There are a couple of big new features in the comments section on the test site (not live yet).

The first is the ability to enter a trading idea, either long or short. All you need to do is click the Trading Suggestion radio button, choose "buying" or "shorting" from the dropdown, and enter a symbol. The system will track all your longs and shorts, and you're able to close them out at any time. This is just the very beginning of a much larger feature, but it's a cool start.

Also – – and this is one I'm really excited about – – you can now Highlight or Ignore any Slopers.

For instance, if you really like someone's comments, you can go to their profile and choose Highlight, and from then on, all their comments will be highlighted (emphasized) in the comment thread.

On the other hand, if you've really had just about enough of any Sloper, you can click Ignore in their profile section, and none of their comments will appear (their avatar and name will, just to sustain the hierarchical integrity of the thread, but whatever they typed won't show up).

If you are not a total n00b and want to tinker with the new features, please try them out on the test site. I've said it before, but it bears repeating – – your account on the test site has nothing to do with your regular account, so if you've never used the test site, you'll need to create another account. In addition, your username and password on the test site are not the same as on the real Slope.

Any bug reports or suggestions, please leave in the comments section on the test site, not here. Thanks, and I'll release these new features to the production site once they're polished up!

Alright, good folks! It is time to plan the next Official Slopefest (defined as any gathering of Slopers with our illustrious host, Mr. Tim Knight, in attendance)! Just like we plan our trades and then trade our plans, in this case we plan our party and then PARTY! Meet the people you “chat” with. See friends from previous gatherings and make new ones as well.

Slopefest III date: the week end of May 7th and May 8th. In the year 2011 Anno Domini.

Slopefest III location: Bally’s, Las Vegas, Nevada.

That is the weekend prior to the Money Show which starts on Monday, May 9th at Caesar’s Palace, directly across the street from Bally’s. I have been staying at Ballys since it was the old MGM Grand. Great place with good people running it (good but not quite the same since the bean counters took it over from Kirk! LOL).

Due to the Money Show, I thought it best to get a head start as rooms fill quickly.

I have taken down a block of 20 rooms. At the end of this week, I will be negotiating with them. IF we need more than 20, my leverage with them goes up. I will grind them for rock bottom room rates, get a hospitality room with bar, discounts, coupons for free play for the gamblers, etc. So now I need your help. Think about it, talk it over with any other decision maker and get back to me.  I need to get some kind of idea of the size of the “gathering.” Please respond to [email protected] with one of the following: 1) I will most definitely be there; 2) I most likely will be there or 3) I might be there but doubtful at this time.

After I get it all locked up, I will report back with such mundane items like room rates, etc. Most likely will have a code that you will use to book your individual rooms.

Some further information. Ballys has a Sunday brunch called The Sterling Brunch. Arguably the BEST brunch in Vegas. Gotten a bit pricy at $85 per person but worth every penny and more. A culinary delight. I will see if I can get us a tad off on that! No promises on that one. For those planning to come, additional input is most welcome as to additional events and activities.

Around the first of the year, I will be announcing another SPX guessing game as to the close on Friday, May 6, 2011. Contest rules and prizes will be announced then. One little kicker this time. There WILL be a valuable prize (think gold) for the Sloper in attendance at Slopefest III closest to the closing price!

I will be staying after Slopefest to attend the Money Show. Hopefully, some of you can also hang out. Might be able to introduce you to a “few” trading luminaries. Have been to a number of Money Shows and Trader Expos in the past. Never failed to glean new information that assists my trading.

Also, for those so inclined, I will give short  “workshops” on how I attempt to beat the casino at blackjack and craps. Then we will go out there and DO it! Just might be able to pay all your trip expenses and have a tad left over walking around money. You just NEVER know!

We work hard at what we do. Now is the chance to take a break, have some fun and see Tim as well as other fellow Slopers. I CAN guarantee you one thing. We WILL have a great time. I hope to see many of you there.

The community is what makes Slope of Hope great, and the basis for the community is Slope's own comments system.

People have been making good use of the new system, but I wanted to offer a couple of reminders. First, it's really important to click "Like" on stuff you like. It only takes a moment, and it's really valuable to the rest of the community.

Giving a comment a Like does two good things: (1) It makes it really easy for other readers to find the best comments; there have been many occasions where I didn't feel like reading 700 comments, so I simply clicked Sort by Rating – Highest First to see the best stuff (2) It boosts the commenter's rating on the system. Let's face it, if someone offers a really good comment (or a link, a chart, or what have you), they deserve a point-up.

So if you see something you like, please invest a moment to express yourself…..

The other thing I wanted to mention is that if you precede a stock symbol (which, by definition, is in ALL CAPS) with a dollar sign, it will make that stock symbol hyperlink to a lot of other good information about that stock, including a chart. The dollar sign won't appear in the comment itself, but it will make the symbol clickable and, thus, much more useful.

The Sloper community is unique on the web, and the comments system is the glue that helps us stick together. Following these two tips will make the comments system a richer experience for all of us; thanks!