If you want to read advice given in a supportive manner from either planes or myself, I suggest you read through the forum, because we have given supportive advice till we are both green in the face for the last couple of years.
To be honest, I can't even see why anyone would take offence to what was written here by either planes or myself, we were trying to simply come to grips with what was going through peoples minds.
Having said that, sometimes it is much better to be blunt than to coddle around the place confusing half the members with the point you are trying to make.
In the last couple of years I couldn't begin to even think how many times I have seen members getting themselves into hot water with their buying expectations, and if someone like planes or I can say something that will make them stop and think before they get burnt, then quite frankly I don't personally give a tinkers-cus how it is said.
What is important to me is that the message gets out and saves someone from putting their faith in the wrong advice, and losing what little they have to start with because they have swallowed some of the garbage that floats around on the internet telling people just how easy the ride is going to be!
I'm sorry if you were offended by our apparent lack of compassion, but I don't do sugar coating very well, and my best guess is neither does planes.......even though he is the nicer one out of us two :)
Some members here dedicate their time to give advice to people like you in the hope that it will save you your time and money. Perhaps you could try concentrating on the message content itself, not worrying about the delivery of the message, and you will learn from everyone's experience a lot quicker, and get less offended along the way.
Seriously, if someone wants to be tucked into bed with a nice warm glass of milk, then read a bedtime story, this really isn't the place to find it. If someone wants to get some clear facts about online or offline trading, then I think this forum has some of the best advice getting around.
As for the listings in the directory, neither planes or myself own this place, and we have no power as to what rubbish gets listed in the directory, that is something you should take up with admin.
What we do have the power to do is to try and stop people from making MAJOR mistakes, and that is what most of us here do.