from this basic concept. There are many days where there is limited discussion or exchange of thoughts and a movement to constraint that is heading in the wrong direction.
I really appreciate the PS owners and their different approachs to their investments. However, lets keep the site open for the many government employees who struggle with their TSP accounts and the new tacker with over 650 members putting in their allocations is a giant leap forward in my opinion. The paying services and members should take a back seat to what makes this site great. Bottom line, I think it is more important to keep the site functional and changes will likely result in site problems and blackouts.

[Birchtree]

I'm glad no one follows me - I couldn't stand the added pressure. Besides I'm selfish.

[WorkFE]

People covertly follow you. I believe its the smell:D

[grandma]

As a PS paying guy, I would prefer to keep the AT fully functional and see how members are performing in their returns. In my opinion, the strength of this site is the open exchange of ideas from everyone. Seperate trackers and hiden threads take away from this basic concept. There are many days where there is limited discussion or exchange of thoughts and a movement to constraint that is heading in the wrong direction.
I really appreciate the PS owners and their different approachs to their investments. However, lets keep the site open for the many government employees who struggle with their TSP accounts and the new tacker with over 650 members putting in their allocations is a giant leap forward in my opinion. The paying services and members should take a back seat to what makes this site great. Bottom line, I think it is more important to keep the site functional and changes will likely result in site problems and blackouts.
I truly hate not seeing all of us - everybody- in the line-up anymore...
I want to know what Everyone is doing - being a Subscriber only means you know what the Service is doing, not that everyone in it is echoing...

[malyla]

I truly hate not seeing all of us - everybody- in the line-up anymore...
I want to know what Everyone is doing - being a Subscriber only means you know what the Service is doing, not that everyone in it is echoing...

Why not just leave it all open? Make it so we can see names and allocations of everyone who is not running a service. I don't expect Intrepid_Timer to put his allocation out there, but how do we know who is paying for a service unless they expliciently say so in their thread or in the comment line of the tracker. If (for example) Mayday or NNuut move to the I fund on Feb 3, I have no way of knowing that it was because the PS they paid for told them to (unless they say, "following Fred/Intrepid/EBB" in the comment section or in their thread).

I'm sure some bored person can data mine the threads to find out who may be paying for a service and then ride on the back of that subscriber following their moves, but does anyone really blindly follow people from the Autotracker? (Might be a good poll to find out if people follow autotracker moves or Thread comments).

I do find it irritating when I can't see the names or the allocation changes as I do not keep track of what paid service (if any) people are using, but I'm more interested in judging the overall sentiment from the volume of the moves made to safety or stocks on a daily basis. Call it a Daily sentiment survey which is helpful for the occasional lurker.

Gotta run now. Work to do.

[nasa1974]

Unless it is a software and programming nightmare, if someone belongs to a Premium Service and they request to be on the Tracker than they should be part of the fun. I do like the idea that only their name shows and nothing else.
Could be interesting how you might compare to some of the Premium folks. :-)

[nnuut]

This is NOT an easy one!