Here's a Question:

   I'm happy just gluing parts together and would be completely satisfied with a " naked" model...no muss no fuss....THAT SAID I do fall under the spell of peer pressure to produce an accurate, well finished, super detailed product thar never really exceeds the set bar. Like the average person my models are rarely viewed by anybody sans my wife so... I do place in local contests and aspire to take something to the Nats but I build because I like it. Quacjs lije a duck, farts like a duck....it's a duck.

I build for fun. Heck -- most of my finished builds end up in storage containers. For me, it's the building process that is the fun. 

Not interested in competing or commission builds. But if a friend asked me to build something for them-- I probably would.

I am with est1961. I agree with all he said. I only do it for fun.

I can be my worse critic; but if i like it then I'm happy above all I'm relaxing and having fun call me a hobbyist.  

...I just like to build models.

Thanks for offering the question and starting this string which should find an endless amount of good responses. I think both of you have already explained it rather well. I would also like to add the definitions of the a few words being used as well as some of my own:

Better is in the eye of the beholder. Way back in the USENET days, there was a profesional modeler who built items for movies and television. He scratchbuilt remote control studio model submarines, helicopters, warships, spacecraft, etc.

To him, everyone else was nothing but a "kit assembler".

He built some awesome models, but because they were to be used in filming, sometimes accuracy had to be sacrificed for durability and on-screen appearances.

There used to be epic flame wars between these modelers in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Then there were some modelers who were hired to build kits that were photographed and displayed on the sides of kit boxed. There were certain restrictions placed on them like no aftermarket, no seam filing, no scratched built items. Just build out of box and paint according to the instructions.

These were guys who, when building for a contest or themselves, built highly accurate model kits, but when they were building for money, they built rather pedestrian kits because that was what they were required to do.

There used to be a man from the Far East on the forums who used to commission models from another builder who went by the screen name Art Instructor.

He was Gino's nemesis, and would post photos of kits built by Art Instructor that Gino would rip apart. Some of his kits were decent, but many were just okay; better than average, but nothing to brag about. He was a professional modeler I guess.