Recently I find myself bemused by the self-censorship being shown by what we'll call the 009 community online towards manufacturers in commenting on their new products, and intrigued by why this should be so?
Bemused, because I'm struggling - off the top of my head - to think of any other area where, as consumers, we encourage each other to keep our opinions to ourselves and be grateful for what we get.
You probably won't be surprised to read that the source of this disquiet is the forthcoming Peco / Kato England engine, where those who have put fingers to keyboard with observations (not complaints!) about the good and no-so-good aspects we can see in the samples have been dismissed as critics, whingers, nit-pickers and rivet-counters.
That's pretty standard fare for model forums, and I would suggest the debate on this product has been far more measured than I've seen when the subject has been 3D printing or the profusion of steam locomotives with tram chassis.
And yet in recent days I have seen two major threads deleted because moderators have clearly decided (without explaining why) that these discussions need to be closed down.
There were a number of people posting - before their words were expunged from the record - who seemed to believe there was a risk that somehow all this chatter would upset the manufacturers, and frighten them off from continuing their investment in ready-to-run 4mm narrow gauge after decades where there were no British outline products on offer.
I do believe that's a rather naive view.
These are commercial organisations. They make and market products because - and only because - they believe they will get a return on their investment.
They are not doing us a favour by moving into 009.
If they were doing it out of benevolence it would surely have happened before now.
No, they're doing it because they've stumbled across an untapped market, and they're all racing to grab the biggest share.
Think of model railways like a slate mine. (Very narrow gauge.)
They've been quarrying 00 for all it's worth for decades, but the vein is becoming thinner and the walls between the chambers are down to their minimum thickness.
They're scrabbling around looking for increasingly obscure prototypes - indeed, these days we see them releasing prototype, one-off locomotives - and there are new competitors trying to grab a share of their market.
So in 009 they've found a new, unquarried hill, and they're tunnelling in from all sides staking their claim.
Do you really think they're going abandon the workings because of vigorous appraisal of their new products online?
(I'll drop the slate metaphor now, you'll be relieved to know.)
A lot of old sayings have a lot of truth to them, and one of them is: there's no such thing as bad publicity.
If you're bringing out a new product the one thing you want most - other than sales - is for people to be talking about it, especially if you're aiming to expand what its currently a small market.
I don't believe manufacturers would be put off by their product becoming the burning topic on a forum or a Facebook page, I suspect they're probably delighted.
And if it happens some of that feedback is negative, or pointing out shortcomings, the wisest thing is to consider it part of your market research, especially if it's your first product.
I've written many times here that I'm ecstatic to see manufacturers discover 009, and the more the merrier,
But I also don't see why any of us should make any apologies for expecting these models are the best they can be, and match the standards of detail, performance and specification that is offered in other scales.
These are not bargain basement products.
We are being invited to spend three figure sums investing in these products, so it's not unreasonable of us to expect the best, and to comment on whether we believe we're getting it or not.
I don't see any of these manufacturers withdrawing after a critical magazine review, so why should the actual potential customers feel the need to self-censor?
I find this amusing from the POV of a moderator of the largest model railway forum. We are often accused of censorship in favour of RTR manufacturers, mainly by people who ignore the brickbats thrown at those same people elsewhere on the site.
ReplyDeleteThose who do feel they are being censored (usually because of unhinged ranting) always hold other sites up as places where free speach is championed, but as you have found, they are often far more affected by the opinions of the single person running them.
I was part of both discussions and I dare say many would say I was the principal troublemaker. Frankly, it was a relief when you posted on the thread as I was beginning to despair.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right that we should not be grateful to manufacturers by default and nor should we be silent consumers. We can express opinions. However, I think criticism of the manufacturer's product is only part of the issue, albeit it's the one everyone focused on. Underlying the hostility on those threads is something rather more worrying and it’s been around for the forty years I’ve been following NG modelling: too many NG modellers have a problem with what they perceive as fine-scale modelling.
Now by ‘fine-scale’ I don’t mean the exacting standards of P4 or the 2mm society, I just mean getting things as right as they can be and by that I mean basic things like representation of valve gear for those locos that had outside valve gear, and outside framed chassis where relevant.
I’m not saying there’s no appreciation of fine-scale modelling in NG, but most NG modellers have no aspiration to build a ‘Charmouth’ or ‘Bron Hebog’ or to be the next Peter Kazer. Hence the unapologetic acceptance by many NG modellers of 'Smokey Joe' chassis under O.16.5 locos or the vast number of freelance tramway locos on cheap chassis. It’s all part of an unspoken agreement that NG modellers shouldn’t take their work seriously and there's no equivalent of that among SG modellers many of whom, with good reason, look down on NG models as second-rate.
As for your recent protestations that you're not a fine-scale modeller, I'm afraid I had to smile. You have far too many successfully completed Backwoods Miniatures kits to get away with that denial :)
Ah, the Backwoods kits are all Himself’s work, nothing to do with The Scribe.
DeleteAh, the Backwoods kits are all Himself’s work, nothing to do with The Scribe.
DeleteI know, but I think of you as a gestalt organism ;-)
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