To mine, I try to replicate what I'd see in real life while standing back far enough from a given real-life subject to photograph it in its entirety, which just happens to be the way we usually view (and photograph) models.
Panel line advocates, IMHO, tend to post close-up shots of real aircraft to make their point. Back away far enough to see that very same aircraft in its entirety and much of that "look" will disappear. With the possible exception of flat Gull Gray modern Navy jets, most aircraft look like pretty much all one big piece at distance.
What always kills it for me, again this is just me, is paint that's lightened to appear 100 feet away in scale but with panel lines darkened as though you're right on top of them on the very same model. Either you're 100 feet away or you're standing on the wing but IMHO ya can't have both. Don't get me wrong, though, some of the nicest-looking models I've ever laid eyes on are done this way, but the question you've asked is about realism and so is my answer.
I don't enter contests so this doesn't affect me personally but as the shading trends become more prevalent I can see where a modeler might feel pressured into doing it, whether he likes it or not, just so his work doesn't appear "lacking" compared to others' and this could possibly be a contributing factor to some of this hostility around here...feeling like the only baseball player NOT on steroids.
Personally, I enjoy seeing diverse styles of modeling. If we all built to one handbook this would be a pretty boring place to hang out, wouldn't it?
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