In reply to Jon Stewart:
Like I said at the start, I'm returning to climbing after a brief flirtation with it 30odd years ago.To some extent I'm probably one of those "wall bred inexperienced fools at the crag", albeit there was no such thing when I were a lad. But active cams were pretty rare then too.
The number of folk climbing has increased dramatically, so has our disposable income. Climbers were pretty much seen as a weird bunch back then, and I knew guys that climbed on engineering nuts lifted off the factory floor, much older than me obviously.
Now, when the "wall bred inexperienced fools" arrive at the crag, they see folk with all manner of shiny stuff, and try to be the same. More of them than ever can also now just go out and spend a fortune on all the latest gear. (Then I buy it on ebay)
I understand the preference for trad, initially my intention was just to take the kids along to mess about on an indoor wall....things snowball.
I also understand the point about the presence of a bolt giving the option, but surely the challenge then is, do you have the nuts to ignore it? Just a different "head game".
At a sports crag I can solo some routes, my kids can lead routes entirely on their own gear, on their own gear backed up by an occasional bolt....
Getting late and I'm rambling....
To some extent it's maybe less of an issue up here in sunny Scotland, but I looked at a link on this site the other day to one of the popular areas down south; Stanage if I remember. Was one of those google earth type photos/topos: couldn't believe the number of folk there!! There's no way they were all well honed athletes, or well schooled in the art of placing protection.
Times are a changing. In the long run what's going to be the best way to protect the areas we climb in?
As usual I'm not really on anyone's hymn sheet, encouraging folk not to rely on machines, while tolerating the odd cheat if that's what it takes to protect climbs/climbers.
But like I said, the original question is not about ethics/climbing styles just about the relative impact of cams v bolts.