In the early days of manned aviation, it was pretty much a free-for-all and devoid of formal regulation - other than the natural laws of physics. Barnstormers flew around showing off their equipment and skills, and they even offered rides to folks for money, many of whom had never even seen an airplane before. Quickly however, it became clear that there were much grander, commercial possibilities related to manned flight, and that is when things began to get much more complicated - sort of like in the UAV industry now.
In order for individuals to get funding and eventually insurance toward the purposes of commercial aviation development and implementation, they sought out investors and/or banks, but most financial sources - and insurance companies - were reluctant to invest until safety standards and regulations were created. In the early 1900's, the first version of today's FAA was created - known as the Civil Aeronautics Board - and as a result, manned aviation flourished into what it is today as a result of standards and regulations.
In many ways, history is repeating itself when it comes to the growth of the UAV industry. Commercial prospects abound, and as such, standards and regulations are here - sort of - with many more on the way. This is not necessarily a bad thing either, and certainly not a reason to avoid the hobby outright. Remember, one of the primary elements of intelligence is the ability to adapt, and without a doubt, we are going to have to adapt to changes that are on the way.