I had mixed feelings about the plan. The managers of the private, invitation-only online community have been kind enough to let me listen in on — and occasionally participate in — their ongoing discussion of all things Apple, and I’ve found it an invaluable resource. The board’s 600 members — a number of them Apple millionaires many times over — have highly tuned antennae for any news that could affect the stock and a well-honed skepticism for filtering out what they like to call Apple FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt). The last thing they needed, I felt, was a flood of newbies ruining the neighborhood.

I needn’t have worried. Despite their inexperience in the klieg lights and Simon’s somewhat breathless commentary, the three members — co-founder Desiree Owen, advertising executive David Thall and retired military intelligence officer JB Nabors — acquitted themselves well. But so far only a handful of new requests for membership have come in to what CNBC’s graphics department kept insisting was APPL (sic) Sanity, and the site’s managers are wisely asking prospective members to first spend three months participating in Investor Village’s public Apple board so they can be fairly judged on the quality of their posts.

All in all, I thought it was a useful segment, and I’ve posted a copy below and on YouTube.