It's true that both hobbyist and professional can be "artists". It's true that "hobbyist" and "professional" are not mutually exclusive... I'm both. It's true that there is not a definitive and mandated difference in skill level... Very often and in many fields of human endeavor, it's the "hobbyist," who does what s/he does out of love, who is more capable or knowledgeable than the "professional" who does it because s/he has to. It's also, unfortunately, true that any word, accurate and wholly apt or not, can be used to hurt, or used in an intentionally hurtful way. I'd suggest it's very often done in defense of one's ego... Just as you can rarely find anyone more vociferous in, say, the Mac/PC debate than someone who's just spent a few thousand dollars on one or the other... Once a boy's spent a few thousand dollars an a single piece of software, it wouldn't surprise me if he named everyone who used anything else - particularly someone who got better results from a few hundred dollars worth of software and add ons - a hack. When they see work like Cath's (and so many others here) their little ego's have just got to be trembling... :-) I dunno... I sure like "poser dilettante" a lot. Wait... How about "Dilettante Poseur"?? That sounds awfully impressive, despite proper dictionery definitions :-) I just wanna someday be one of the Others with Cath, et al... I guess that means I better shut up and get back to practising my hobbyism, huh?