Howard Lindzon's Godfather Moment

“Today I settled all family business”
– Michael Corleone, The Godfather

Howard Lindzon took to the stream last night and had his Godfather Moment, settling scores with those who’ve chosen to take him on only in his absence and settling all family business.

It was awesome to behold.

Just like that scene at the end of The Godfather where the family’s enemies get it one-by-one as Michael Corleone attends the baptism of his nephew.  Bang – Moe Greene is taken care of in Vegas, bang – Tessio gets it between the eyes, boom – Clemenza garrotes the traitor Carlo from the backseat of a car…

It all started with a reaction to an incredibly insulting panel discussion at the Milken Institute Global Conference on “Social Investing”.

It’s bad enough that StockTwits, the company that INVENTED and embodies social investing, didn’t have a single representative on the panel itself.  It’s like having a panel discussion about cotton swabs and not having Q-Tips there, a total joke.

But worse was the fact that the discussion had to include a nasty false criticism of the StockTwits stream for being “too curated”.  As if ST should allow anyone who wants to come on and machine-gun their spam all over the place.  As if there isn’t a ton of thought and energy put into making the stream a useful and productive tool for investors and traders.  Trader please.

And for Howard to be attacked personally in his absence?  Well let’s just say they’re lucky I wasn’t there.  I have many flaws but my most well-known virtue is loyalty so trust me, it would’ve gotten ugly.

Howard Lindzon and the whole StockTwits organization have done more to push investing into the social realm than anyone else in the world, period.  Is ST perfect?  No.  Are you perfect?  Is anyone?  When you’re creating something that didn’t exist before out of thin air, aren’t some hiccups along the way allowed?

I am biased about Howard because of what an incredible mentor and influence he has been for me.  Before one of my recent TV appearances he tweeted that “The Pride of StockTwits” was about to be on – you can’t imagine how much that meant to me.  One year ago he introduced me to one of my investing idols and changed my life.  I don’t mean to be overly harsh in my criticism of that social investing panel, but I don’t take kindly to people trashing my friends.

And yes, I am also biased as a blogger and shareholder when it comes to ST, but I’ve been offered to take my blog elsewhere numerous times and have never even entertained it – so I am biased and affiliated by choice.

Howard’s an upbeat, positive guy 99% of the time.  But it was time to talk back last night and he did not disappoint.