Where do I start?

[Club]

Was impressed by your writing and video content and was intrigued as to your ethics behind them.

They are great and must have taken lots of your time. Good stuff Totally need sound though!

 

[PollyM]

Was impressed by your writing and video content and was intrigued as to your ethics behind them.

They are great and must have taken lots of your time. Good stuff Totally need sound though!

Thank you for your comments. And I'll look to bring some sound into future videos.

I think the videos covering the construction of the spreadsheet interface will take a bit of time as there are several stages to achieve the DI calculations, coloured bars on charts, and the spin buttons for the price bars. There's also the indicators and backtesting pages to build up.

I'm currently working in Excel, but would prefer to switch this to OpenOffice so there is no cost barrier to entry (however small). Not sure yet of the processing speed of OpenOffice but no doubt will soon find out!

I'll show each and every stage of the construction in the tutorials, again so that if anyone wishes to build from scratch then they have the opportunity to do so.

Whilst it's a basic interface, it's a useful starting point.

 

[PollyM]

Just a quick update.

I've now re-done the trading interface in OpenOffice and managed to get it working in a similar fashion. There are slight differences with the bar shapes, spin buttons, and the processing speed is a little slower than Excel when the charts are introduced, but overall it still works well.

I'll now break this down into the videos/screen recordings, probably around 20 in all, and will start posting again once I have a good few done.

 

[PollyM]

Build Your Own Trading Interface (Part 1 of 22)

Okay, here we go.

Below is the first video in a series of twenty two, showing how to construct your own bare bones trading interface in OpenOffice. I'm currently in the process of posting all of the videos on YouTube, and will also provide links from the website, together with some supporting information as we move forward.


Build Your Own Trading Interface (Part 1 of 22) - YouTube


The total running time of the 22 videos is 90 minutes, so each video averages around 4 minutes in length. They've taken a while to compile and as yet have no audio, but I did say earlier that I would look to do some overdubbing so will do this once the dust settles.

 

[kawaman]

Hi. So one has read and learn a lot before starting trading... but how much time does it take to study it all from zero?

 

[PollyM]

Hi. So one has read and learn a lot before starting trading... but how much time does it take to study it all from zero?

The terms 'all' and 'zero' are relative propositions. Please tell me more and I will see if I can provide an answer.

 

[kawaman]

The terms 'all' and 'zero' are relative propositions. Please tell me more and I will see if I can provide an answer.

I have inherited quite a nice amount of money and now I would like to invest a part of it for like 1 or 2 years. Of course I do not want to risk loosing it all, but I heard that by forex trading I can even double this amount in 2 years. I have basic knowledge on finance, I am an engineer. What do you think?

 

[PollyM]

I have inherited quite a nice amount of money and now I would like to invest a part of it for like 1 or 2 years. Of course I do not want to risk loosing it all, but I heard that by forex trading I can even double this amount in 2 years. I have basic knowledge on finance, I am an engineer. What do you think?

Start with no expectations, this is a neutral point, an origin, zero. Read through the 45 sessions I have posted on this thread, at least three times over, then come back and see if you would phrase your question the same way.

As an engineer you will have a feel for numbers and sequences, use these to help your understanding of the financial machine.

 

[kawaman]

Thanks! I saw your posts and tutorial videos, and they seem to be of great help. Also as I am digging further into it all I get less confident... The whole thing is way too risky, isn't it. I would not start an investment without expectations. Of course I expect to gain profits...

 

[PollyM]

Thanks! I saw your posts and tutorial videos, and they seem to be of great help. Also as I am digging further into it all I get less confident... The whole thing is way too risky, isn't it. I would not start an investment without expectations. Of course I expect to gain profits...

One way is not to focus primarily on the money side of things, make this a happy side effect. Engineer a system that is mathematically sound and see how this performs first. This will be your benchmark and will help you sort out the wheat from the chaff.

 

[Bint_Crusher]

Tomorrow you might be dead, contact me by PM and I will tell you how to enjoy it.

 

[pboyles]

I have inherited quite a nice amount of money and now I would like to invest a part of it for like 1 or 2 years. Of course I do not want to risk loosing it all, but I heard that by forex trading I can even double this amount in 2 years. I have basic knowledge on finance, I am an engineer. What do you think?

I can tell you now that if you trade forex you will lose it. The people that are telling you that you can double your money are just trying to sell you some scam system. Put that money in the bank and dont even consider trading with it.

 

[pboyles]

Hi. So one has read and learn a lot before starting trading... but how much time does it take to study it all from zero?

Maybe 5 years if youre lucky.

 

[PollyM]

Build Your Own Trading Interface (Part 2 of 22)

This is the second video, which completes the inputting of the spreadsheet column headings.


Build Your Own Trading Interface (Part 2 of 22) - YouTube


All the videos are now uploaded to YouTube, and I'll continue posting each one here so I can give a running commentary (albeit written for the moment).

 

[ratmpower]

Trading is as much of an art as it is a science. You have to learn by doing it. Studying books is not enough. The more practice you get the better you become. That is why you are recommended to start trading with virtual trading platform like Strategyard.com

 

[p-lab]

Trading is as much of an art as it is a science. You have to learn by doing it. Studying books is not enough. The more practice you get the better you become. That is why you are recommended to start trading with virtual trading platform like Strategyard.com

Strange that, the site you honestly recommended seems to have also appeared in your signature. Either anonymous have hacked your account or I need to dump my cache:whistling

 

[shwnrbls]

Frank, Tom's feedback is spot on.

Don't make it any more complex than it has to be. Leave that to all the vendors and gurus who make a living (and therefore the bulk of their earnings) peddling complex-sounding trading products that make it SEEM like you can't survive without their system, etc.

I know, because I used to work behind the scenes with some of these guys (the original 'good guys' - not the scum you see saturating the market today). However, even the 'good guys' eventually changed their business model to the point that it no longer had the customer's best interest in mind. They were now all bout the "quick-turn profit", whereas before they used to actually care about their customer's well-being. Times are just not the same.

This is part of the reason why I ventured on my own to develop my own custom trading method... one that suits me specifically, and addresses the painpoints of most traditional methods.

It took a while to identify and develop (even though the method itself is incredibly simple, it's the LOGIC behind it that makes it truly potent)... but once I was able to trade it live with real capital, I quickly realized my financial well-being was going to change beyond my original expectations.

With the right commitment, attitude, and foresight (i.e. knowing not to believe everything you read or hear), you'll do just fine. Give yourself permission to blow a small account now and then... we've all done it. Anybody who says otherwise is flat-out lying to you.

Consider it nothing more than a "start up cost" of running a business. It's expected to happen, and in fact, that's how you graduate beyond "newbie" status.

It's how you respond to blowing that account that matters. Learn from it... that's how WE ALL gained our knowledge and insights. First-hand, deep-in-the-trench experience is the best teacher of them all. Don't ever let any guru or self-proclaimed 'trading pro' tell you otherwise.

Granted, a demo account is recommended for all beginners (for obvious reasons), so please don't misinterpret what I'm saying here. My primary point is IF you blow your initial trading account, then give yourself permission to move past that experience. It's okay, because there ARE ways -- some really reliable, low-risk ways -- to profit from the forex market.

You just need to cut your teeth on some of this material in your own way first, before knowing what to look for afterwards.

The guidance within this thread and forum will definitely help you avoid certain disasters, etc... but the question is, WHICH advice should you listen to?

That's the real question, isn't it? How should you know which to follow and which to avoid?

I, nor anybody else here, can answer that. This is where the personal first-hand experience comes into play. Sometimes you'll just have to jump in the fire with both feet and experience the "burn" yourself in order to determine how to prevent such a situation in the future.

You'll do just fine. Keep your confidence intact, and keep moving forward until you find what works for you.

That's honestly what I did, and I couldn't be happier now. If you have any questions, feel free to skype me below.

Hope this helps.

All the best,

Marty

Very Good post... I work to hard for my money to blow up.an account. I will leave that to others. However I like the rest of your post.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk

 

[PollyM]

Build Your Own Trading Interface (Part 3 of 22)

This third video is similar to part of the process done in Session 21, where price data is downloaded from the Yahoo! service. This price data is used initially to help construct the spreadsheet, however must eventually be replaced with your specific trading platform data as highlighted in Session 36.

Build Your Own Trading Interface (Part 3 of 22) - YouTube

Remember to make a back-up copy of your spreadsheet as you move along, possibly even saving each stage as a new file, so giving you the greatest flexibility to revert to an earlier stage for any reason.

 

[PollyM]

Trading is as much of an art as it is a science. You have to learn by doing it. Studying books is not enough. The more practice you get the better you become. That is why you are recommended to start trading with virtual trading platform like Strategyard.com

Think of learning how to play chess. You may begin with a computer version of the game, where your challenger is the computer program. This program is based on a set of finite instructions which can be seen as the science, yet it will help you learn the art of chess. And some of these programs can perform at grand master level.

Take learning to draw, you begin by identifying basic shapes which form the main building blocks of the subjects you are choosing to draw, eg animals, landscapes, etc. These 'scientific' building blocks work hand in hand with the 'art' of drawing.

Like all enduring classics, seek to seamlessly blend the science and the art. The scientific mind helps guide you as to mechanical sequences, and the artistic mind helps you to express your unique flair.

 

[PollyM]

Build Your Own Trading Interface (Part 4 of 22)

The fourth video brings in Wilder’s True Range (TR) denominator for the Directional Indicator (DI) calculation. TR is defined as the largest of the following:
[1] The distance between the current period’s high and the current period’s low.
[2] The distance between the current period’s high and the previous period’s close.
[3] The distance between the current period’s low and the previous period’s close.

The Directional Movement calculation is also commenced, and this will continue in the fifth video.


Build Your Own Trading Interface (Part 4 of 22) - YouTube


Surprisingly there is relatively little information available on the internet regarding the detailed calculation of the Directional Movement System, and this is something that I will look at addressing on the harmonytrading.info website once I’ve completed posting these notes on the videos.