The tape keeps moving...

By: Ray Pellecchia

File Under: NYSE

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There’s a saying on the Street: the tape keeps moving, right to left. My translation: Time marches on. Nothing stays the same. That trade is on the tape -- what’s next?

So it goes for this humble blog. It has changed since it started, and more change is afoot. To cut to the chase, I’m looking to open this space on a regular basis to additional bloggers, the first being my bond-market-building colleague John Holman, VP-Fixed Income. Before doing so, I wanted to explain what’s up and see if you have anything to say on the subject.

When we started this modest enterprise a little more than six months ago (Dec. 9, 2005 -- can’t believe I let our 6-month anniversary slip by without a mention or even baking a cake!), it was supposed to be all about the NYSE Hybrid Market. Kinda like the old Saturday Night Live sketch, “The Scotch Boutique,” in which Fred Willard ran a store that sold only Scotch tape. People came in looking for staplers or paper clips and Fred sent them away in disbelief, calling after them, “Keep us in mind for all your Scotch tape needs!”

But just three days after the blog debut, I posted “The winner and still champeen” about an article citing our low trading costs. I figured if you were interested in Hybrid, you’d wanna know about that, too.

Nobody complained or reined me in, so I kept going, posting info or answering questions about holiday schedules. Reg. NMS. New listed companies. Regulation. The Archipelago merger. The proposed Euronext merger. Trading-volume records. Competitive issues. Bonds. OpenBook and InfoTools. NYSE Composite Index. Reg SHO. Trade reporting and internalization. New products and services at NYSE Arca. Along the way, there was Thomas Friedman, the Oscars, and multiple mentions of guacamole recipes and classic rock. You get the picture.

I just figured if you were into Hybrid, there was a good chance you might have an interest in these other topics too. (OK, the guacamole was just a guess.) It's been a far-ranging conversation and I've enjoyed that aspect of it, and I hope you have too. Just sort of happened -- the tape just kept moving.

So today, opening up the roster of bloggers seems like a natural. Had intended from the beginning to have multiple colleagues weighing in, making it more of a multi-way conversation. And NYSE Group is going multi-product, multi-platform, and this is one good way to talk with you -- our customers and constituents -- about all those developments as we roll them out.

And don’t worry, you’re not rid of me yet. Still need this gig, because the phone is not exactly ringing off the hook with people looking for never-was drummers.

As threatened above, wanted to get your input on the expansion idea. Whaddaya think?