Before we start posting models for our latest contest I would like to take this chance and touch upon the subject of commenting and criticising.
A few weeks back there was a similar posting on HS asking "Is it bad form on this site to say anything when you see someone's model here and it is very incorrectly detailed? Or to keep your opinion to yourself and let them continue?".
Here are my favorite answers even though I don't necessarily agree with all of them:
- Best to not say anything unless they ask for it, there's some raging snowflakes out there even if you're nice about it. As long as someone says it in a nice way I appreciate getting any criticism but then that's a problem too, some people have horrible social skills.
- give effusive praise even when models are garbage. Presumably this is due to such modellers being precious little darlings and/or incredibly insecure.
- how you word it that's important.
Posting "Hey dumbo you've stuffed up the way the undercarriage fits - geez what a dickhead" may have the opposite effect to simply posting -
"My apologies, I don't mean to be rude, but I notice you've reversed the placement of the undercarriage legs. Is it possible to fix that."
The latter may been seen as helpful while the former might be seen as just plain offensive.
Posting "Hey dumbo you've stuffed up the way the undercarriage fits - geez what a dickhead" may have the opposite effect to simply posting -
"My apologies, I don't mean to be rude, but I notice you've reversed the placement of the undercarriage legs. Is it possible to fix that."
The latter may been seen as helpful while the former might be seen as just plain offensive.
- Unless it would actually benefit you from saying anything, and it wouldn't. I say don't. As a young Management Trainee. I was taught to praise in public and discipline or say anything negative in private. All it would take is for someone to give unflattering commentary, no matter how constructive, and then the trolls and wagon jumpers lurking about here would show their ugliness with tacked on posts.
It would perhaps do more harm to both of you, publicly. So I would ask the builder to contact me offboard. Then be tactful.
It would perhaps do more harm to both of you, publicly. So I would ask the builder to contact me offboard. Then be tactful.
- Years back it was allowed, nowadays, nope, don't even try it.
Everything must be " excellent build and finish ", " looks great " and so on even if it is a absolute piece of you know what.
So i would suggest keeping it to yourself.
Everything must be " excellent build and finish ", " looks great " and so on even if it is a absolute piece of you know what.
So i would suggest keeping it to yourself.
- I wouldn't comment negatively on a model on a forum because I have no idea if the guy on the other end will be hurt or not. It's hard to be sincere when you can't look someone in the eye.
- No one learns if they are encouraged to continue in their mistake
- No pity and straight to the point! (my absolutely favorite comment)
- I`d say you should be able to politely point out errors that aren`t related to the craft involved, like using a Walter HWK on a Stuka, but criticising the paint job is just rude unless it is asked for.
People post pictures of their builds on the internet because they are proud of it, and who are we to tell them that they shouldn`t be?
I remember 35 years ago I was at hobby exhibition in my little hometown, where they had some models on show. One of them immediately caught my attention because it was a 1/32 Me 109E in a very eye catching green metallic. I thought to myself "Wow, the guy who has built that really has no clue, and perhaps someone should tell him", but then I saw that the guy who had built it, who was standing behind the table looking very proud, had Downs syndrome.
He enjoyed his hobby very much, and was very proud of his creation, and why not?
We have all different abilities, and you know nothing about the background of a guy/girl who posts pictures of their creation on the internet, or how many kits he/she has built.
So just stay away from it.
You wouldn`t comment on another guys wife, would you?
People post pictures of their builds on the internet because they are proud of it, and who are we to tell them that they shouldn`t be?
I remember 35 years ago I was at hobby exhibition in my little hometown, where they had some models on show. One of them immediately caught my attention because it was a 1/32 Me 109E in a very eye catching green metallic. I thought to myself "Wow, the guy who has built that really has no clue, and perhaps someone should tell him", but then I saw that the guy who had built it, who was standing behind the table looking very proud, had Downs syndrome.
He enjoyed his hobby very much, and was very proud of his creation, and why not?
We have all different abilities, and you know nothing about the background of a guy/girl who posts pictures of their creation on the internet, or how many kits he/she has built.
So just stay away from it.
You wouldn`t comment on another guys wife, would you?
- It is praise in public and criticize in private.
And here are the official guidelines of HS:
"Plastic Pix" is a forum for posting images of your models, under construction or completed. Constructive feedback about these models is permitted if the modeller posting the images makes the request.
In addition, Plane Talking is not a forum for the public criticism of the models that appear as Galleries or Articles. Please make any suggestions for improvements or criticism direct to the author via the email link at the bottom of the Article"
Here's my personal experience. A few years back I was invited to iModeler. I contributed a short report with my photos from Shizuoka and received some friendly and some really rude and hostile comments that I let pass. And one day a modeler posted photos of this model of his without any details about scale, maker or any other explanation as to his choice of scheme etc. He presented it as an exercise in weathering
My comment to the modeler, whom I didn't and still don't know personally, was: "Hmmm…It’s Nakajima, not Nakajimi. Scale? Maker? And sorry to say but the inaccuracies are just too many! What you basically did was use decals from a Zero kit, an IJNAF a/c, on a Hayabusa, an Army plane. Sorry but the end result is rather poor for my eyes."
I don't know how rude and inappropriate my comment was but apart from the dozens of abusive and plainly rude answers I received, what really amazed me was the number of comments saying "I don't see anything wrong with the model".
The "Editor" who I believe is the owner of iModeler commented:
"The Editor believes that modeling is a field to express one’s creativity in a way that satisfies the modeler’s own vision.
The pursuit of “accuracy” may or may not be a part of this effort and is one of the many choices that a modeler may do.
Everyone is allowed to comment and point out what they think. That said, I’d be always encouraging doing it with respect to the builder’s effort and without imposing one’s own modeling ideals on the work of others.
One of the beautiful aspects of of this hobby is the variety of artistic license out there. That’s what ultimately drives our hobby forward…"
And then I was banned from iModeler (for which I don't give a rat's ass or στα αρχίδια μου as we say in Greece) and the commentators were free to blame Hasegawa for the model or how difficult it is to be accurate when it comes to Japanese colors.
So, it seems that on iModeler the unwritten rule is: "unlimited artistic licence is allowed and models should always be praised no matter what. Furthermore, our friends are allowed to say whatever they like but newcomers or people we don't know should sheepishly keep their heads down and preferably stay quite or else".
Good for them, very glad I have nothing to do with their site.
Personally on HS I only praise the models I really like. I do not comment on models I find technically less to my liking, like over-weathered Zeros or less skilfully built. I have never contacted any modeler personally to start a conversation (ain't nobody got time for that) unless they did first. Luckily I haven't seen on HS a model as blatantly inaccurate as the one above.
I think there is confusion between accuracy and artistic licence. If a modeler is striving to replicate as accurately as possible the actual aircraft (or whatever other real subject) then criticising the accuracy of the result should be acceptable. Accuracy should be objective. If the modeler is just having fun, have let their fantasy and creativity loose and accuracy is the least of their concern, then criticism should be minimal, because art should be subjective. It would be absurd for example to say that the "Quernica" by Pablo Picasso is innacurate but you can say this statue doesn't look like the real person at all, like here or here.
This accuracy versus artistic licence controversy is better portrayed in the following video:
And so, in closing, I would like to say that on this blog I'm really proud of you all for keeping the criticism during our contests civil and most importantly creative. I'm also very happy that whenever there was a case of a model with inaccuracies, the builder was really open to suggestions.
I think there is confusion between accuracy and artistic licence. If a modeler is striving to replicate as accurately as possible the actual aircraft (or whatever other real subject) then criticising the accuracy of the result should be acceptable. Accuracy should be objective. If the modeler is just having fun, have let their fantasy and creativity loose and accuracy is the least of their concern, then criticism should be minimal, because art should be subjective. It would be absurd for example to say that the "Quernica" by Pablo Picasso is innacurate but you can say this statue doesn't look like the real person at all, like here or here.
This accuracy versus artistic licence controversy is better portrayed in the following video:
And so, in closing, I would like to say that on this blog I'm really proud of you all for keeping the criticism during our contests civil and most importantly creative. I'm also very happy that whenever there was a case of a model with inaccuracies, the builder was really open to suggestions.
I'm also very happy there have been no personal attacks or any bickering between modelers.
You have made my job as moderator really easy!
As I see it, this blog is a good example of how people should interact when they share the same passion and their aim is to get together, share and be better.
So a huge "kudos" and an even bigger "thank you" to you all.
This is how I feel but how about you? Do you think that something should change regarding commenting and criticising on our blog? Do you think that some comments were too harsh or too soft?
