Choosing mechanical systems

Quote from prophet:



I think it’s much more profitable to design a statistically robust system, adapted to more recent market conditions, say for the last 150 trading days.


I am not a math whiz or system tester. But that is simply curve fitting.


--MIKE
 
I wonder about truly mechanical systems. I think many tasks can be set up for you, but actually pulling the trigger on both sides of a trade? I don't know. Could be my nature to fuss. I'm working on that, just in general, like not being a perfectionist (on household projects, for example).

If good traders often say when they break their own rules, they loose... then why don't they just take those rules and make their systems fully mechanical? Could it be that to make the adjustments one needs to make over time, you need to be in the market more directly than mechanical system allows?

BTW, we're having a chat on Automated Systems tomorrow with ECHOtrade's Jeff DeWitt. He'll be detailing ways of automating traders' strategies using ECHOtrade's new Predator Pro software package.

André
 
Quote from Trend Fader:




I am not a math whiz or system tester. But that is simply curve fitting.


--MIKE

Dear Trend Fader,

I found many of your posts very interesting. With this one I would be a little more careful. "Curve fitting" is a procedure that is, of course, a well defined concept between mathematicians. To my liking it is used too much by market illuminati to discard an idea that they might not have pondered sufficiently yet.

Always happy to read your posts,

nononsense
 
Quote from Andre:

If good traders often say when they break their own rules, they loose... then why don't they just take those rules and make their systems fully mechanical?

ego. even being the deus behind the machina, it takes an enormous amount of humility to admit/accept you're better of strictly automating.
 
Quote from damir00:



ego. even being the deus behind the machina, it takes an enormous amount of humility to admit/accept you're better of strictly automating.

Dear damir00,

Very nice damir00.

I'm not sure that I have sufficient humility yet, but I gathered a lot over the years, whenever something went wrong, from trying to "argue" with all kind of computers about "who was right". With people, such exercise is often without merit.

Be good and happy automating,

nononsense
 
Quote from prophet:

I have a colleague with access to about $200M to trade futures trading systems like this, provided I improve the return/risk characteristics and establish a longer track record .

200 million dollars :eek: Why don't you spend $500 to buy more data? What level of commissions & slippage costs are included in your tests?
 
Back
Top