Read your link.  Dark pools are created so institutions can trade large blocks without moving the price, or to hide transactions.<p>Dark pools are beneficial to institutions in some circumstances, not to individuals.<p>And yes HFT hasn&#x27;t always existed, once upon a time you&#x27;d have a pit of screaming traders and brokers, and for an individual to buy&#x2F;sell stocks you&#x27;d have to call your broker on the phone, who&#x27;d charge you an obscene amount for the privilege.<p>Anyhow, HFT is more or less just a euphemism for high-speed arbitrage&#x2F;market making.<p>I look at the execution I get on my trades today, I couldn&#x27;t imagine not having that service available.