I can actually see an advantage to knowing what my friends (or top profiles) are investing in. There are certainly no guarantees with it, but if you were invested in one fund, and maybe 10 of your friends were, and then suddenly 5 of them dropped off... you might have a look as to why half of your friends were moving away from that fund, what had they read or heard that you hadn't.
i suppose if your friends were trading everyday, the value in that would be tiny, but for longer term investments, seeing the herd mentallity might make it easier for people.
If long-term investors are basing investment decisions on what their friends are investing in, they need to rethink their entire investing philosophy and strategy. Heck, Buffet's trades are public - if you had to choose between the two, would you rather mimic Buffet's trades or would you rather mimic your friends? Or 5 of your favorite investors instead of 5 of your friends?
i suppose if your friends were trading everyday, the value in that would be tiny, but for longer term investments, seeing the herd mentallity might make it easier for people.