THE FOLLOWING IS BOUGHT TO YOU BY CURMUDGEONLY OLD MAN RANTS
( WARNING : Curmudgeonly Old Man Rants contain no added sugar and are seldom fully thought through in advance. They should not be viewed by any persons who drive out of tune diesel vans with “Save The Coromandel” bumper stickers )
Today National announced a backdown on the Mining of State Parks. Fair enough, I don’t really have an opinion either way, but if you were to believe the media it was because they were swayed by the will of the people. All that highlights is the clear indication yet again that the great majority of our media reporting has about as much substance as what comes out of my butt after my morning coffee each day.
The Land-Rights-For-Gay-Whales crowd certainly did their mandatory placard waving and got their desired airtime, but anyone with half a brain knows that the squeaky wheel does not represent the will of the people. The will of the people is, always has been, and always will be “whatever”. Most of the population just didn’t care. I didn’t see throngs of millions choking the street to parliament. The throngs were at home wondering what was for dinner.
But it does media ratings no harm to be seen to be siding with the populist vote, even if they have to actually create an impression that there is a populist vote with which to side themselves with before they can then side with it.
And so it is with internet modellers ( you were wondering when I was going to get to the point weren’t you ? ). Manufacturer A announces a particular model and the forums come alive with the “it’s all about me” crowd declaring that they don’t like it, they won’t buy one, Manufacturer A has obviously lost the plot and should burn in hell if they do not immediately produce what Mr. Allaboutme does want. Meanwhile Mr. Whatever goes out, sees it in the shops, buys it, or doesn’t. It’s just another kit in a box to him.
And Manufacturer A promptly ignores Mr Allaboutme and goes about their business. Because they know that for every Mr Allaboutme there are a hundred others happy in their own little world who really don’t care and will buy what they want, when they want it. Strange as it may seem many, many modellers spend their time modelling with a blissful ignorance of what happens in internetland.
The reality is that a few dozen people on a few dozen forums making a whole heap of noise isn’t going to sway a manufacturer’s decision on what they chose to build. The internet is a void for voices to go unheard in but like the tofu-hugging swamp mossie campaigner having an outlet that makes you think your voice will carry further than it does makes you feel like someone is listening. You can even actually convince yourself that they are. They probably aren’t.
But still people seem to think that they should listen to the squeaky wheel. Politicians do it after all. Don’t they ? The media says they do ? Maybe they do listen. Afterall they do have to reapply for their job every three years. Maybe they just offered you a lemon or a grapefruit and didn’t mention you didn’t have to have either.
But whether politicians listen to the squeaky wheel or not Model manufacturers don’t. They don’t have to listen.
If you don’t like something they release leave it for those who do and carry on waiting and hoping for what it is you DO want. But for god’s sake just shut up about it.
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