Day trading is a high-octane trading strategy on the financial markets where traders buy and sell assets all within the same trading day, aiming to cash in on short-term price swings. It's among the most dynamic and risky plays because it demands traders to quickly adapt to market shifts, deep market know-how, and tight discipline.

Key features of day trading include:

1. Short-Term Play: The big difference between day trading and other trading strategies is that all trades open and close within the same trading day. This means traders don't hold positions open overnight, dodging the bullet of potential losses due to off-hours market fluctuations.

2. High Activity Level: Day traders usually make a boatload of trades per day. Could be dozens or even hundreds, depending on their chosen strategy and market vibes.

3. Leverage: Many day traders tap into leverage to amp up potential profits from their trades.

4. Technical Analysis: Day trading leans heavily on technical analysis—digging into price charts and trading volumes to predict where the market's heading next. Traders use a mix of indicators like moving averages, swing indicators, and support and resistance levels to pinpoint prime entry and exit spots.

5. Discipline and Risk Management: Nailing day trading requires iron-clad discipline and smart risk management. Traders gotta set clear rules for themselves, including bet sizes, stop-loss levels, and profit targets to shield their capital from big hits.

Swing trading is a trading strategy that aims to capture short- to medium-term gains on any asset over a period of a few days to several weeks. Swing traders primarily use technical analysis due to its ability to identify trading opportunities in price trends and patterns. However, they may also use fundamental analysis to complement their strategy by ensuring that their trades align with the overall direction of the market.

The core idea behind swing trading is to take advantage of the "swing" or the wave-like movement in market prices. This involves buying into weakness and selling into strength: entering a trade at a low point in the swing and exiting at a high point, or vice versa for short selling.

Key aspects of swing trading include:

1. Time Frame: Swing trading occupies a sweet spot between the ultra-fast pace of day trading and the long-term hold strategy of position trading. It's particularly appealing to those who can't or don't want to be glued to their screens all day but still seek active engagement in the markets.
2. Technical Analysis: Swing traders rely heavily on technical indicators to identify potential entry and exit points. These indicators might include moving averages, RSI (Relative Strength Index), MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence), and various chart patterns like head and shoulders, flags, and wedges.
3. Risk Management: Effective swing trading requires strict risk management to protect against sudden market movements. This often involves setting tight stop-loss orders and having a clear exit strategy to ensure profits are secured and losses are minimized.
4. Market Volatility: Swing traders thrive on volatility since their profits are derived from movements in the market price. However, too much volatility can increase risks, making it essential for swing traders to be adept at market analysis and risk assessment.
5. Flexibility and Patience: Successful swing trading requires patience to wait for the right trading opportunities and the flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions. Swing traders must be ready to hold onto their positions for several days or weeks, resisting the urge to make impulsive decisions based on short-term market fluctuations.

Swing trading is suitable for traders looking for the potential for significant returns without the commitment to full-time trading. However, it requires a solid understanding of market indicators, the ability to perform technical analysis, and the patience to wait for the ideal moment to enter or exit trades. While it offers the potential for considerable profits, like all trading strategies, it comes with its own set of risks and challenges, requiring disciplined risk management and continuous learning.

Automated trading, often dubbed as algo trading, has become a game-changer in the financial markets, outpacing traditional manual trading, or as some call it, "hand-cranked" trading, for a slew of compelling reasons. While each method has its own flavor, algo trading is often hailed as the superior brew for its razor-sharp efficiency, laser-like accuracy, and its ninja-like ability to sidestep the emotional rollercoaster that humans often ride. Here’s the lowdown on why algo trading is considered the heavyweight champ over manual trading:

1. Speed and Efficiency: Algo trading systems are like trading on steroids, processing data at lightning speed and executing trades faster than a blink, snatching up market opportunities before humans even register the play.

2. Emotionless Trading: A standout perk of algo trading is its cool, calm, collected approach, trading without an ounce of emotion. While humans can get caught up in a whirlwind of fear and greed, leading to sketchy decisions, algos stick to the script, ensuring discipline is king.

3. Backtesting Like a Boss: Algo trading lets traders backtest their strategies against historical data, tuning their approach to perfection before going live. This is akin to running countless simulations to weed out any strategy that doesn’t make the cut, a task that’s Herculean for manual traders.

4. 24/5 Market Eye: With markets like crypto never sleeping, algo trading systems keep an eagle eye on opportunities around the clock, ensuring not a single golden nugget is missed due to human downtime.

5. Consistency is Key: Algos trade with unwavering consistency, following predefined rules to the T, unlike humans who might flip-flop their strategy based on yesterday’s news or today’s gut feeling.

6. Diversification on Autopilot: Algo trading spreads its tentacles wide, managing multiple accounts or strategies at once, spreading risk and snagging opportunities across various markets or asset classes with the ease of a seasoned octopus.

7. Slashing Transaction Costs: By executing trades based on exact criteria automatically, algo trading can cut down on the costs tied to human slip-ups and inefficiency.

Yet, it's no secret that algo trading isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. It demands a solid grip on both the trading strats and the tech wizardry powering the systems. There’s also the trap of over-optimization, where a strat is so finely tuned to past data it bombs in real-time trading. Plus, tech glitches, like a hiccup in connectivity, can throw a wrench in the works, leading to missed shots or losses.

Despite these hurdles, for many traders, the allure of algo trading—with its precision, consistency, and ability to ghost emotional trading—tips the scales in its favor, crowning it the go-to choice over old-school manual trading. Yet, nailing it in algo trading, like any trading arena, demands savvy, prep, and a crystal-clear understanding of the risks on the table.