Ozexpatriate Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I started this thread so as not to hijack the thread on the "psychology of responses to product announcements", but it is an outgrowth of that idea and represent the cyclic discussions we saw happening on recent Bachmann threads. So here is my list of the tiresome, well trodden, RMweb 'debating topics' that we see over and over again ad nauseam. Each of these topics is interesting the first time, but not the nth time. Thesis: The future of the hobby is in peril Subtext: 'We're all doomed, I tell ye, doomed" Argument for: Model railways have become the preserve of wealthy pensioners who are dying off and there aren't enough children coming into the hobby to sustain it. Argument against: While today there are fewer children growing up with trains, for the foreseeable time there will be sufficient people who model them and manufacturers who will exploit this market. Thesis: People model what they remember Argument for: Model railways is a nostalgia-driven hobby fueled by recreating the experience of our youth. Argument against: While statistically speaking there are a large number of layouts representing the 'mode' of the age distribution of hobbyists, there are insufficient BR blue layouts and an excessive number of grouping layouts to support that this claim is universal. Thesis: Enthusiasts are being priced out out the hobby Argument for: Recent pricing prevents people from purchasing multiple RtR locomotives per year Argument against: The hobby is much more than buying new equipment, and prices are roughly constant relative to earning power at least since the 1950s. Thesis: Model railway companies price gouge their customers Argument for: While doubtless there are some increased costs, price increases are driven mostly by a desire to make a big profit instead of a small profit. Argument against: The history of the industry tells us that model railway manufacturing is never a highly profitable business. Pricing is set based on the long-term survival of the company itself. Thesis: Proper modelling involves scratch/kit building, kit bashing or at a minimum, heavy modification of RtR products Variant: People who buy RtR to run 'as is' are not 'modellers' Argument for: Wishlisting for RtR models to an exact specification is not modelling. People who need something in particular build it themselves. Argument against: There is more to modelling than rolling stock. Research, track planning, signalling, structures, scenery, and prototypical operation are all modelling Thesis: Wishlisting is bad for the hobby Argument for: Wishlisting has driven manufacturers to produce more and more obscure models driving short production runs that in turn require 'you snooze you lose' buying patterns. Argument against: Manufacturers are interesting in selling product. Wishlisting has served to help calibrate market demand for products that people want to purchase and what they are often interested in buying is new, previously unreleased items. Contrary to the topic title, I'm hoping that people don't actually start debating these topics in this thread - though inevitably someone will. We've seen enough of that lately. I could add a lot more, but that would make my OP just as tiresome as the topics. Please feel free to nominate your own tiresome topics that we've done to death, only to watch them reincarnate again and again. Over to you, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I hereby declare we can invoke 'Oz's Law' when a topic falls into the above classifications. It's then up to the membership to offer some creative angles to it rather than repetition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted March 7, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 7, 2016 You can't beat a creative angle especially in a layouts photography. Does this class as modelling though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian J. Posted March 7, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 7, 2016 How about: I can choose to not read threads if they start getting repetitive within themselves or repeating other threads ad nauseum... Argument for: less stressful Argument against: less fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Devil Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Topic. X exhibition was poor. Varients. It didn't have what I like, so therefore it was poor. It was populated by ill tempered, back pack wearing, odious ne'er do wells....(and that was just the exhibitors). Parking was poor as I couldn't park just beyond the pay desk next to the first layout. Trade was poor as I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, the whole day was a waste of my £5/6/7/8/9. 'nuff said really.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PhilH Posted March 7, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 7, 2016 WCRC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derekstuart Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 The gauge wars. Surely that has to be the number one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derekstuart Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Please ignore my above post. I wish to nominate it for the silver award for most irritating subject. In its place I cede my point to Phil and his mention of "WCRC". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chris116 Posted March 7, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 7, 2016 The gauge wars. Surely that has to be the number one. We all know that seven foot and a quarter inch is the best gauge. No argument so cannot be number one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRat Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Haven't we had threads, discussing the repetition of threads? I'll be following this one with interest etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted March 7, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 7, 2016 Totally agree, but our local, well, national (IoM don 't forget..) discussion forum makes this look like a kindergarten. If exists, they'll diss it. And life here is easy compared to the UK, really. No idea. They call then 'Manx Crabs'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 ....daily life contains repetition....sleeping, eating etc. The yearly round includes the same months, the same seasons etc. Why is it of special note that certain frontiers recur in a disposible time activity such as model railways? Routine is of high importance to human beings Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold melmoth Posted March 7, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 7, 2016 Baseless extrapolation of the fine details of the supply chain for the Model Railway Journal based on its arrival/non arrival at a statistically insignificant number of random locations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 Totally agree, but our local, well, national (IoM don 't forget..) discussion forum makes this look like a kindergarten. Generally speaking the tone of RMweb is quite genteel and polite* compared with much of the internet. Places like YouTube and Reddit comments (and anywhere discussing politics and religion) can be downright nasty. Reddit had a user 'revolt' over moderation. * As it should be. Gentlemen (and women) may differ without being disagreeable. We are however politely redundant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 .... Argument against: While today there are fewer children growing up with trains, for the foreseeable time there will be sufficient people who model them and manufacturers who will exploit this market.....There's also the fact that some children never grow up. The hobby does relatively well because it makes fantasy reality for those children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointstaken Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Repetitive topic exhaustion - soldering for a starter. Dennis (PS Should the title be the "RMweb debilitating society"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Tiresome? Repetitive? Hornby bashing threads... which now seems to have been superceded by Bachmann bashing threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryD1471 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Don't talk to me about deja vu. I've already seen it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Flying Pig Posted March 7, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 7, 2016 Baseless extrapolation of the fine details of the supply chain for the Model Railway Journal based on its arrival/non arrival at a statistically insignificant number of random locations.Actually a special case of the trope: I've got mine. Related trope: Are we nearly there yet? In which predictions of the arrival date of a product begin immediately upon its being announced, drowning out all other discussion of the forthcoming item. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted March 7, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 7, 2016 Don't talk to me about deja vu. I've already seen it. I thought it looked familiar.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 8, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2016 Frequent mention of 'Rule 1' Argument for - It's handy shorthand for 'I'll do what I like on my layout' Argument against - If that's Rule 1 what are Rule 2 et seq and how come nobody ever mentions them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spannerman Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 In the media section it seems to be compulsory that every few months a "BRM/Railway modeller/Model rail/Hornby magazine has lost its way" topic reappears. Also every new release must be greeted with,"nothing here for me" before the 2nd page is reached. Nik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Yep, I agree with all the thread premises and counter arguments - they all seem so reasonable after reading them for the nth time. G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Frequent mention of 'Rule 1' Argument for - It's handy shorthand for 'I'll do what I like on my layout' Argument against - If that's Rule 1 what are Rule 2 et seq and how come nobody ever mentions them? I thought Rule 2 was "See Rule 1". No others are required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railsquid Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I hereby declare we can invoke 'Oz's Law' when a topic falls into the above classifications. It's then up to the membership to offer some creative angles to it rather than repetition. Are hesitation and deviation allowed? Frequent mention of 'Rule 1' Argument for - It's handy shorthand for 'I'll do what I like on my layout' Argument against - If that's Rule 1 what are Rule 2 et seq and how come nobody ever mentions them? Rule 2 is simply that we do not speak of Rule 2. Let alone the horror which is Rule 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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