Wanted: A Terrorxchange FAQ?

Darius and I have been discussing the TX. We’ve been focusing primarily on improvements to the TX, which are several. Priority #1 is a better IPO system and a good side project is incentive to own bonds. There are other bells and whistles, such as detailed strike descriptions and hopefully those will make it in the TX soon.

We found ourselves talking about user turnover more and more often. So I’ve decided to put together a FAQ that might be suited for the new TX user and could maybe be placed into the TX at a future date. I’m going to skip over technical questions and the very basics and do more specific questions. I’ll also revisit beginner strategy in my next post.

Unofficial TX FAQ:

• I just opened an account and am a little overwhelmed. What’s the difference in the stocks and bond types?
  Equity stocks are stocks that cover specific events but have no “payout” upon occurance but also never expire. Strike stocks are the result of TX user feedback. They will pay the strike price to owners of the stock if that event occurs by the strike deadline. Leader Bonds and Nation Bonds are conservative “stocks” that represent change, turmoil, terror potential or revolution for the respective leaders and nations.
• Ok. So why should I invest in anything other than strike stocks?
  Strike stocks are the active trader’s area. There’s no doubt about it. The prices are higher and there’s more daily action there than in any other stock type. Eventually, all equities will be converted to strike stocks. Traditionally, when an equity stock is converted, it gains some value- especially if it’s a high probability stock. Investing in equities before conversion may allow you get in early and that’s a beautiful thing on the TX. Bonds will eventually pay an interest rate to your cash balance based on a rating system. When this will go into effect is unknown.
• I just bought some strike stocks. What happens now?
  If the event happens before the deadline, you’ll be paid the strike amount for each share you own. If the deadline expires, you will lose 100% of the investment in that stock. If it’s apparent that the stock won’t pay out, selling is the only way to salvage some of the value.
• Some of these strike stock definitions are vague. What about this stock? What if…
  Satori! We need better descriptions in the TX!! For discussion on the definitions of some strike stocks, use the ‘General’ or ‘Converting Equities to Strikes’ sections of the TX users forum.
• My stocks just tanked! What do I do now?
  The TX is pretty cutthroat. There are some wealthy users out there and when they move money around, it’s easy to get squashed. Your best bet is to diversify. Avoid putting everything into one stock. Be aware that there’s no way to start over beyond opening a new account. But be aware that using multiple accounts to game the system is against the user agreement and will get you banned.
• I don’t see a stock regarding this current event. It should be listed.
  Email IPO suggestions to mailto:ipos@terrorxchange.com. Other contact links are on the contacts section of the TX.
• Excellent! The TX is going to list my stock! What now?
  You’ll receive email notice if you’ve subscribed to the IPO alert listserv. After that, you’ll have to use speedy web surfing to land some of the new stocks. It’s a first come, first serve system as of now. A new system is necessary and will come, but who knows when it will arrive. Bug Satori about it but don’t mention Hoodlumman sent you . Also remember that when grabbing IPOs, “you'll need to start a new session (open a new instance) on your browser. For Internet Explorer, it works just to launch another window. For Mozilla/FireFox, I've noticed that you have to close ALL browser sessions and restart with a brand new session. This is kind of irratating, but it's not a bug. It's done to make the site perform better during normal trading so there are no plans to do anything to fix this. But it can create frustration for traders hoping to catch the IPO.”
• Nothing is happening to my stocks. What’s up?
  The TX trades in spurts. Usually trading is heavy on days of IPOs. It’s also heavy when there’s a lot of news on the wires. Sometimes there’s just lulls that will pass. It’s also possible that the stocks you’ve bought are stagnant. Check out the charts for stocks to see which ones are movers and which might be “flat-liners.”

Remember, the TX is used as a predictor of world events. The frequent users know their current events and it helps greatly in accumulating T$. I’ll probably add to the FAQ when other questions arise or are submitted to me. Something of this nature might do well if put on the actual TX. For now, point some links this way and we’ll see if we can’t help in keeping more new users around.

I’ve tried to offer advice in the past and also have an “advice column” post, too. Give ‘em a read or post anytime.

-H