1) We have lots of obnoxious folks here
Yep, and you're one of them.
Lets get real for a minute here. Re-read the thread afresh with a cleansed palate.
We have a new poster, seems a bit spammish and advertisingish, gets a little skepticism, answers direct questions indirectly, suggests newsletters and market timing investing schemes, gets more skepticism, claims she's being persecuted for being a woman, answers more direct questions indirectly, in the middle of this a couple of board malcontents decided to pour gas on the fire with their incessant whining about how they dont like the board and its occupants and this being a prime example of some sort of alleged tar and feathering, then the OP rants like a 12 year old on the way to taking her ball and going home.
Follow up with a chaser of more board malcontents whining about how they dont like it here, mixed with the usual anti-moderator whining from people who do nothing to help solve the boards issues and everything to create dissension.
There was no ganging up, no unfair treatment, no running of the razor wire, nada.
This forum stuff is easy: introduce yourself, answer questions directly, provide and receive information, take a little razzing here and there and give some back. Learn and evolve, support and be supported.
Rinse and repeat.
I read the "blog" and the rest of the material. To steal someone elses private comment about it, its a mile wide and an inch deep. Infomercial quality stuff designed to get tv and speaking appearances and book requests. Certainly EVERYONE is interesting and has a certain perspective. Not sure we're seriously deficient without this one.
As far as this oft muttered "herd mentality" goes, among the longest term board posters, we have a dozen people with the most ridiculously different investment profiles and approaches to ER that such a suggestion is enormously laughable. Are you telling me that between people like me, Nords, Rich, Martha, Haha, Unclemick, Brewer and the rest that anyone can REALLY see any core similarity in how we go about our business?!? Ridiculous!!!
And for the record, I own very little passive index investments. I just dont like fluff and bullshit.