I’ve personally not shorted a stock at this point, but I do sometimes buy PUTs or enter into bearish option strategies (which I guess, technically, is similar to shorting).  I do, however, believe that retail-pumpers cost retail-longs a lot more than retail-bashers ever will. 

How to recognize Stock Pumpers on Message boards, newsgroups and in chat rooms A counter discussion to the “Paid Basher’s Manual” found on http://www.novakcapital.com/bashers.htm

LEARNING is a process and an evolution. Learning is not all fluff. Learning is a process of awareness and unfolding development; one must be willing to work at it though.

A year ago when I asked broker friends of mine if the internet message boards will have any affect on a stock. They ALL laughed at me and said those idiots having an affect on a stock!

A truth: IT IS EASIER TO SCARE PEOPLE INTO SELLING THAN IT IS TO INFORM PEOPLE INTO BUYING A STOCK.  But once they’ve committed their money to a stock, it is much easier to keep them holding on to a losing position than it is to scare them away.  Its human nature to hate to lose, and if you sell a stock at a loss, you are admitting that you made a mistake when you bought it..

Well I asked those same friends this last week, and the answer from all YES! message boards and ""shorts & longs" (some) can manipulate with lies, and deceit.

Now think about that, you have elderly that invest and find their way to the message boards only to see false posts about “the next big move”, claims of insider information, or justification for a future by out.  Or you have a Yuppie with a kid to put in college going to these message boards only to see posts by 15-20 (probably 5 or 6 under alias) "pack of pumpers", or even 1 main “shepherd” leading his flock of “sheep”… all are posting the same false information about the news that is about to be released.  What do you think they will do ?

Or

It's easier to sit on (or hold) a stock than it is to admit that one has made a mistake when they purchased it in the first place – especially at a loss! THAT'S WHO THE PACK OF PUMPERS PRAY ON AND DEPEND ON. They want the stock to go up, but don’t believe that it can under its own power! Understand? And they have just as much money and risk as you. But they have the edge of fear, lies, falsehoods to post and to keep others holding their positions which they hope will minimize the drop in the stock price.  

Lesson 1: Remember, PUMPERS NEVER PUMP A GOOD STOCK. Watch the board for stocks with strong potential. They never have any pumpers. Pumpers only go after stocks that are going downwards or have excellent potential to go down. Pumpers get left behind, so they want to bring the price up.

Lesson 2: PUMPERS BRING UP OLD NEWS THAT YOU HAVE HEARD MANY TIMES. All companies always have a few bits of good and bad news. The pumper will post the good news over and over again. The stupid pumper will try to make the old news a bit fresher to try to fool you.

Lesson 3: PUMPERS POST MANY TIMES A DAY IF THE STOCK PRICE GOES UP, BUT MAY GO SILENT ON DAYS WHEN THE PRICE PULLS BACK. Pumpers can answer every question except those that involve facts that are contrary to their position. There is no negative comment they won't bash. They try to control the board. When all else fails pumpers resort to personal attacks against those who don’t support a stock.

Lesson 4: PUMPERS WILL LIE TO YOUR FACE. Never trust a pumper. The truth on all companies is that mistakes are made and losses happen, and things go right and profits happen. The pumper will try to make you believe that the company they are pumping can only make minor errors... THIS IS NOT TRUE. THE PUMPERS LIE TO YOU. Companies with falling stock prices are frequently making more than minor errors, this is the nature of the beast.

Lesson 5: The pumpers know YOU CAN'T VERIFY THEIR STATEMENTS. That's why they make the statements they do.

Lesson 6: The pumpers PLAY ON YOUR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. They can lie about information and you couldn't know the difference (unless you have done your assessment of the company and know the truth and facts).

Lesson 7: Pumpers play on your patience. YOU have held a microcap stock for a while. You knew it will be a madcap stock someday, but the PUMPER CAN GET TO YOU BECAUSE YOUR HUMAN NATURE WANTS TO KEEP YOU FROM ADMITTING THAT YOU ARE HOLDING A LOSING POSITION. That's when the pumper is best. You are proud. You have forgotten the commitment was to keep your losses small and your profit big. The pumper is bothersome, so you hold it through bad day after bad day. Some others buy, and the stock goes up a little bit. Then you feel justified for holding and return to let everyone know how glad you are for holding. Then you turn into a pumper as well. THE PUMPER HAS WON, AND GAINED A NEW PARTNER TOO!

Lesson 8: HOLD THE PRICE UP. That is the pumper’s job. The truth is not important. Lies are the norm. Post continuously on the board every day. They are trying to hit the newbies visiting the board. They are trying to wear out the critical discussions on the board. They do whatever it takes to wear the shorts out.

Lesson 9: PUMPERS WILL TRY TO CREATE DOUBT AND GET YOU TO RESEARCH ITEMS THAT THEY KNOW WILL LEAD TO THE CREATION OF DOUBT IN YOU AND IN OTHER STOCKHOLDERS. A typical trick of an advanced pumper is to propose that there is a potential news release coming, but because "we" don't have the facts on a particular subject we don’t know the unshared details. The pumper dares someone in the group to find out the answer to the question. The pumper already knows the answer; the pumper already knows what will be found. The power of this tactic is that the pumper is now in control of the actions of the stockholders; the pumper has you, the stockholder doing HIS/HER due diligence and when you, the stockholder come back to the group with a questionable finding then the pumper gains credibility. What to do??? Solution??? Well, I think it's important to find answers but on your own terms. I actually pick up the phone and call the company and talk to the investor relations person or the CEO until I get a satisfactory answer. The problem here is that the advanced pumper has you doing his bidding and his work; you have essentially joined his ranks. So, develop your own little Due Diligence package and answer questions by placing the information into the package and referring all new investors to read the answers to questions raised in the Investor Information package but DON'T GET INTO A CONVERSATION WITH THE PUMPER REGARDING THE TOPIC. THAT IS WHERE YOU LOSE. DON'T CONVERSE WITH THE PUMPER; ANSWER INDIRECTLY; DON'T USE THE PUMPER’S NAME; DON'T GET INTO A PERSONALITY CONTEST.

A PUMPER’S HANDBOOK: know the enemy who wishes gain at your expense! Do not underestimate a pumpers influence on a stock. The Pro's are good at what they do and what they do is profit from your losses. Below is their "hand-book" so to speak. Learn from it or donate your money to those who make an organized plan to profit at your expense!

PUMPERS DO THE FOLLOWING:
1. Be anonymous
2. Use 10% fact. 90% suggestion. The facts will lend credibility to your suggestions.
3. Let others help you learn about the stock. Build rapport and a support base before initiating your pumping routine.
4. Enter w/ humor and reply to all who reply to you.
5. Use multiple ISP's, handles and aliases.
6. Use two (2) or more aliases to simulate a discussion.
7. Do not start with an all out pump of the stock. Build to it.
8. Identify your foes (bashers) and the boards "guru" Use them to your advantage. Lead them do not follow their lead.  Ideally, you will become the board’s guru.
9. Only pump until the tide/momentum turns. Let doubt carry it the rest of the way.
10. Give the appearance of being open minded.
11. Be bold in your statements. People follow strength.
12. Write headlines in with catchy statements.
13. Pour it on as your position gains momentum. Not your personality.
14. Don't worry about being labeled a "pumper". Newbies won't know your history, and you are supporting their choice to purchase the stock in the first place.
15. When identified put up a brief fight, then back off. Return later unless your foe is a weak in reasoning powers.
16. Your goal is to limit the momentum of the drop. Not to make the company blast off; be subtle and consistent.
17. Kill the fears of losses, promote the company and the stock.
18. Use questions to create critical thinking. Statements to reinforce facts.
THAT CAN BE PROVEN, NAME CALLING AND PROFANITY AGAINST SHORTS IS ENCOURAGED.
20. Tell people that you have called the company. They'll take your word for claims made. If they do call to verify you can always find something that is missing from their response.
21. Encourage people to take the companies word for everything. Encourage them to call the company. They won't out of laziness.
22. If the companies history/PR's are positive constantly point to that. Compile a list of this data prior to beginning your efforts.
23. If the price falls blame it on temporary outside influences, temporary mass reaction, the market, etc. Anything but the stock / company itself.
24. If other posters share your thoughts, play on that and share theirs too.
25. Always cite high volume, even when it's not.
26. Three or four aliases can dominate a board.
27. Bait the bashers with personal attacks putting their focus/efforts on you and not the stock or facts. Divert their attention from facts. Show them the facts from a "different angle."
28. Bash other stocks that would-be investors can turn to instead of the one you’re pumping.
30. Do not fall for challenges on the "values" of what you are doing, it's a game and you are playing it with your own rules.

GRADE YOUR FAVORITE PUMPER:

Advanced Pumper:
Will join the message board early and actually "bash" the stock with negatives; this pumper is very intelligent, has the facts of the company, actually helps shorts with Due Diligence and generally gets the confidence of the bears. Then, when the stock hits their price, the tone will change and they will start asking longs to check into this and check into that. The seeds of doubt are being planted. This pumper will then start using all the tactics listed on this page to create seeds of doubt. ALWAYS LOOK AT THE PROFILE OF A PERSON YOU SUSPECT. ASK WHAT STOCKS THEY'VE "SUPPORTED" IN THE PAST AND CHECK OUT THE MESSAGE BOARD. An honest person will have a positive track record that can be followed. I strongly believe that a contrary view is needed but this person is out to profit at your expense\ and does it by deception and creates hope after gaining confidence! BEWARE, this is the most clever pumper and the hardest to spot.

Grade A Pumper:
Posts lots of old news, responds to all negative posts with a positive side. Never responds to being called a pumper, never posts on another board. Can spend up to hours each week pumping a stock.

Grade B Pumper:
Very good way with words, always claims to be your "friend" taking the negative poster into confidence, never posts on another board; spends hours each week.

Grade C Pumper:
Spends less time than the others but is somewhat effective and gets a C grade due to getting excited when pumper’s rules say not to get excited; spends several hours each week.

Grade D Pumper:
Needs to learn the basics about being convincing when making a positive statement. Spends a good amount of time working the stock.

Grade D Pumper:  A complete idiot, most readers are not convinced he knows anything about stocks in general. The type that says a stock "rocks", but gives no rationale, shows up every so often but no regular schedule.

WHY PUMP?: MONEY (the usual reason), SPORT, ENTERTAINMENT. Some pumpers are compelled to pump because they simply need to justify their investment choice to themselves, so they must do it. It's a sad fact but never the less, a fact. It's life so you must learn how to deal with it or become a victim!

LEARN ABOUT HOW STOCK PUMPERS WORK: Very few pumpers are paid… just like there are very few bashers who are paid.  There are just too many people out there doing the work for free for a fund to justify the extra expense.

NEVER ENGAGE A STOCK PUMPER; if you do so then YOU BECOME THE PUMPER'S AID!

Read the news, do your own homework and make your own decisions. Get real time quotes and follow the stock for a couple of weeks. Due Diligence is key here. Know that there will be a time when the stock runs up which will be followed by the Bashers and those that missed the boat. The pumpers will praise the stock by saying such things as "it’s a minor setback" and "the SEC is lying" and deceiving. There goal is to encourage longs to hold and potential new investors to buy, by falsely supporting the company. Take the time to confirm your Due Diligence, ,trust your own judgment and believe in yourself, pick your point of return or loss and live with it. Don't listen to pumpers or bashers and live by the rules you have created.