Tag Archive for 'Tools'

Tech / Geek / Nerd stuff

Published on July 15, 2011, 10:11 pm in Tools. Closed Tags: .

Since WTFtrading.com launched back in January 2008, I’ve learned a lot about software, hardware, programming, customer support and the list goes on and on and on. I have also come to realize that my site is becoming painfully harder to manage and update. It’s not because I don’t have the time or skills, but because when I first started building the site I didn’t plan anything. Images and text where thrown into one folder and some in another, pages where on the root and others in folders 2 or 3 deep. And then, I moved the entire site from its birth site to its own domain name.

A page addition or update that should only take minutes was easily taking an hour or more. So I have decided to redesign the entire site, front to back, top to bottom. I have already begun researching other web sites for style and functional design, looking over templates and learning even more about programming in C# and ASP.Net, and also looking at some content management systems (CMS).

I want the new site to have not only a new look and feel, but a complete overhaul of the directory structure and coding. It will probably be a while before I launch the new site. I want to make sure that I get everything 100% this time before launch.

I just wanted to get this out there, because now that I have told everyone, I will need to follow through and git ‘er done! Until then I will continue working and posting to this site. Please let me know your likes, dislikes and thoughts. Happy trading!

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Woe is me

Published on January 18, 2011, 10:39 pm in Trading. Closed Tags: , .

Technical difficulties kept me from trading today :cry:

But I did get the old laptop fired up to look at some charts this evening. Been watching the US dollar sink…ugly. Hoping I wake up to a better looking chart…and a better internet connection.

The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers. –Sydney J. Harris

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Geeky stuff

Published on October 25, 2010, 10:55 pm in Tools. Closed Tags: .

I had a few questions about computers so I thought I’d use links for my answers. First, here’s some interesting reading: The incredible growth of the Internet since 2000.

Several questions on RAID configuration for hard drives: RAID from Wikipedia.

And even more confusing than storage is video cards: Dual or Multi-Monitor Desktop Computer for Stock Trading and monitors: How to Choose an LCD Monitor for Stock Trading.

And here’s another implementation of trying to explain the computer to traders: How To Choose a Stock Trading Computer.

Hope these help and keep the questions coming!

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Trading computer

Published on October 21, 2010, 12:13 pm in Tools. Closed Tags: .

Finally added some information on my new trading computer. Look under the “Tools” section. I’ve provided links to detailed information from the manufacturers of all the ingredients….I guess Parts List would be the correct way to describe them. There’s also some pictures. Any questions? Just ask!

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A techno-weekend

Published on October 10, 2010, 11:19 pm in Charts, reading and Tools. Closed Tags: , , .

I spent this weekend building my new trading PC, searching the Internet for tech support and running to Best Buy to pick up a few things I missed. ;) But, by Sunday night I had Windows 7 installed on the SSD, or Tradestation, especially when backtesting strategies. I will document all I did and will put it up on the website, going through the process of why I picked the parts I incorporated into the PC….but I want to get it into the trading mix first.

I’m still not done, there’s a lot of data I need to extract from the old PC to the new, but, in the mean time, I’m trying to review the charts on my backup machine. Boy, the indexes sure look like they want to ride the bull! The S&P has been running up the 8EMA since the August lows. The rest are similar, but this whole volume thing has still got me wondering where the money is coming from….the Fed? GS? People still employed?

Here’s an idea: Americans Are Saving Too Much Money, So We Need Them Spending Again.

I guess I’ll get some sleep before trying to connect the new machine to the Internet. 8O

Thanks for checking in and good luck tomorrow!

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Caution….NFP report ahead

Published on October 7, 2010, 10:08 pm in Tools and Trading. Closed Tags: , , , .

Another one of those low volume, hang around breakeven day, as traders wait for Friday’s Employment reports. Today’s Jobless Claims was better than expected and the markets were happy at the open and took off early before realizing that this wasn’t THE report everyone is waiting for, and turned back down and just shuffled around.

After hours, AA kicked off earnings sseason with a pretty good report. helping move the indexes to the upside. But will it matter after 8:30AM EST?

I ordered all the peices and parts for my new trading computer. I’m going to set up a new section for “Tools” and document my choices and the process of putting it all together….and pictures too. Stay tuned.

Now, filed in the “You can’t make this stuff up” drawer: Postal Union Election Delayed After Ballots Lost in the Mail. Really?

“Donald Trump may run for president. Is that a good idea? Haven’t enough Americans already been told, “You’re fired’?” – Jay Leno

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Nothing decided…

Published on October 6, 2010, 11:11 pm in Trading. Closed Tags: , , , .

The Dow was stronger than the other indexes, but still it didn’t really confirm yesterday’s big move. The S&P just sat around breakeven closing barely red, and the Naz was the biggest loser….nothing decided.

Employment related reports were not very rosy and oil bulls loved the inventory numbers, mixing up the marketplace. More employment numbers tomorrow and Friday.

I’m designing my new trading PC. I’m going to document it for the blog over the next week or so. Hope it helps. 8)

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It’s that time of the month…

Published on October 3, 2010, 10:51 pm in Tools and Trading. Closed Tags: , .

The markets always go up at the first of the month…and it did…barely. But they also say September is always a bad month…and it wasn’t. Are history and seasonal analysis out the door? Is it a new market?

Since IRA’s and 401k’s were decimated 2 years ago, I’d say yes, we are in a different marketplace. Just look at the volume of trades. Sure it inched up the last 2 days, but the average is still down. Lots of people are out of the market and computers are so automatic some of that sentiment and history analysis just might not fit. Oh my!

What? Earnings again? Yep, AA kicks off the next round on Thursday and the NFP Employment report is on Friday.

My trading computer crashed this weekend and I have been working frantically to get it going again. It’s late Sunday night and the hard drives are 85% through the rebuilding process…and it looks like it will take the rest of the night to complete. I won’t know until morning how all the data looks. And then I will need to replace a fried video card to get all the monitors up and running. I’m a computer geek but sometimes I just hate technology! :cry:

Lucky I use multi-computers also. Thanks for reading and good luck tomorrow!

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What’s next?

Published on September 26, 2010, 10:14 pm in Opinions, reading and Trading. Closed Tags: , , .

Monday is the last day for mutual funds to buy any winning positions they want on the books for the end of the 3rd quarter. I’m thinking volume should increase? The thought is that a lot of hedge funds have missed this move and they really can’t sit back and watch a rally without some stocks in their portfolios and they don’t want to show a lot of cash on their quarterly report.

If you’re a user of Worden’s Telechart, you may have read this Friday night. It was memorable to me, so I thought I would repeat it:

One thing I personally find almost amazing. The Nasdaq-100 is growing close to the Q2 quarter highs. This Index, as I’m sure you recall, has led all the way up from the August upside breakout. Should this index conquer the Q2 closing high, I believe I’ll have no choice but to call a promotion to a “Primary Uptrend.”

Here’s some more interesting stuff: Who Let the Bulls Back In?

Friday was a big day…will Monday be a big follow-through day? Thursday will be the heaviest economic data day with GDP, Chicago PMI, and Jobless Claims. Let’s see if September goes out with a bang! Friday will be the start of October and the 4th quarter.

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Woe is me

Published on September 23, 2010, 9:07 am in Tools and Trading. Closed Tags: , , , , .

I had about 24 hours of hardware and Internet issues…all while trying to trade and attended an online webinar….those things don’t mix!

That also didn’t allow me to update my trading journal. For the past 18 months, I’ve been keeping a journal in Microsoft’s OneNote. While I jot down all my trades, I also write about what I’m feeling at the time, my reasons for buying, profit and stop targets. While it feels therapeutic during the day, the real value comes each weekend when I not only review the weeks entries, but also review some entries from months before…especially comparing recent winners and losers with “old” winners and losers.

I digress. The markets were pretty mixed up on Wednesday. Oil really got slapped around. At the end of the day I thought I’d nibble on some UCO and nibbled a little more in the pre-market this morning…average cost 8.65…we’ll see. May also look into some USO calls at the open.

Porbably a big eco number at 10AM…Existing Home Sales….also Leading Indicators. A pullback is not a bad thing…we just want to stay above the S&P’s June and August highs…Maybe a little poke-through, but nothing drastic.

Good Luck and happy trading :!:

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