The thrill, the cash, the wild bull ride last year was electrical for day traders. You could call it the revenge of the conservatives. You can spot them in any cafe, at a dinner party, around a boardroom table.
Vindication is the name of the game.
A year ago, when dot com millionaires were breeding like rabbits and neighbours, colleagues and relatives were talking about giving up their day jobs to trade the market, these people were under attack. Many of them felt left behind in a world where everyone else seemed to be getting rich quick. Not any more. Australia's love affair with shares has waned since the tech wreck the collapse of the high-tech share sector which began last April. The Nasdaq Composite index has lost about 60 per cent since its peak in March last year and is continuing to slide.