I don't really see it as one vs the other. I love to build, but I also have many arfs. The availability of high performance, light, and straight arf's for not much cash has had a big impact on my flying. I'll risk things with an arf that I'd never risk if I had 100+ hours invested in it.

I think folks that look at the arf phenominon as a step backwards are not seeing the whole picture. Of course, there is a real downside in that the variety of building kits and supplies have taken a downturn. There are also huge benefits to the hobby in the accessibility of RC flying for those that dont have the time or facilities (or interest) to build, and for those of us that want to push their limits a bit.

-G