One individual investor is not manipulating stock nor putting a target price for shorters when they put in a low-price bid.

Instead, that means that shorts know they are going to have to give someone bargain shares if they try to take the stock down.

Do manipulators posting under multiple identities pretend to be long investors? Do they use the message boards to communicate with their fellow trader gang members? Sure they do. Sometimes a message like that can be a signal to others in the gang that that's the target price.

But, when REAL investors put in low-price bids, they are drawing a line in the sand against the shorts and are supporting the stock. Sometimes the shorts take it down below that and are forced to give the investor stock at the bargain price. Sometimes no one is willing to do that, so the stock stays above the price.

ANY bid for the stock is something that helps the stock and hurts the shorts. To say otherwise is disingenuous, in the kindest interpretation.