An interesting thread this, indeed very interesting to see the attitudes of some towards fellow airsoft players.
I am just getting back to airsoft after a long break and I thought there might be a little more understanding here among people with a shared hobby.
As you can see from my avatar I have in the past worn some very different costumes as a re-enactor and should I decide to come back to airsoft fully I will probably wear military style uniforms, its part of the enjoyment for me. If you don't get that it is fine, but I would really prefer that you keep that to yourself and don't feel the need to tell me (certainly not in the way that some have here). Even better perhaps take the time to get to know me rather than staying distant and ignorant of who I am and what I stand for.
I may not get why you would wish to skirmish and not use military gear, but I am not going to tell you that or think any worse of you because of it. I may think worse of you if I see you making deliberately abrasive and demeaning comments about what others do however. At some point in life we all see something that we just don't get, but to dismiss it and ridicule it without even trying to understand it is just prejudiced.
The conversation here is also interesting in terms of "skirmishing" as a defence to buy an RIF under the VCRA. My understanding is that the need for skirmishers to have access to RIFs was at the time argued on the grounds of "realism" at skirmish events. And after all as an RIF and an IF function in exactly the same way the only need for a realistic looking gun is to have a realistic looking impression whilst skirmishing surely. However as some seem to be arguing here that realism for them is not a part of airsoft skirmishing and doesn't need to be for anyone, then perhaps the need for a "skirmishing" defence to buy an RIF is no longer necessary or pertanent and skirmishers would be happy to use IFs now as there is no need for any realism.
Not necessarily my views, but an interesting hypothetical extension to the the arguments of some here I think.