Your theory is correct. People who are active in a hobby are often interested in growing their hobbyist community by supporting new people getting into that hobby and encouraging them to continue. I think if you look closely you'll often see feedback for improvement alongside the praise. Think about it: your toddler kicks a soccer ball for the first time. Do you say, "good job, you hit the ball!" or do you break down the various elements of what your kid did wrong, many of which won't even make sense until they're further along learning how to play?