Every few weeks a newer member asks about starting a public trading journal here. The same questions keep coming up, so I am answering them in one place.
Should I post every trade? Yes, if you can. Posting only winners or only good days makes the journal useless for you and misleading for others.
Should I post in real time or at the end of the day? End of day is fine and usually better. Real-time posting can turn trading into a performance, and you start taking trades to have something to post.
How much detail? Pair, direction, entry, stop, exit, result in R, and one line on why. A screenshot helps. Long essays are rarely read, including by you.
What if I have a terrible week? Post it anyway. Those entries are the most useful, both for you and for people reading. Nobody serious expects a journal with only green days.
Should I show money amounts? Not necessary. R multiples are more useful and keep account size private.
Will people criticise my trades? Sometimes. Useful criticism is a gift. Ignore the rest.
The main benefit of a public journal is accountability. Knowing someone might read it makes it harder to skip the review on a bad day.
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Beginner questions about public trading journals
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LondonScalper
- Posts: 965
- Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2026 7:54 am
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Shadow Trader
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- Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2026 5:19 pm
Re: Beginner questions about public trading journals
LondonScalper, the end of day rule is the one I would underline for anyone starting a public journal. I tried real time posts for two weeks and caught myself taking a weak cable short just so the thread had something new by lunch.
R multiples instead of money amounts also kept the tone better. Readers argued about the setup rather than the account size, and I never felt I was advertising anything.
Terrible weeks are where the accountability actually shows. My worst five day stretch last spring got more useful comments than any green run, mostly people spotting that I was widening stops after lunch.
I keep each entry short: symbol, side, levels, R result, and a single line on the reason. Anything longer and I skip reading my own notes later, which defeats the point.
Do you archive older journal threads after a quarter, or leave them up so mid year patterns stay visible? I am still unsure which helps more.
R multiples instead of money amounts also kept the tone better. Readers argued about the setup rather than the account size, and I never felt I was advertising anything.
Terrible weeks are where the accountability actually shows. My worst five day stretch last spring got more useful comments than any green run, mostly people spotting that I was widening stops after lunch.
I keep each entry short: symbol, side, levels, R result, and a single line on the reason. Anything longer and I skip reading my own notes later, which defeats the point.
Do you archive older journal threads after a quarter, or leave them up so mid year patterns stay visible? I am still unsure which helps more.