Planking math

[JacquesCousteau]

Three related thoughts:

1) Is the problem here actually about kit vs scratch, or is it about some posts being really condescending? I mean, maybe it's just me, but maybe the "special olympics" comments and the like are off-putting? There's certainly space for critique, but there are ways to be critical without being rude.

2) The way some write about the supposed "kit vs scratch divide" makes no sense to me. I have no idea where these ideas come from. To quote a recent post, "Somebody builds an indisputably uninteresting kit model and everybody is supposed to fawn all over them with complements." What are you talking about? Seriously, it's like making something up to get mad at. At most, I suppose that many builds get a number of friendly but generic "nice work!" comments, but I'm baffled by the idea that that's devaluing the art of modeling or something. If the only comments people posted on all but the most impressive builds were "meh, your work is mediocre, try harder," I think that very few people would want to post at all. (And if your perspective is that only "high quality" builds matter: some portion of those builders will eventually become very skilled scratch-builders). There's also a lot of comments suggesting some sort of conspiracy to devalue scratch building, which I haven't seen the slightest evidence for.

3) I think the best way to shape the direction of ship modeling is by posting and supporting the types of builds you want to see more of, rather than writing about how the unwashed masses are doing it wrong. I suppose one can try to brand oneself a "prickly truth-teller," but at the end of the day, I'd rather be branded "makes interesting builds" or "friendly and helpful."

 

[Bob Cleek]

One man's "condescension" is another man's cure for an overinflated ego. I'll admit that the Special Olympics simile was maybe a bit excessive. After all, unlike ship modeling as some would have it, in the Special Olympics, while "everybody gets a prize," they still do give awards to the winners, too.

If the only comments people posted on all but the most impressive builds were "meh, your work is mediocre, try harder," I think that very few people would want to post at all.

Exactly. And this is a bad thing how?

I think the best way to shape the direction of ship modeling is by posting and supporting the types of builds you want to see more of

Precisely my point. I think we need to raise the level of discourse and lower the number of redundant posts from which little can be learned.

 

[JacquesCousteau]

One man's "condescension" is another man's cure for an overinflated ego.

I have yet to see any evidence of overinflated egos. I see a lot of posts with people being encouraging of others with shared interests.

Exactly. And this is a bad thing how?

As I wrote, "if your perspective is that only "high quality" builds matter: some portion of those builders will eventually become very skilled scratch-builders." I think a forum in which everyone posted the way you suggest would very quickly just become you writing to yourself.

Again, I have yet to see how anyone is forcing you to celebrate work you don't like. You're apparently getting bent out of shape over other people showing basic courtesy to others?

Precisely my point

And your builds are... where? I seem to recall you once posting a model catboat. It looked nice, why not share more like that? It would certainly give you something to do beyond complaining about how other people are too nice these days.

 

[Bob Cleek]

Again, I have yet to see how anyone is forcing you to celebrate work you don't like. You're apparently getting bent out of shape over other people showing basic courtesy to others?

You're taking me much too seriously. I hardly ever "bent out of shape" about anything. I'm not the type that gets "bent." All I'm saying is that I'd like to see higher quality work emphasized and less mediocre work celebrated because I think we learn best by studying the best examples. Beyond that, hey. I just don't even bother looking at all the kit builds, not because there's anything particularly wrong with them, but rather just because I don't have any interest in them. When I see something that does interest me, I usually thank the poster for sharing it.

And your builds are... where?

Here, there, and everywhere. I don't post pictures of them because I have no reason to do so at the moment and there's nothing special about them from which anybody could learn anything that hasn't already been written about and illustrated repeatedly in books and in other people's posts. There really isn't much new under the sun in ship modeling. It's been around a long time and is a pretty mature art form. I used to try to convince people to do things the right way. I used to crusade against plank-on-bulkhead framing, strip planking, out-of-scale copper hull plates and "bowling pin" belaying pins, but in a world today where the prevailing wisdom is that everybody's entitled to create their own truth, I've given up trying. As Dirty Harry said, "A man's got to know his limitations." As is the case with most of the guys in this world who've been ship modeling for the better part of half a century and are still sucking air, my modeling head is in an entirely different place than kit models.