[newgarth]

Re: nature of the industry -- i think there is more sharing that goes on. People send each other emails all the time. On a macro level, this stuff is already out there and so you expect the FIRM to be executing on it. The bigger question is for an individual trader or analyst (or associate) are you up-to-date. So b-school classmates and friends from college help each other stay abreast of things, if nothing else as a safety net since it's always good to have friends at another building on the street.

[hereandthere]

well said. and i think that's the point. a centralized forum of like-minded people would be an invaluable asset. just remains to be seen whether the average finance person is too short-sighted / in need of immediate gratification to contribute and make it what it should be.