"Vonage Rises On The Stock Market"

Posts: 19 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 03, 2004 Posts: 19

I have watched the Vonage Forum Digest writer flog this stock since the beginning and it is really humorous ("... up from a session low...) but today's is ridiculous.

The caption is "Vonage Rises On The Stock Market", but on the previous day (Friday), he goes on to report that it is down from Thursday's close. If closing above the low is the criteria for a rising stock, then I can show how Enron was up every day, right into bankruptcy.

This absurd cheerleading is either naivete like I have never seen before, or some twisted (perhaps illegal) attempt to pump up the stock.

Posts: 1424 · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 2:35 pm Post subject:

I am a big fan of the job Dan does running this site, but I agree with you that the way the stock is presented in the Digest started as humorous but is just a bit annoying now. It is especially so since it is always the first thing in the digest. I would like to see the stock price moved to a box score unless something out of the ordinary occurs that needs context (earnings releases, lawsuits, etc.).

Posts: 2135 · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 2:15 pm Post subject:

Cal: As most senior forum members know, I am very much open to suggestions. You do not need to call-me-out in a post to get my attention.

On days where Vonage stock has risen I have named the head Vonage rises....

On days when Vonage stock has risen to finish after a session low I have put that there as well....

On days with big dips I have named the item Vonage Stock Report...

Frankly the only reason I have put this item within In The News is that it has been making a lot of news ever since the IPO. But maybe it is time to de-emphasize...

I do agree that having the vonage stock report as the lead item most days is starting to get old - plus frankly, not everyone who subscribes to the digest cares.

So here's an idea. Starting tomorrow I can drop Vonage Stock Report to below the On The Vonage VoIP Forum section, maybe before the call to action items...

Still newsworthy because of all the traffic on the Stock Forum but now that the IPO is over, maybe we drop it down in our order as I have just described?

What do you think?

Posts: 111 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jun 15, 2006 Posts: 111

I think there is no need to mention the stock in the digest at all unless there is a change of 20 cents or more. I don't think it is really news if it just goes up or down a few cents.

I don't see why you say "closed up from they day's low of 6.49" and not "closed down from the day's high of 6.82." Better to just give the day's change, the volume, and the trading range.

Posts: 9 · New Forum Member Joined: Jul 23, 2006 Posts: 9

I would just mention the stock price because the price itself dictates its own worthiness. It's obvious that you favored the stock and there is no problem with that. I would be careful not to put any spin on the stock performance because it undermined your intentions and great work on this site.

Posts: 57 · Full Forum Member Joined: Sep 03, 2005 Posts: 57

Dan owns a lot of VG stock. So its only human nature to cheer it up, since it has lost over $10 per share. I have watched him announcing he was buying in the"thousands of shares" all the way from $17 to $6.00. So you people should cut him some slacks, afterall, this is his house, we are just visitors. With that said, Dan you should be careful about your postings about VG stock not to let it become "Spamming". Remember it was this kind of false cheer leading at the first place to get people to lose thousands of dollars, including a guy, I vividly remember my debate with him, who took a second loan on his house to buy VG stock.

Posts: 75 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jun 01, 2006 Posts: 75

libbyloo wrote:

Dan owns a lot of VG stock. So its only human nature to cheer it up, since it has lost over $10 per share. I have watched him announcing he was buying in the"thousands of shares" all the way from $17 to $6.00.

Well, he at least claims to own a lot of VG stock. But that's the beauty of an anonymous message board. You can be whoever you want. If Dan's posts are accurate, then he has lost quite a bit of money, and the way things are going he has little/no chance of recovering it.

On the other hand, maybe he only purchased the initial IPO shares at $17 and his other comments were made to boost other people's confidence in the stock. I realize that it is absurd to think that he would have the type of influence to get people to buy more stock even when every indicator points to VG dropping further (especially come November when employees can dump their shares).

Or perhaps (despite numerous claims to the contrary), Dan is in fact affiliated with Vonage. Now wouldn't that be interesting? Maybe the only shares he owns are restricted shares that he has to hold until November. I'm sure a company with someone as reputable as Jeffrey Citron as its Director would never try to pull something like this <sarcasm>, but ithe internet is a venue where anyone can claim to be or do anything without fear of being caught in a lie. At a minimum, it's worth wondering exactly what someone's motivations are for announcing that they are continuing to buy more shares even as the stock continues to plummet.

Posts: 20 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: May 31, 2006 Posts: 20

fanninja wrote:

At a minimum, it's worth wondering exactly what someone's motivations are for announcing that they are continuing to buy more shares even as the stock continues to plummet.

Here's a simple explanation, sorry it's not very exciting. Dan
believes in VG and has continued to buy VG, and out of
self interest (gasp!) he would like to encourage others to
see the upside and perhaps join him on the long side.

Then there is BigTime, and here the explanation is simple and
not very exciting either. He's on the short side, says so, and
encourages others to join him, or at least abandon the long
side. (Gasp again!)

Note that Dan is not the only buyer of VG. Every sale has
been to a willing buyer.