Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 09:34:28 -0500 From: Chuck Anderson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Cheap Modelers Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> While I am in a complaining mood, I find the modern model magazines to > be far less useful and harder to read than they used to be. My > collection of MAN and Flying Models go back to 1948 and I have every > issue of Model Aviation, Model Builder, and RCM going back to the first > issue so I know from experience. I built a lot of my early RC equipment > from the pages of Air Trails and MAN. Today's magazines are printed on > glossy paper that is hard to read because of the glare and filled with > color pictures that provide little useful technical information. Give > me a magazine printed on glare proof paper containing good technical > information and proper drawings. Model Builder was all of this and was > the best model magazine of the last 50 years. I miss Model Builder. > > Today's magazines are filled with "purty pichers " for today's > illiterate generation. > > Chuck Anderson > > P.S. RCSE is not printed on glossy papers and has no "purty pichers' so > it can't be for the illiterate generation. Ai, yi yi. Old people and their pet prejudices. It's a favorite aphorism to say that, because you don't understand something, it's stupid. Visual data is more efficient by far at describing phisical objects than are words alone; that is, the information is denser. That's why there are blueprints. So gain some visual literacy, you. Think pictures are for the stupid? Pick up an issue of Wired or Mondo2000 from about 10 years ago. Chew though that with your black and white, 2d brain, you old codger. Do you paint your planes? Why or why not? What shape are those tailplanes? How come? Here, go read a book. Watch out, it's got pictures in it: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0961392126/qid=1063656609/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3/002-1195470-7608032 Oh, here's one that's almost all pictures. I hope you can keep up. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/006097625X/qid=1063656653/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-1195470-7608032?v=glance&s=books Magazines have picures because they explain things well. Most magazines don't have appropriate pictures, or forget why there are pictures and just consider them filler. But I seem to remember that that happens with words, too. You're doing a spectacular job of putting off any young blood by insulting an entire generation just because of your lexical mind. There's nothing wrong with thinking lexically; but we're not all just like you, and thank god, because it would be a pretty dull place if we all thought the same way. I subscribe to RCSD. I like the articles. I don't like the pictures. I think they're even worse than budget requires, and there's some beautiful material to work with. I'm a graphic designer, and I've worked with xerox-budget things a lot. While the pics are a weakness, the mag is still worth $2.50, easy. Have I written an article? No. I've only been at this for a couple of years, and I haven't really felt like I had much to add until very recently. But there just might wind up being an article or two on composite construction by me in the near future, thanks to some RCSE folks who helped me understand what was otherwise under-compiled. See? I can use words. -J RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off.
