Attaboy Culture

This is an opinion piece.  A long one, and one that may run against the grain for some readers.

I have grown weary of model railroad forums for a variety of reasons.  Today's post will focus on one which has been termed, "Attaboy Culture"*  This term comes from the title of an article on the "Doog's Models"site.  In a nutshell, the author points out that often when a modeler shares their efforts in an online forum, that effort - no matter how well or poorly executed - is rewarded with a string of compliments, often gushing praise.  Any attempt to offer a suggestion that smells the least bit like a criticism, constructive or otherwise, is itself criticized by the crowd who had offered the praise.

While the article I referenced does a fine job of describing the phenomenon, I think there's more to be said.  The author doesn't mention YouTube but I've seen it there too.  Model builders, makers, and creative artists will share a video - often well made - about their latest creation, er, sometimes well made.  The comments are filled with Attaboys, and these are often "liked" by the video's creator.  But dare to ask a question that challenges the maker, and at the least you won't get a like, and at worst, the crowd of adoring fans will heap scorn on you or report you to YouTube for bad behavior.

What irks me about the Attaboy Culture in model railroad forums is perhaps a trifling thing to some.  I would check in regularly on a thread about what promised to be an interesting project.  There might be twenty new posts since I'd last checked.  One post would show a couple pictures and some description of the actual project.  The other nineteen would be Attaboys.  Any legitimate questions about technique might get lost in the chorus - and they often do.  Complex build threads might be dozens of pages long, but the real model-building content could be condensed to two or three without the Attaboys and general chatting, often off-topic (but that's another topic altogether).

However, what really worries me the most are the potential long-term effects this culture will have on our modeling community.  Seems to me there was a time when the general assumption among model builders was that a person wanted to improve their skills.  Hobby magazines promoted this ideal in editorials and the NMRA developed the achievement program to challenge modelers to grow in all areas of the hobby including authorship and volunteering, both of which were opportunities in themselves to promote the hobby and share your knowledge.

While those early hobby magazines included how-to articles from skilled people, perhaps even experts in a given technique or area, they also showed photos submitted by folks whose skills weren't well developed.  The assumption seemed to be, "start where you are - and good for you for starting! - but here's how you can do better, and doing better is a satisfying and integral part of this hobby".  You didn't have to be the greatest modeler, with years of experience, to share a photo of your work.  However, to author a how-to, you needed some experience.

I see YouTube videos and project threads on hobby forums in which the work displayed makes it very clear the person is a novice, perhaps even doing a technique for the first time.  Good for them.  Nobody is born with the ability to weather a boxcar or build a tree; we all have to start somewhere.  But these mediocre efforts are often met with that rousing chorus of Attaboys and lauded as if they were the greatest modeling ever.  So what happens when a really experienced modeler shares their effort?  Often the same thing.  This creates a false equivalence that reduces the hobby to a popularity contest.

When a magazine published an article or a photo, there was a vetting process.  Photos that showed a work-in-progress or a beginner's effort were described as such, and rarely was a feature article printed that showcased the work of a rank newbie unless some exceptional talent was on display.  Attaboys, such as they were, came a month later in the form of a letter to the editor that the magazine chose to publish often alongside a criticism of the same work.  These were clearly opinions, found in the editorial section of the publication.  Often there were questions that had been submitted about the article, and the author's reply would be shared alongside.

But today, thanks to the internet, anyone of any skill level can share their work, and comments can appear immediately.  Some unscrupulous types on YouTube make no effort to say they're beginners, instead relying on slick video production techniques and snazzy graphics to give the impression that they've been at this for years and what you're seeing is the product of experience.  If you have the actual experience you can spot their lack thereof, but if you don't, well, then you can see why their channel has over a million subscribers.  On a platform whose algorithms reward clicks and likes, well-produced videos, regardless of the content, often beat out the poorly filmed video even if the content is superior.

I can learn from anyone, whether they're a beginner or the world's leading authority on the subject.  Often I'll read an article or watch a video and perk up at one line that made the whole thing worth reading or watching.  But many times I'll cringe as the builder makes a rookie mistake that instantly reveals their skill level.  That's not the problem.  This essay is about Attaboys.  The problem is when this creator makes no effort to acknowledge their lack of experience, and passes themselves off as an expert or hides behind fancy editing to entertain the viewers.  Clicks and Likes.  Attaboys.  Serious questions ignored.  Suggestions for improvement criticized.

In one of Allen Keller's Great Model Railroads videos, George Selios recalls an incident with a publisher of a major hobby magazine.  They were hesitant to publish more articles about his Franklin and South Manchester railroad.  Why?  According to George, they felt like his work was too intimidating.  George's reply?  Nonsense!  People want to be inspired by good modeling, by excellence, and to have something to aspire to.  Clearly the hobby press was headed a different direction.

Has this hobby become anemic?  Are the seasoned veterans being replaced by ranks of novices?  Not yet, though that day may yet come.  So many fine modelers are aging, and haven't made the effort to become authors or make quality videos, to share their knowledge.  The NMRA is continuing to age and shrink in numbers and while the pandemic has brought many regional gatherings online, bringing many hidden gems and beautiful railroads to the public eye for the first time, the quality of the videography is less than stellar, and often serves to highlight the reasons why many younger modelers have opted to avoid the NMRA.

Fortunately, I still see fantastic work being done and shared in forums and videos.  There are newer modelers demonstrating skills from new technologies like 3D printing to scratchbuilding massive structures from cardstock (in N scale, no less!).  There are more experienced model builders blogging and making good quality videos.  The internet is still a young, adolescent medium, compared to published printed magazines, and can resemble a wild west boomtown at times.  Hopefully as it matures, this Attaboy Culture will take a backseat to a more meaningful interaction between modelers, new and old.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading.

*see this post for more.  I endorse the ideas, but not the profanity.