Welcome to the Metals Mine user guide! The Metals Mine website is a complex application that can take a long time to explore and understand.  While this user guide only covers a fraction of the website, it will give you a great head-start in understanding the site's functionality and underlying rationale.

Metals Mine is entirely focused on curating metals-market information for traders. The nature of this information is primarily real-time (i.e., what's happening right now), and the scope ranges from economic data to analysis from members. You can read more about the Metals Mine website, and the ideals that drive it, on the Mission page.

Metals Mine hosts two products: Calendar and Market. There's a link to each of these products in the header of every page.


Additional Help

If you need assistance with something not covered in this user guide, you can get help through the following channels:

• Help with the website: Submit a help request
• Help with your trading: Search the website or post your questions on the Forums
• Report a member: Submit a 'Cleanup Report' (
   
  ) on any of the member's posts
• Report a website bug: Submit a bug report

The Metals Mine website can be adjusted to reflect any time zone that you choose. Once your time has been set, all timestamps and datestamps throughout the site will be displayed in your chosen time, thereby eliminating the need for mental time conversions.

 
To synchronize the website with your local time, click the clock (

 

) in the header of any page, or access the time zone settings directly. There, you can either click the 'Match Automatically' link, which will set your time zone to that of your device, or you can choose your time zone from the drop-down list.

Please note that time zone settings will also automatically adjust for DST (“Daylight Saving Time”), thereby removing the need to adjust the time if your region follows seasonal time changes.


Default Time

Metals Mine automatically defaults to the time zone used in your country. If your country has multiple time zones, Metals Mine defaults to the primay time zone for that country.

If you are having problems with your time zone settings, please submit a help request.

Metals Mine membership affords many benefits — but it also bears a lot of responsibility.  And while membership is free (join here), it can be denied to and revoked from those who do not abide by the code of conduct. Metals Mine is focused on trading, and the overarching expectation for members is that they too are focused on trading. Focusing on the pursuit of trading profits will generally have positive effects on your membership, and straying from trading will generally have negative effects.  

The following is a partial list of actions a member can perform (which a guest cannot):  

• Set alerts for forums, news, price, and calendar events
• Post in the Forums
• Submit stories in the News
• Manage a member profile
• Subscribe to news, calendar events, threads, stories, and members
• Private message with other members
• Shout on members' profiles
• Retain settings across multiple computers/devices
   

Privacy

Metals Mine is built on the concept of easily-accessed information, and therefore your profile and most of what you post on the website (e.g., replies in the forums, comments on news stories, shouts on profiles) is publicly visible. And in many cases it's a permanent record that cannot be deleted. However, it's possible (and encouraged) to remain completely anonymous by never revealing your personal identity on the website. As long as your posts and username do not reveal your identity, your activity on Metals Mine will never be connected to you personally. 

If you choose to connect your personal identity to your Metals Mine username, you're effectively making everything you post on the website a permanent public record. Only members who understand how to manage this risk (e.g., commercial services) should make this connection.  

Metals Mine has no financial relationship with members, and doesn't request personal information from members. The only information required for membership is a username and a working email address. You're encouraged to conceal any information that could be used to connect your username to your personal identity. 

Some aspects of the website are clearly kept private, like the Private Messaging system. Any interactions you have with Metals Mine staff will also be held in confidence. Metals Mine also takes the following measures to improve privacy: 

• Your information and activity will not be sold
• Your email address will never be shared
• Private messages are not stored after you 'permanently delete' them
   

Frequent Questions

How do I change my username?
How do I delete my username?

The Member Impact Ranking System (MIRS) ranks members based on the number of subscribers they have. The system's primary purpose is to highlight members who post quality information, so traders can sort through posted content faster. Members who have impact are highlighted with one of three icons:
 
To illustrate, a member displaying a high-impact icon (

 

) next to their username is ranked 'high impact,' signifying that when they make a post, lots of traders are alerted via their 'Subscriptions.' Technically, more traders are alerted than when 98% of members make a post, since high-impact members represent the top 2%.

MIRS considers both 'Buddies' and 'Subscribers' (found in profile 'Network' block) to be a subscriber, since buddies are simply mutually-subscribed members. However, there are some subscribers that do not count, as explained in the following 'Caveats' section. Also, commercial members are excluded from the system at this time.

MIRS has several ancillary uses as well. For instance, posting in threads can be restricted by impact, and thread starting in the Interactive Trading forum is restricted to members with impact.

Subscriber Caveats

While rankings are 'based on the number of subscribers' a member has, there are two types of subscribers that do not count toward a member's rank:
Ranking Formula

The MIRS formula is completely transparent. Rankings are formulated through the following process: Frequent Questions

How many subscribers do I need to be ranked?

The best traders approach the markets professionally, apolitically, amorally, waving no flag — this is generally how Metals Mine members are expected to conduct themselves on the website. Members who persistently or severely break the code of conduct may have their membership revoked.


Forum Code of Conduct

I. Focus on trading

Metals Mine is focused entirely on metals trading, and therefore the primary focus of every member should be trading. The amount of trading-related sentences a member posts must far outweigh the non-trading sentences. While non-trading topics will naturally be mixed into discussions, the foundation of every discussion and debate should be related to trading.

This code is essential to maintaining a high-quality trading environment. Not only does trading focus keep the environment pure, but with members from every nation, religion, and political party, trading is the only thing everyone has in common. Focusing on what unifies the membership results in a superior trading environment.

II. Respect fellow traders

Theoretically, all members are at Metals Mine for the same purpose: the pursuit of trading profits. Therefore, members should treat each other like professional colleagues. Members should not be mean-spirited, harassing, or otherwise show hatred toward a member. Unresolvable personality conflicts should be managed using the 'Ignore' (

 

) feature.

III. No bickering

While trading-related debate is encouraged, members should not engage in mindless arguing, battling, or trolling. Not only does bickering distract others from trading, but it wastes energy for the bickering participants. Unresolvable personality conflicts should be managed using the 'Ignore' (

 

) feature.

IV. No nationalism or racism

With members from every nation and race, members should be sensitive to how they speak about other countries and ethnicities. Members should never show hatred for or be derogatory toward a country or a race of people. Generally, countries should only be referred to in terms of economics or market impact, and with an unbiased financial tone. Humorous tones, however, are generally accepted.  

V. No politics or religion

Politics and religion should not be discussed unless it's in direct relation to their market effect. Politics play a big role in the markets, and therefore, it's inevitable they'll be discussed — members who participate in these discussions must ensure they're not letting their partisan bias into the conversation. Generally, a member's political or religious affiliation should not be obvious from their posts.

Politics and religion are among the most controversial topics in the world. At best, both topics are a distraction from the pursuit of trading profits, and at worst, they boil emotions. Minimizing these topics minimizes the negative commotion they typically invoke. Humorous tones, however, are generally accepted.  

VI. No conspiracy or doomsday

Metals Mine is not the place for people with an extraordinary ability to detect conspiracies, or people who have the ability to predict the demise of a market, monetary system, government, country, civilization, or the world itself.  These abilities are not useful in trading, and serve as a distraction to traders who view the market from a professional standpoint.

VII. No personal agendas

Metals Mine may not be used for personal agendas such as ego boosting, gaining attention, or exacting revenge. These agendas, even when tied to trading topics, can cause large-scale distractions that take focus off trading.

VIII. No commercial agendas

Members may not use Metals Mine to promote a product or service, either their own or someone else's. This includes products or services that are planned for the future. If a member's posts can link them to a commercial enterprise in the financial markets, they're in violation of this code.

Members who are focused on a product or service, or new members who mention a little-known website, are generally suspected to be company shills. Action may be taken against suspected shills without conclusive evidence, as they compromise the integrity of discussions and can be difficult to prove conclusively.

Members who wish to promote a commercial product or service must be designated a 'Commercial Member' and are expected to abide by the Commercial Code of Conduct.

IX. One username at a time

Traders should only operate one Metals Mine username at a time. Controlling multiple usernames simultaneously is prohibited, regardless of the intent, because it compromises the integrity of discussions.

Metals Mine employs a sophisticated system for detecting the use of multiple usernames. It goes far beyond simple IP address matching to ensure that no one is manipulating discussions with multiple users. Usernames that are found to be duplicates are marked with the 'Additional Username' status, and blocked from further posting.


News Comments Code of Conduct

I. No Hate Speech

Traders may challenge viewpoints or express sharp opinions, but comments that promote hatred, discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or harm toward a person or group based on race, gender, nationality, religion, disability, or similar characteristics are strictly prohibited. Threats of violence, dehumanizing language, or content that encourages or depicts serious harm to yourself or others are not allowed.

II. No commercial agendas

News comments are not a venue for advertising products, services, trading signals, paid courses, or affiliate links. All commercial discussions are held in the Commercial Content forum.

III. No Spam

Posting the same or largely similar remarks under multiple articles, flooding news comments with off-topic content, or pasting content wholesale from automated tools is not appropriate.

Any Member who makes money by providing a product or service to traders should be designated a Commercial Member. Commercial Members are allowed to promote products and services in the Commercial Content forum, as long as they abide by the following code of conduct. Generally, Commercial Members should be upfront, professional, and not be sneaky.

I. Be transparent

Members who are associated with a product or service should make that fact obvious. There's zero tolerance for cloaking a company association with the intent of promoting a product or service (e.g., pretending to be a happy customer, etc.).

II. No Spam

Commercial members should not spam Metals Mine by posting duplicate content, bumping their threads, or flooding the website with worthless posts.

III. No Scams

Products and services that are built upon bad intent (i.e., the seller knows the service is not worth the price) are not allowed to be promoted on Metals Mine. This generally includes signal services, multi-level-marketing, and get-rich-quick schemes.

While Metals Mine does not evaluate every product or service promoted by Commercial Members, if one comes to the staff's attention, it may be disallowed if discretionarily deemed to be a scam.

Metals Mine's Alerts is a customizable system that sends you notifications about news, price movements, calendar events, and forum activity, to name a few. You can opt-in to receive alerts via the header, browser notifications, and/or email.

Metals Mine offers alerts for any of the following events:

• News
• Story comments
• Calendar data releases and upcoming event reminders
• New threads and thread replies
• Member activity
• Private messages and engagements
• Price movements and targets

Alerts are highly customizable, giving you complete control over which alerts are received. The alerts you receive can be set in the Subscription Options popup.

Subscription Options

To get started with alerts, click the subscribe icon. If it’s your first time subscribing, you will see a popup that will allow you to edit the settings. Additional subscriptions after this will copy these settings, so you’ll have to click the Subscribe icon a second time to activate the subscription options.

   
 
Subscriptions Block

You can view and edit all your subscriptions from the Subscriptions block, located on your profile. (www.metalsmine.com/YOURNAME)

 
Comms

The Comms screen is where you can edit and verify your email address, enable or disable browser alerts, and activate Do-Not-Disturb mode. Comms settings are found at the top-right of Subscriptions Options popup, at the top-right of the Alert list in the header, or in ‘Settings’ on your profile.

 

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Header Alerts

Header alerts are accessed by clicking the bell icon located in the Metals Mine header. Only alerts sent within the last 30 days are shown.

 
Browser Alerts

Browser alerts are generated by commonly used internet browsers, and display a small pop-up on your screen, even when you are not on the Metals Mine website. To receive browser alerts, notifications must be enabled in your web browser.

To enable browser notifications in Chrome:

1. On your computer, open Chrome and navigate to Metals Mine.
2. At the top left, in the URL bar, click the Lock icon > Site Settings.
3. Click Site Settings > Notifications.
4. Open the drop-down menu next to Notifications and select Allow.

To enable browser notifications in Safari (available on desktop only):

1. On your computer, open Safari and navigate to Metals Mine.
2. In the Safari app, click Safari > Preferences > Websites.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the list on the left and click Pop-up Windows.
4. In the pop-up menu for Metals Mine, select Allow.

To enable browser notifications in Edge:

1. On your computer, open Edge and navigate to Metals Mine.
2. In the Edge app, click Settings > Advanced > Manage
3. Click on Metals Mine.
4. Move the toggle to the right to enable notifications.

If browser alerts are active on Metals Mine and notifications are enabled in your web browser but you are not receiving the alerts, try disabling browser extensions.

Email Alerts

Email alerts arrive in your email inbox after you’ve verified your address to be valid. To verify, request a verification email from the ‘Comms’ window and click the link in verification email. Visit the ‘Comms’ window to change your email or resend another verification.
 

The Forums are provided exclusively for traders to collaborate, debate, and exchange ideas about trading. High-quality posts from experienced traders are encouraged with a strictly-enforced code of conduct and a strong member base.

There are two settings that give you control over who can post in threads you've started. Both settings can be accessed by clicking the 'Admin' button (

 

) at the top-right of your thread.
 
 

Impact Hurdle

You can limit posting to members who've reached a desired impact rank (see Impact Ranking System) by setting an impact hurdle. Members you're subscribed to can bypass the hurdle, and you cannot be blocked from your own thread regardless of the settings.

To illustrate, if you start a thread and set the hurdle to 'Medium Impact,' the only members who can post in your thread are those who are ranked medium impact (

 

), high impact (

 

), or those who you're subscribed to.

Ignore Blocking

Members who you're ignoring (

 

) will be blocked from posting in your thread if this setting is checked. This control makes for a productive trading environment where you can trade in peace. If a member begins to annoy, harass, or attack your thread, you should quickly ignore the troublemaker to bring the thread back to its productive state.

Whereas the code of conduct governs the forum, the following best practices are etiquette guides. If you think of a best practice that should be added, please submit a contact form.

The News product provides traders with professionally-curated stories that are important to traders, and it is Metals Mine's mission to deliver market-moving news faster and more consistently than any other source on the internet. Additionally, Metals Mine strives to provide traders with the most useful and entertaining metals-related content available.

Metals Mine's News is curated from a wide variety of quality sources including central banks, global news agencies, metals brokers, financial institutions, and more. News sources are frequently and rigorously evaluated — all being accountable to the highest standard of quality. Stories are selected by Metals Mine's Financial Economists, who monitor the markets 24/7. Members of the community may also submit stories for consideration.

Settings

Each News block is customizable and can display stories by category, popularity, and comments. You can select from several criteria to customize your display by adjusting the flex-box settings in the top-left corner.

 

 
 


Subscriptions and Alerts

Subscribing to news categories and activating alerts is done via the Subscribe button. Clicking it activates the Subscription settings.

 

 

Story View

Clicking into stories allows you to view a preview, a link to the original source, member comments, related news, surrounding stories, and linked calendar events. Alerts can also be activated for all comments by clicking the Subscribe button.  Posting a comment will automatically subscribe you to the comments, and unsubscribing is automatic after two weeks of comment inactivity.

   

Clicking the subscribe button again opens Subscription Options for the individual story.


 
 

Breaking

A story is considered 'Breaking' when it contains new information that has market-moving potential.

Based on the price volatility of related instruments, breaking news stories are rated as either High Impact ( ), Medium Impact ( ), or Low Impact ( ). Ratings are often upgraded over time as the stories unfold.

Often, as additional information develops, relevant news may be combined in the form of joined stories. Stories are joined when they provide new information relating to the original story, and when published within an approximate time of the initial article.

   

Fundamental Analysis

Includes analysis, insights, and rumors regarding market-related events or known drivers of metals price movements.  Fundamental news makes up the majority of articles posted to Metals Mine.

Technical Analysis

Stories are typically price-based analysis and insights related to metals instruments.  These often include charts and indicators used to make price predictions.

Entertainment News

These articles sprinkle an amount of entertainment into what is often a very serious profession.  Articles are often funny, scandalous, exciting, or touching, and shine a financial light on the trending news of the day.

Metals Industry News

Includes stories about metals-focused trading businesses and regulatory updates, which are not directly related to price movements.

Educational News

Articles are typically history lessons or tutorials that are useful to professional traders.
 

Metals Mine economists regularly post stories via the ‘Newsstand’ user, however, any member is encouraged to submit news for consideration. The news editors only approve the timeliest and most insightful stories which fit well with the current news mix.

Breaking news, professional analysis, and entertaining news are the most likely to be posted, while stories that are stale, duplicates, promotional, or cater to novice traders are least likely to be posted.

A denied story does not mean the editors deemed the story to be low quality; it means the story was not the best fit with the targeted news mix at the time.

How to Submit

Paste the story URL into the "Submit News" field at the top-left sidebar of News and click Submit News.

 

Story submission details can be edited on the page that follows. If submitting via mobile phone, this screen will be skipped, and the story will be immediately sent to the news editors.

 

Once finalized, clicking ‘Submit to Editors’ will send the story to Metals Mine staff who will evaluate the submission for necessary edits and posting.

 

The Market product is powered by a sophisticated infrastructure that aggregates prices from multiple sources in real-time. The infrastructure has been developed by Fair Economy since 2009, and its price-aggregation capabilities are leveraged to create a unique set of instruments that represent the true spot metals market.  


Spot Metals Instruments

Metals Mine includes 51 spot-metals instruments, reporting prices 24-hours a day in real-time. Data is aggregated from more than a dozen sources to simulate exchange-like prices that represent the broad spot market.  Please note that brokers offering futures-based CFDs will generally quote higher prices than Metals Mine, as spot prices are generally lower than futures prices. To view an instrument, type any of the following into the Scanner or Chart:


Data Sources

Market aggregates price data, in real-time, from the following ECNs, market makers, and government agencies:
 
Live Data

Market applications have a 'Live' option in the header. When checked, prices will update automatically, without requiring the page to reload. Please note that live feeds will persistently use your computer's processor and network connection.

 

Open/Close Times

Without a central exchange, there's no official open or close times for the metals market. Like all spot markets, every participating dealer sets their own market hours. For practical purposes, Metals Mine considers the metals market open from Sunday 6pm ET to Friday 5pm ET, and this period is referred to as 'MM market hours' ('ET' stands for 'Eastern Time' and it's the time zone for New York).

Market operates according to MM market hours, which are 5:00pm to 4:00pm in your time zone (assuming your time is synchronized). The Scanner and Chart will stop updating when the market is considered closed, the chart's daily bars open and close according to MM market hours, and the chart's first 4-hour bar of each day opens according to MM market hours. Please note that the MM market hours' range will shift by one hour with daylight savings time in Spring and Fall, as New York can be in either EST (Eastern Standard Time) or EDT (Eastern Daylight Time).


Disclaimer

Data included in the Market product is aggregated from the above-listed sources. Metals Mine does not verify this data, and disclaims any obligation to do so. Metals Mine and the above-listed sources expressly disclaim the accuracy, adequacy, or completeness of the produced data, and shall not be held liable for any errors, omissions, defects, delays, interruptions, or for any actions taken in reliance on the data. All data and information is provided "as is" for personal informational purposes only, and is not intended for trading purposes or as financial advice. Please consult several sources before executing a trade.

The Market Scanner is a flexible interface that gives traders a broad view of current market conditions, at a glance. 
 
 

Metric Rows

The metrics can be customized by clicking on the metric's cell.  You can choose from nine metrics, and many allow you to set the metric's period and color.
 
 
For look-back periods of 'Last 6 Hours' or shorter, change is calculated by comparing the current bid to the closing bid of the 1M bar X minutes ago (i.e., rolling basis). For example, the 'Last 30 Minutes' change is the current bid minus the closing bid of the 1M bar that occurred 30 minutes ago.

For the look-back periods of '12 Hours' and longer, the change is calculated similarly, except 5M bars are used instead of 1M bars. For example, the 'Last 12 Hours' change is the current bid minus the closing bid of the 5M bar that occurred 12 hours ago.

The period represents absolute time, not market time. Therefore, when the market opens for the week, the 'Last 24 Hours' period will look back to the previous day, not the last day the market was open. To illustrate, if you're viewing the 'Net Change' for the 'Last 24 Hours' shortly after the market opens for the week, you'll effectively be viewing the change since the market opened (not a full 24 hours).

 

Abbreviations Used
 

The Market Chart is based on the median bid from several aggregated sources. Times are displayed according to your time zone settings, your mouse wheel can be used to zoom in and out, and the chart can be moved by clicking and dragging.
 

The sessions timeline tracks major markets in financial trading. It gives you an at-a-glance feel for which sessions are active, which sessions are coming up, and when they'll begin and end.



 
Metals instruments are traded via a number of brokers and exchanges that operate across different time zones around the world. The sessions defined (Sydney, Tokyo, London, New York), and the begin/end times of each session, are an approximation of when traders are most active in the financial markets. Please note that the sessions tool will be revamped for Metals Mine in the near future, your patience in this regard is appreciated.

The begin/end times of each session are as follows (displayed in your time). Please note that session times will shift by one hour in the Spring and Fall due to daylight saving time.