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Why did you not disclose in this comment? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14921274 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14921274

ChuckMcM 9y ago
Because I think of Tesla as a car company and not a battery company? But its a fair point. When I read this article the author disclosed that they don't own any Tesla stock and so in that spirit when I commented I disclosed that I have made money off options on Tesla stock. That said, this comment was also fairly subjective, the comment on batteries more quantitative. I've read the press on how much capacity the Gigafactory has and really do wonder how much of its output constitutes the 'world' output.
- frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
  Do you currently own any stock or options related to Tesla?
  - ChuckMcM 9y ago
    No I do not.
    - frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
      Fair enough. I still think that disclosure is necessary when entering a conversation broadly about batteries and making it specifically about Tesla.
      - jacquesm 9y ago
        It's an internet forum. Whether people hold stock or not you'll usually never know so the safe thing is to disregard anything you read here when deciding whether or not to buy a certain stock but to refer to the official sources: company press releases, annual reports and other relevant information. For every person nice enough to declare their position there are 100's that won't.
        frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
        Sure but that doesn't mean we shouldn't expect better or excuse it when we catch people doing it. The four big Tesla-y threads in the past 24 hours or so have had people with financial interests upvoted to the top comment. ChuckMcM's comment was the top in this thread when I commented on it, and so was his comment in the Li-ion battery thread for a while. Then simonsarris is at the top of both of these threads: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14919074 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14919074 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14914310 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14914310 At least those were declared but really Hacker News can be better than that. I'm sure the bitcoin threads are even worse with conflicts of interest, but if I saw someone doing what ChuckMcM did in those threads I'd call it out there as well.
        jacquesm 9y ago
        How do you know the other commentors in this thread don't have a position in Tesla? As far as I'm concerned you didn't call anything out, merely pointed out that some forum commenters may have positions in the companies they talk about, which as far as I'm concerned is their good right and which they do not have to disclose. It's not as if they are in the employ of the companies and regardless, Chuck volunteered that information. See also: every other thread about listed companies. If HN required disclosure of positions in companies being discussed I'm sure they would add it to the rules of conduct. I see no such requirement. And any disclosure is voluntary, gracious and yet could still not be true, so you still can't base any decisions on it.
        frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
        >How do you know the other commentors in this thread don't have a position in Tesla? I don't. >merely pointed out that some forum commenters may have positions in the companies they talk about, which as far as I'm concerned is their good right and which they do not have to disclose. Agreed and agreed. >If HN required disclosure of positions in companies being discussed I'm sure they would add it to the rules of conduct. I see no such requirement. I never said HN required it. Our difference of opinion is in the difference between is and ought. Posters don't have to disclose but they ought to, why else would Chuck have done it in this thread?

ChuckMcM 9y ago

Because I think of Tesla as a car company and not a battery company? But its a fair point. When I read this article the author disclosed that they don't own any Tesla stock and so in that spirit when I commented I disclosed that I have made money off options on Tesla stock. That said, this comment was also fairly subjective, the comment on batteries more quantitative. I've read the press on how much capacity the Gigafactory has and really do wonder how much of its output constitutes the 'world' output.

frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
Do you currently own any stock or options related to Tesla?
- ChuckMcM 9y ago
  No I do not.
  - frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
    Fair enough. I still think that disclosure is necessary when entering a conversation broadly about batteries and making it specifically about Tesla.
    - jacquesm 9y ago
      It's an internet forum. Whether people hold stock or not you'll usually never know so the safe thing is to disregard anything you read here when deciding whether or not to buy a certain stock but to refer to the official sources: company press releases, annual reports and other relevant information. For every person nice enough to declare their position there are 100's that won't.
      - frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
        Sure but that doesn't mean we shouldn't expect better or excuse it when we catch people doing it. The four big Tesla-y threads in the past 24 hours or so have had people with financial interests upvoted to the top comment. ChuckMcM's comment was the top in this thread when I commented on it, and so was his comment in the Li-ion battery thread for a while. Then simonsarris is at the top of both of these threads: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14919074 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14919074 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14914310 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14914310 At least those were declared but really Hacker News can be better than that. I'm sure the bitcoin threads are even worse with conflicts of interest, but if I saw someone doing what ChuckMcM did in those threads I'd call it out there as well.
        jacquesm 9y ago
        How do you know the other commentors in this thread don't have a position in Tesla? As far as I'm concerned you didn't call anything out, merely pointed out that some forum commenters may have positions in the companies they talk about, which as far as I'm concerned is their good right and which they do not have to disclose. It's not as if they are in the employ of the companies and regardless, Chuck volunteered that information. See also: every other thread about listed companies. If HN required disclosure of positions in companies being discussed I'm sure they would add it to the rules of conduct. I see no such requirement. And any disclosure is voluntary, gracious and yet could still not be true, so you still can't base any decisions on it.
        frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
        >How do you know the other commentors in this thread don't have a position in Tesla? I don't. >merely pointed out that some forum commenters may have positions in the companies they talk about, which as far as I'm concerned is their good right and which they do not have to disclose. Agreed and agreed. >If HN required disclosure of positions in companies being discussed I'm sure they would add it to the rules of conduct. I see no such requirement. I never said HN required it. Our difference of opinion is in the difference between is and ought. Posters don't have to disclose but they ought to, why else would Chuck have done it in this thread?