AltCoin Survival GuideA few things you need to understand if you just arrived here and are considering investing: (or blowing your brains out)
Do not believe everything you read. In fact, do not believe most of it. If you have been in other AltCoin forums, you will understand this if not, read further. There are several dynamics going on here. Below you will find the major players:
Newbies - You. You have found your way here either by reading an online article, recommendation from a friend (who may now be a former friend) or other means outside the normal channels. You were drawn by one or more factors: technology, quick profit, political slant, world order, investment, or you just think cryptos are cool. What follows is for you. It may well help keep you sane in the constant bombardment of misinformation that exists in this industry. Read on....
Devs - Coin Developers. These folks write/rewrite/modify/invent the actual software that is an Altcoin. Generally software writers and backers who sometimes work alone or, in "Dev Teams" that have spokesmen handle Public Relations in the forums (a very difficult job). Having been a software architect and programmer in a past life, I can tell you these folks have very little desire to post in the forums unless it is purely technical in nature and you won't find much of that in these threads. Devs are usually overworked, underpaid and generally lost in their own world with little concern for yours. (There are exceptions to this rule) Devs tend to give short answers and assume that you will understand it and go away once it has been presented. Do not let this offend you, it is the way of the industry which would not exist without them.
Passionate supporters - Those of us who see the future of this technology and, for the most part, have bought considerable amounts of it. Most of this group have been around a while and make decisions based on experience and at least a working knowledge of markets and finance, some much more, some less. Other than the FUDers, lifeless trolls and shills. Supporters tend to say the most and truly believe in the technology and it's future. This group sometimes includes the dreamers as well.
Speculators - Either business or hobby investors that have come here from the real investing world hoping make a few dollars in crypto and gain experience in trading it. They make cautious buys and generally remain silent.
Dreamers - Dreamers are present all throughout the AltCoin scene. They believe they will "hit it big" someday and randomly pick investments based on what other people are hyping in these forums. Dreamers have a very short attention span and tend to loose money on a regular, sometimes spectacular, basis. Dreamers go "to the moon" or at least would like to and they are easily disappointed. After several rounds of this, many dreamers turn into Trolls and FUDDers, a natural progression it would seem after one's dreams are shattered multiple times. Dreamers seem to be unable to read the "handwriting on the wall" and so it follows they loose more often then others.
Watchers - Watchers are less common than others, but we occasionally hear from them. The term " I'm watching and may invest if...." can sometimes be attributed to a true investor watching for the best time to "get in" but, for the most part, Watchers use terms like this to announce their powerful and omnipotent presence, not. Usually, they are silent until some big event occurs that they missed out on then, they are very vocal to the tune of "Damn, I missed it, guess I have to spend more to get in now!" or the ever popular " Damn, glad I didn't dump any Bitcoin in this looser!" Either way, they are NOT investors. PS: Watchers rarely have any Bitcoin to dump into anything.... Watchers can sometimes be Shills.
Pumper/Dumpers - Pumpers are crypto day traders who make profit by manipulating the price. Selling large amounts of a coin tends to drop the price making cheaper buys and buying large amounts tends to raise the price making a good sell opportunity. Pumpers normally operate in groups and are present in every coin that has any value/volume. Many Trolls are Pumpers and most Shills work for Pumper/Dumper groups. If you want to see these groups in action, go to
coinmarketcap.com and look at the "roller coaster" daily charts.
Holders - Mostly synonymous with "Investors" but looking for a large, long term (years not minutes), return on their investment generally hoped to be quite large compared with day traders and pumper/Dumpers. Holders generally have the most to loose if a coin tanks and they are sometimes quite passionate about defending dropping prices. Mostly, holders can be divided into two of the above groups, Passionate Supporters and Dreamers, it depends on the project and the likelihood of success.
Shills - The lowest form of AltCoin life, Shills are paid to post FUD and lies in forums to damage coin value by competing coins and the Pumper/Dumpers. Shills simply lie. They instill uncertainty and cause holders to sell and newbies to run away. Shills are the scum of the Earth.
Trolls - Generally damaged individuals with no life and no purpose other than to make others as miserable as them. Generally pathetic people who spend way too much time here to the exclusion of all else. If you picture a terrible, tortured creature living in a cave under a bridge when you read the word "Troll" you need no further explanation. Trolls often work with Shills and Pumper/Dumpers.
FUDers - Many of the above groups belong to the overall FUD (Fear - uncertainty - Dread) group that includes Trolls, Shills and Pumper/Dumpers but, FUDers are generally people who just don't want to see others prosper or enjoy themselves, for whatever Freudian reason you want to use. If you're positive, their negative, it's generally that simple.
Sock Puppets - These people have a rare disease that prevents them from forming an opinion of their own. They are prone to repeating, sometimes slightly modified, the opinion of the biggest mouth in the forum, the one who thinks he/she is God's gift to the coin and sees themselves a subject expert. A side effect of being a Sock Puppet is the need to constantly create new usernames for one's self but posting the same old crap while using it. Sock puppets provide some much needed humor and are quite harmless if not working for Shills/Trolls.
Final word, DO NOT RESPOND to Trolls, Shills and FUDers. A response is all they want to keep the crap going. You will never change their minds (if present) and you absolutely cannot win an argument with them. Period. In they end they will make you look stupid and then, they have won. Don't do it...
