I&#x27;d probably be such a person (former HFT). But here&#x27;s the thing - I know fuck all about mortgages.<p>I know a bit more than the average person, e.g. I know the actual mechanics of a CMO. Certainly I can see past the &quot;evil vampire squids pooping toxic waste onto innocent homeowners&quot; story the media pushes. But if Michael Lewis wanted to fool HFTs giving the Big Short a casual read, he could.<p>In much the same way, I&#x27;m sure mortgage people could potentially see through BS in the Big Short (if such exists) but couldn&#x27;t spot it in Flash Boys. I also suspect that HFTs (read: computer geeks, the sort of folks who read HN) are far more vocal on the internet than mortgage guys.