Today I'm kind of sad.
I didn't discover Guide To Vaping until I was already an established vaper. Back then, the "Best Of" Polls might have offered me some useful information and helped shorten my learning curve.... but that was then. Today, the value and future of the Polls is on the verge of change, and only one person can decide whether that change is positive for a better future or the final nails in the coffin for this once-valuable tool.
Blake had a vision to create a site and yearly poll that informed and served as a valuable resource to vapers. A consumer guide, informing purchasing decisions and connecting vapers to the information they needed. A great mission!
However, allowing vape fan-bois to stuff the ballot boxes just as fast as they can create new email accounts and change ip addresses has all but ruined any usefulness the polls had to offer. Even more sadly, it's not really Blake's fault. The system would work if people were reaonable.... but it only takes a few bad apples....
Guide To Vaping has come back with new ideas to make next year's poll more secure. I applaud him, but it's too little too late if this year is allowed to run amok. I implore you, Blake, to take the necessary steps to preserve the integrity and value of your polls in 2018 to ensure that by the time you have a more secure system in place, your voice is still a relevant and respected voice in the community and industry, and not just some noise in the background from "that guy who runs those silly annual popularity contest polls".
To be completely honest,
@VaporJoe already approached
@GuideToVaping to ask to be removed from this year's polls.... we were concerned both that the results are headed in a meaningless direction, and that our own credibility might be harmed by association. GuideToVaping refused to remove any of our entries.
Joe and I spoke about it and agreed that a better course of action is to attempt to save the polls by restoring them to what they are supposed to be.... a useful guide to inform a vibrant and growing community of vapers. There's still time to get back to the mission.
Because as things stand right now, this is not a useful resource to..... well..... anyone......
I rest my case..... how much would a new or growing vaper be assisted by this "Top Three" information?..... I'm sorry, but none of the top contenders would even make the top thirty list of sites I'd personally send a new or growing vaper to.....
@VU Senior Leadership
@VU Senior Moderator
@VU Senior Administrators