Actually the software works from an aggregate perspective, knowing where the clustering of orders is and the market offered to the broker.
It's an order balance thing. It's also critical to a broker in order to manage their risk and lay off counterparty risk into liquidity. Again, it's not an "evil" thing, it's critical for them to offer liquidity and reduce risk, it's just something we need to contend with as system traders.
If you are a discretionary trader, not-so-much, but in volume as a systemtrader, so-much-so : - )
The individual thing (looking at YOU only) does exist, and isn't as popular, but the aggregate one is common, and is even used by the bank.
Watching the bank feeds, why would a single bank drift, even if for a moment. There should be no reason, aside from their order flow and order balancing.
No sales pitch, I don't really care in the end who people trade with (it's true we really don't care that much), but it was in fact offered to me. (The aggregate one).
As for the scaremongering thing, we have the same debate all the time. It's like the cigarette smoking thing. People know the risks, and understand them, even the short term effects, and yet choose to still smoke. It seems when people cannot directly quantify the effects on themselves, a sort of "it won't happen to me" mentality takes over. Because the effects are unquantifiable and often indirect.
Yet few people will drive their car on railroad tracks the wrong way as the effects are direct and quantifiable. There can be no denial of the risks involved.
So I made the mistake I was supposed to avoid, which is not to engage in discussion of such things. As such, and as you pointed out, I shall refrain. Especially since there is no proof that smoking increases the risk of your demise. There is no proof that you took losers that didn't belong to you. So I apologize.
Trader 5of7 @ TheCollectiveFX.com