I'm just curious why new people are finally deciding to jump into the world of drones with the release of the Mavic.  I see maybe a little resentment or hostility against new users in some comments and I get it but you have to start somewhere.  I'm just curious as to why people are finally taking the plunge.

Here's my story:

I do a lot of outdoors activities: fishing, hiking, hunting, rafting, etc., and the idea of having a drone around to capture some footage of the adventure has always intrigued me.  However, I have always kinda had some criteria for what I wanted.  First, it had to be somewhat automous so I could continue with my activities while the drone did it's job.  I can't catch many fish if I'm constantly having to fly the aircraft.  Second, it has to be portable...ding ding ding, the Mavic was an obvious choice.  Third, waterproof-ness...well, we still can dream.  But, as Meatloaf once said, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.  

I think the major issue is because these are autonomous to the point where new pilots don't train in manual piloting and relies on the autonomous modes too much. This in turn creates a nightmare scenario if and when the drone decides to go rogue, after all, it's a software system and they can go rogue. Even mission critical systems with formal verification goes rogue (albeit very rarely) so it really is a strong possibility that your drone will go rogue at some point in time so you gotta be ready. My two cents is to at least train on basic maneuvers and recovery mechanisms in case your drone goes rogue so that you don't panic and know how to recover without damaging you, your drone or other people/property.

I think the hostility comes from the cavalier attitude of so many new users openly displaying videos of reckless first flights in populated areas such as suburban neighborhoods and over busy highways at night.

I'm not an expert pilot, But i have flown Phantoms and an Inspire for a few years now.
After having watched the marketing materials and tutorials displaying the ease of autonomous flight and the return to home feature etc, I too was lulled into a false sense of security and probably flew to quickly before properly knowing what i was doing.
My first Phantom flight ended up going wildly out of my control and i was lucky to be able to steer it into some bushes. At least i had the sense to fly it in an open field away from houses and people..

The Mavic has some amazingly advanced features but we are not yet living in the Jetsons.
In my mind, the autonomous follow and tracking modes should be viewed as highly experimental and untrusted for use in anything but the most remote and open locations. and even then you are putting your expensive drone at risk and subject to events outside of your direct control.

I'm a snowboarder and i dream of owning a flying camera that can follow me down the hill.
Unfortunately we are not there yet. Until there is a drone that has a full sphere of spatial awareness and sentient level decision making with the ability to anticipate unpredictable moving obstacles like other skiers and boarders.. I wouldn't even consider trying it. and even if i did have a drone that could do all of that stuff, I still wouldn't trust it..

Long story shot, i blame the marketing material for building an unrealistic level of expectation in this drones autonomous abilities. This Thing is amazing and unprecedented in is size and features but it isn't magic.

I still treat return to home as a last resort, safety feature.
Nothing is going to fly as reliably as an experienced pilot at this point in time.

leostark Posted at 2016-10-30 06:20
I think the major issue is because these are autonomous to the point where new pilots don't train in ...

basic maneuvers don't help much if the drone is 100, or even 50 meters away and you can't clearly see it's orientation. you can deduce orientation from stick response, but this requires significant experience.
imho, the best way is, as it was recommended many times, to start with small $20 quad, practice, and read the f..g manual several times.

Gray Volk Posted at 2016-10-30 19:24
basic maneuvers don't help much if the drone is 100, or even 50 meters away and you can't clearly  ...

agreed, like I said, experience is the key and for the new pilots, at least having basic maneuvering skills would help to an extent rather than just relying on automated flying.

agzela Posted at 2016-10-30 06:55
You might want this then https://www.airdog.com/

That drone is over a year late and they still haven't shipped to all their backers.  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/airdog/airdog-worlds-first-auto-follow-action-sports-dron/comments

Now that shape looks familiar!
Looks like it's made from Lego, although at nearly £1,600.00 it doesn't come cheap. The specs seem inferior to the Mavic apart from the price!

Gray Volk Posted at 2016-10-30 11:24
basic maneuvers don't help much if the drone is 100, or even 50 meters away and you can't clearly  ...

You will also see its orientation from your maps on screen, line of sight is a bit confusing, most countries regulations say you have to be able to see the drone, so it must be in sight at all times.
I think most people at first once they get going will flaunt this rule, but as soon as they get this out of there system , they will be ok..

"I'm just curious why new people are finally deciding to jump into the world of drones with the release of the Mavic."
Price, tech, size, ease of use (we'll see).

"I see maybe a little resentment or hostility against new users in some comments and I get it but you have to start somewhere."
There are regulations placed on flying drones and it falls on the pilot to comply. Some beginners (and youtube  idiots - casey) look at drones as toys, this in the end can destroy the hobby.

CabinPete Posted at 2016-10-30 12:56
"I'm just curious why new people are finally deciding to jump into the world of drones with the rele ...

I wouldn't worry about , I've been flying for a while now and the more the merrier, sometimes those your talking about can get a bit annoyed or tetchy if newbies ask questions without having read the Manual, so you might experience someone's answer to you question is go read the Manual.
I think you will find when everyone has there aircraft things will settle down to a more informed discussion about what we are really here for, mods here are great for tech support, and will always put you right.
Mavic is a great drone to start with ease of use to get started and also full of technology to keep you interested.
Stick with it don't heed the begrudgers , and good luck with your Mavic..