Posts by Mark Sullivan62

Because at the end of the day, gold is a commodity, plain and simple.

The $1,400 barrier just got shattered this morning
Let’s see if those self-proclaimed "experts" and Wall Street analysts actually saw this coming, or if they were all busy looking the other way while the market did its thing...

Locking a thread is basically just a lazy moderator's way out when they aren't actually doing their job; it’s a tactic used just to let things blow over on its own without any real intervention.
Without putting in much effort, sweat, or actual time.
Anyone who actually knows how to moderate—and actually wants to—never resorts to locking a topic.
Because if you’re truly moderating, you shouldn’t be letting things escalate to the point where slamming the door shut is your only remaining option.

I spent about four years acting as a moderator for those big national news sites and economic forums, and as far back as I can remember, I never once locked a single thread.

But then you look at the "pinnacle" of management, like that housing discussion regarding AC units—they lock that one for ten days straight just because, apparently, she’s too busy to deal with it.

And get this: that AC thread is easily the most active topic on the site with the highest view counts; just add up all four threads about air conditioning and you'll see what I mean.

Locking the most popular thread simply because someone lacks the time or the will to actually moderate is a massive blow to the community's growth and engagement from a marketing perspective.

It’s honestly bizarre that none of these "super mods" or administrators seem to grasp that.

Lisa Young83 obviously doesn't get it, because heaven forbid she takes a moment out of her hectic schedule to actually think about it.

rowdytrucker12
I don't really remember seeing you around this thread before. You didn't get a chance to chime in because the topic was locked, so now you're just digging up posts from a month ago?
That makes you nothing more than a troll, plain and simple.
What are you even talking about bringing up random AC units when we're supposed to be discussing the Moderator? That's the whole point of this debate.

And there isn't any Moderator around here either.
An entire day goes by, and absolutely nobody from the higher-ups even acknowledges it.
If things keep going like this because of trolls like you, they'll probably just shut this topic down too.

Look, from what I can gather by reading through the threads, those twenty folks on this forum clearly have a much better handle on things than you do. When you find yourself being called out by twenty different people at once, you really ought to take a step back and realize you're stuck in a massive minority here—it’s a pretty clear sign that something is fundamentally broken with your logic and your takes.

But hey, if you haven't caught on yet, you aren't actually the subject of this debate, so I'm not sure why you're trying to wedge yourself into the middle of it.
The issue at hand is way more comprehensive than just your specific posts and your little narrow perspectives. From what I've seen, nobody is shedding any tears over the fact that you don't have a place to live.
It’s not like anyone is actually missing you or feeling your absence.

rowdytrucker12 said:Isn't it a bit of a paradox that the guy behind those controversial posts is actually the one who started this whole thread? Shouldn't he be the first one facing the music?

It’s not a paradox at all. It’s just a standard reaction from someone who actually knows what they're talking about when they see a pile of absolute nonsense left unchecked for too long. I'm not saying every single thing he says is perfect, but look, every action triggers a reaction. If the initial action is a total mess, why on earth would you expect the reaction to be any different? That’s exactly why we have a Moderator.
But honestly, it really isn't 😁

Because from what I've noticed, he’s been banned several times specifically because his reactions were out of line.

rowdytrucker12 said:If you take a look at some of the posts down there:

Is there really any reason to get worked up at the Moderator just because they closed the thread?

Yes, absolutely.
Because if the Moderator actually did their job, those controversial posts wouldn't even exist in the first place—
they would have been warned, or given a strike, or deleted on time, and users would have been redirected so the discussion could stay on track.
That's what actual moderation looks like.
Instead, we get this mess where nobody is actually managing the topic properly.

This whole forum needs some fresh moderators
There’s basically nobody running the show over there
And honestly, the current ones—since they clearly don't have the decency to step down themselves—should just be kicked out

I mean, what’s the point of having someone like cd covers as a moderator when the guy hasn't even been on this forum for eight months?

Eight months? Seriously?

Who is actually in charge here?

And then you've got those Fermine types; it's better if they didn't exist at all, because it feels like they're holding positions they aren't actually fulfilling

It really makes you wonder whatever happened to the supermoderator
He's nowhere to be found either. The guy won't even reply to messages

So yeah, the situation is a total disaster
They're only keeping these moderators around just to check a box on the staff list

Come on, get someone in here already
And don't try to pull any stunts, because things literally cannot get any worse than this

Dennis Morris92 said:The whole point of this forum is to actually talk about stuff, right? Like, recently we really needed to step in and deal with those trolls who kept trying to claim Vivax was on par with the heavy hitters, but that’s a reason to sanction the trolls, not a reason to just kill the entire thread.

This time around, there wasn't even any major drama going on, so there is absolutely zero justification for locking the topic. That’s what the moderator tools for deleting posts are there for. This specific moderator hasn't even chimed in once to offer anything useful or constructive; she just shows up whenever she feels like shutting things down and acting like she knows better than everyone else without any basis. Honestly, how does someone become a moderator for a subforum when they aren't even active in the discussions and clearly don't have the expertise in this field?

Why would you shut a thread down when new people show up every single day asking smart questions? What’s the purpose of a forum then? Just delete the troll posts and call it a day.

When you don't want to, don't know how to, or simply can't moderate, the easiest move is just to lock the topic.
She even admitted herself—get this—that she hadn't even gotten around to sanctioning the posts yet.
Hadn't gotten around to it.
Man, if that's true, what on earth was she doing while the topic sat locked for ten days straight?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing on this forum.
And hey, whatever else you're doing in your real life that keeps you from checking the forum, go ahead, keep doing it, nobody cares.
But seriously, just hand the reins over to someone who actually wants to be here and knows what they're doing.

Resign!

Get someone else.

Fire everyone. Cd covers hasn't been on the forum in 8 months.
What kind of moderator is that?
I haven't seen City in ages.
Whatever, let them focus on their actual lives.
But get them all off the moderation team.

A moderator is supposed to actually moderate and keep the discussion flowing, not just pop in once a month to shut everything down.

That's just bad moderation.

Get rid of them all.

Resign!
Even better, fire them for cause with no severance package. 😁

P.s
Sean Reyes and feralcanyon73, don't derail this, just let this Vivax guy argue with himself so we don't dilute the topic.

The bottom line here is that this housing subforum isn't actually being moderated at all.
This whole section lacks an active, breathing moderator.
I see a bunch of names listed as moderators, but honestly, nobody is even remotely close to doing the job.

Take CD covers, for example—her last activity on the forum was September 10, 2018.
I mean, seriously, how can someone claim to be a moderator when they haven't shown their face on the forum in eight months?

Eight months!

What kind of "moderator" is that, man?
What exactly is she supposed to be monitoring or managing?

Look, I was a moderator myself for a few years back in the day. Once I realized I didn't have the bandwidth for it anymore, I stepped down. But what is she even doing, playing pretend as a moderator who shows up once a year? What kind of role is that?

And in my opinion, it’s not even about Fermina not knowing anything about technical stuff or specific topics; the real issue is that she doesn't know how to moderate.
She just doesn't get it.
And why? Because she simply doesn't moderate.

She just wanders in, finds a single rule-breaking post, hands out a couple of bans, closes things up, and calls it a day.
My grandma could do that.
That isn't active moderation.
It's Nothing.

Even she wouldn't have the time. Fine, whatever, whether she has time or not isn't my business. Not my problem.
But if you aren't going to do it, then step aside from the role.

It's simple. Either moderate, or don't. What she's doing is just pointless.

Now, look at how she closed that topic again. She claims the last time she closed something, she just deleted the posts instead of issuing a formal ban because she "didn't have time."

Are you kidding me? How do you "not have time" when that topic had been sitting there ready to be locked for ten days straight?
So, what were you actually doing?
Nothing. You did absolutely nothing on the forum.

For crying out loud, just give us a moderator who will actually show up and do the work.
They don't need to be a technical expert, but they do need to know how to moderate and actually perform the duties.

What she’s doing isn't moderation. She isn't doing it.

She's just playing the hero, writing everything out in pretty little colors, and calling it a day.
It's embarrassing.
She should just quit the job; she's just holding onto the title and getting in the way.
Clear out the dead weight, get rid of these people who aren't actually moderators, and find someone real.
Because this makes zero sense.

The zen woman doesn't moderate, she doesn't know how, and she clearly doesn't want to.

So just remove her already.

What is she even doing here?

She won't say what she's actually monitoring or which topics she's actively handling.

I am genuinely curious to hear an answer to that.

It’s just a damn shame that their 74% surge in purchasing power didn't actually translate into a matching spike in prices, you know? 😁

SmartFart:

👍

See how things can be kept simple without all that unnecessary deep-dive philosophy?

If it isn’t Venezuela, then it’s Mali, Iraq, Afghanistan... name it, honestly, there is always someone, there is always some country being put under the microscope.
It’s the exact same story when it comes to global trade—if it isn't Trump causing a stir, then it's some Chinese official, an Indian conglomerate, or who knows what else; there's always someone making waves just so things don't get boring.

Nothing new here.

Look, kid, I think you’ve got the wrong idea here entirely.
I didn't stumble onto this thread with any intention of proving myself to anyone,
and especially not to you—I mean, who do you think you are, thinking I owe you some kind of validation?

Why on earth would you assume I have anything to prove to someone like you?

The whole reason I showed up was to ask a specific question, one that, quite frankly, hasn't received a single coherent answer yet,

not even from a self-proclaimed "expert" like you.😉

When everyone starts screaming about a recession, you know someone is intentionally pumping up the hype to manipulate the narrative
The real question is why
Because while certain people are quietly hoarding cash on the sidelines, the masses are swallowing these fear-mongering stories whole and buying in at the absolute peak of the market—just like you and me

And look, I’m not exactly out here bragging about having an economics degree, especially since you went and asked me how much I actually know about the subject
But I did sit through one of those macroeconomics lectures back in the day

Back when getting a degree didn't cost a literal fortune; honestly, they used to just list the tuition prices right there on the signs by the campus entrance

Michael Morgan5 said:There are plenty of red flags pointing toward an upcoming recession. I don't have the energy to write out a whole thesis right now, so just Google it if you want the details.

I'm with you on the second part. A slow crawl upward with some bumps along the way.
It’s tough to make a killing on gold, but then again, it’s also hard to 🙂
blow it all, unlike with Forex or crypto.

It’s the same old story, isn't it? You’ve got one camp out there screaming from the rooftops about an imminent recession, while the other side—mostly our own local experts and pundits here in the States—is busy flatly denying that anything is actually wrong. It’s like watching two different news networks broadcast entirely different realities at the exact same time.

That’s exactly why I’ve been staring at gold lately, because honestly, stock funds? Forget about it—I’m still nursing the wounds from that last market crash and I'm not ready to jump back into the fire just yet. And with interest rates sitting where they are, what am I even supposed to do with my cash if it isn't actually growing? It feels like you're just watching your money sit there doing absolutely nothing while everything else gets more expensive.

I don't know, I’m looking at this whole situation and it feels a little fishy to me—I mean, an 8% jump in gold in just three months? That seems a bit suspicious if you ask me.

velvetfalcon44 said:Look, I highly doubt they're gonna stumble upon some massive motherlode. They've pretty much picked the bones clean everywhere they've dug. Sure, there might be smaller deposits scattered around, but once you factor in the cost of moving tons of dirt, fuel, heavy machinery, labor, and all those permits... I seriously doubt anyone could turn a profit selling at low prices.
That said, if you're planning on dumping a huge chunk of cash into this and you're going to be totally dependent on it for the next 5 to 10 years, then don't do it—though personally, I don't think you'd lose a dime.
As for me, I've got plenty loaded up in gold, so I don't stress over it or stare at charts—maybe once a year tops. Plus, I’ve got enough cash on the side and rental properties coming in to cover my lifestyle, so I never have to touch my gold.

Man, give me a break... you are living the absolute high life, aren't you?
Who could even compete with someone like you?
Gold, cold hard cash, real estate... seriously...

I remember reading somewhere that the cost to extract gold can run anywhere from $700 to $900 an ounce—I forget the exact figure now—so the price isn't going to drop below that threshold... which means, mathematically speaking, you couldn't actually lose more than 50% of your investment no matter what happens.😁

cosmicscout9 said:How much do you actually know about economics or what’s going on in the world right now? Seems like not much to me...

You've got a point there, I guess,
but look, I just finished up my degree in economics at UT Austin🤣
and I'm currently stuck out on this tiny, desolate island where I can only grab a decent internet connection once every three days for maybe ten minutes at a time, so how exactly am I supposed to stay fully looped in on every single thing happening across the entire globe?

cosmicscout9 said:I shop in Germany since that's where I live. Buying now because I'm betting on a massive surge in the next 2-3 years. If I gotta sit on it for 5, whatever, no biggie. Prices might even drop in the meantime, probably. But I'm not about to play games and wait around. Personally, I don't even look at gold as a short-term play.

What exactly are you basing this "massive growth" theory on?
If you ask me, the only way we see a massive spike is if another recession hits and everyone starts panicking, fleeing the stock market in terror, and then people realize they have all this cash sitting around doing nothing, so they scramble to buy gold and—boom—suddenly it's back near $2,000 again.
Just speaking my mind here, I’m pretty skeptical about any sudden explosion in price; I'm leaning more toward just a slow, steady climb over the years, punctuated by the usual market volatility we've all come to expect.

When you look at how much money is basically becoming worthless everywhere—inflation this, inflation that—and you buy gold just to protect your value... what do you actually do with it once you have it? Are you going to walk into a grocery store and try to pay for a loaf of bread or a car with a gold bar? No. You end up swapping it right back for the same currency that's already losing its edge, and let's face it, it'll likely be even more worthless in the future than it is today.

velvetfalcon44 said:Look, if you’re already second-guessing whether you’ll even have some extra cash tucked away for life's little curveballs, then how can you seriously talk about long-term saving? It doesn't add up.
And honestly—how much do you actually have sitting in gold right now to be stressing this much about buying more? And don't just give me some vague "a few thousand bucks" answer either.

Look, I’ve got basically nothing invested in gold right now, maybe just a single ounce tucked away somewhere.
But honestly, I’m ready to pull the trigger in the next few days and pick up another three or four ounces.
That would put me looking at several thousand dollars, so believe me, I'm not exactly indifferent about whether I'm buying at $2,500 or, I don't know, maybe $2,000 if things take a sudden turn I haven't seen coming—and let's face it, I probably haven't seen it because I don't track this stuff religiously, which is why I'm asking.

I just don't want to be caught off guard if they suddenly strike a massive new vein somewhere in the middle of nowhere, like deep in the Nevada desert or something, and the price craters instantly because the supply just spiked.

I’ve always been more drawn to those low-key, cerebral games—you know, things like chess, card games, darts, billiards, and all that sort of stuff 😁

I see people out there obsessing over every little cent, trying to save a couple of bucks on an acquisition, but honestly, who cares? It isn't about whether you hit the absolute peak of the market or not; it really just boils down to your entry point and your exit strategy... so why stress yourself out over a few measly dollars

Look, my plan is to hold onto this for the next 20 years, assuming life doesn't throw some massive curveball at me—and let's face it, you never truly know when that's going to happen... but I still have this nagging feeling that it actually does matter whether I’m buying in at $7,900 or $8,800 😁