Ex-smokers? Or just new hobbyists? what happened to us?

[talion]

I’m exactly one month off the smokes today and I am examining what has changed in that time. I’m also cataloguing my observations about what it feels like to me to be part of the vaping community. In the abstract some of what I will say may sound a bit judgmental, and I don’t mean it to be. I also respect everybody’s choices and path, so please don’t interpret me as saying otherwise either, but some things just strike me as weird.

As a smoker, I, and pretty much every other smoker I know, had a brand of cigarettes which we would not change given the choice, having settled into a brand that suited us. We would quietly and without fanfare go about the business of smoking, and think no more about it, except where in some instances we would run afoul of The Man.

I notice that new entrants into the vaping community (and even some veterans) turn into junkies something like tech nerds. More! Newer! Better! More! Jumping right into the jargon, becoming rabid consumers wanting to try everything and buy everything in sight (I’m generalizing, of course this doesn’t always apply) and in general going “Look at me! Look at me! Look what I’ve bought! Look what I’ve learned!” as the noob (I am a noob, but I hope not that kind of noob) looks to try to catch up with the rest of the community and make himself/herself heard and felt. Suddenly it becomes about trying to get your hands on every gadget out there, vary this and try that, this carto, that mod, etc,etc,etc. If I’m being honest I find it a bit off-putting.

I guess what I’m really noticing about this is that smoking was simple, and we were all just looking for a way to replace that. How did it all of the sudden become about being a rabid hobbyist? Is more better? Or really is it just more? To me it looks like tech junkies or wine snobs at times. Perhaps I’m just cynical.

Fry me if you like, but I’m honestly curious as to whether I’m the only one that has had thoughts along these lines

 

[Oriana871]

Well... cigarettes weren't nearly as exciting. Very few options, no choice of gear, ya got what ya got.

I don't usually get involved in any forums, but that might just be a reflection of my hobbies, so the ECF fan bug is new to me. I'm going to assume that if I did have certain hobbies and frequented related forums, it wouldn't be much different then here.

There's a great deal of enthusiasm, for one, and also a great deal of variety. That's about all I can comment on at the moment. We're all unique but I doubt it's really much different from any other hobby type forum, whether that's bodybuilding or wine.

 

[nebulas]

I have always been a gadgets and gizmos type of guy. I like playing with my toys and trying out new stuff. Fry me for that if you want but I enjoy it.

 

[nebulas]

There's a great deal of enthusiasm, for one, and also a great deal of variety. That's about all I can comment on at the moment. We're all unique but I doubt it's really much different from any other hobby type forum, whether that's bodybuilding or wine.

I agree. I have two other hobbies other than vaping and that is golf and guitar. I am the same way about vaping as I am about my golf gear and my guitar gear. I always want to try the next new thing.

 

[HowlingBadger]

I think you're absolutely correct. Vaping is inherently addictive. Aside from the obvious (the nicotine) The act of buying, testing and collecting new hardware and juices does get addictive. I think the question though should be, "is this a bad thing?"

Just like hundreds of other hobbies (paintball/airsoft, comic books, gardening, tools, video games, trains, etc) vaping has the potential for you to be cought up in it. But to me personally, i don't think that's a negative thing. Most of us are so vocal in the community because we know how well these things work and know how they can change lives. I take it as more about having pride in your accomplishments than bragging.

 

[therealcmac]

I love my gadgets and electronics so this is a natural fit for me, I love trying out new PVs and all the new cartos or what have you. Some people just want their nicotine and to hell with the rest of it....that's fine by me. I consider Vaping a hobby and I absolutely love it.

 

[talion]

Well... cigarettes weren't nearly as exciting. Very few options, no choice of gear, ya got what ya got.

I don't usually get involved in any forums, but that might just be a reflection of my hobbies, so the ECF fan bug is new to me. I'm going to assume that if I did have certain hobbies and frequented related forums, it wouldn't be much different then here.

There's a great deal of enthusiasm, for one, and also a great deal of variety. That's about all I can comment on at the moment. We're all unique but I doubt it's really much different from any other hobby type forum, whether that's bodybuilding or wine.

I'm not sure if that's true, about the exciting part. We all embrace the vaping because we don't want to be smoking (due to cost and health hazards) but if you told me that I could smoke for the cost of vaping with no health risks, or the same health risks as vaping, I would probably chuck the vaping gear out the window. That may change over time, as I'm pretty new to this, but it would be interesting to hear what people who are being honest with themselves would say if they could just go ahead and start smoking again without risk. would the smoke or continue to vape?

 

[Oriana871]

I'm a lot prouder of myself learning about and getting involved in (ok addicted to) vaping than I ever was being a smoker

 

[Oriana871]

I'm not sure if that's true, about the exciting part. We all embrace the vaping because we don't want to be smoking (due to cost and health hazards) but if you told me that I could smoke for the cost of vaping with no health risks, or the same health risks as vaping, I would probably chuck the vaping gear out the window. That may change over time, as I'm pretty new to this, but it would be interesting to hear what people who are being honest with themselves would say if they could just go ahead and start smoking again without risk. would the smoke or continue to vape?

I wouldn't smoke again. I like smoking indoors. I like not stinking. I prefer the taste of vaping. I like vaping gear. I don't care that much about the cost cause so far I haven't hit the break even mark.

 

[nebulas]

I'm not sure if that's true, about the exciting part. We all embrace the vaping because we don't want to be smoking (due to cost and health hazards) but if you told me that I could smoke for the cost of vaping with no health risks, or the same health risks as vaping, I would probably chuck the vaping gear out the window. That may change over time, as I'm pretty new to this, but it would be interesting to hear what people who are being honest with themselves would say if they could just go ahead and start smoking again without risk. would the smoke or continue to vape?

If vaping were 100% equal in terms of health and cost I would choose vaping any day. I view vaping compared to analogs the same way I see email compared to telegrams. I think analogs are outdated technology.

 

[arcturus]

I think the element of "newness" also plays a role. This is a pioneering industry and innovations are being constantly presented. As such, we as consumers want to be at the forefront of these innovations to see and experience the full potential of vaping. Of course, the American tradition of "gadget fetishization" fits right in and, as with many other hobbies, it serves to further encourage innovation. In my own personal experience, I made a conscious decision to exercise restraint and take only what I need from this technology. In the end, the important thing is that this technology has provided us with an ideal means to give up smoking and thus saved many lives.

 

[talion]

The way that I feel right now I would still choose cigarettes over vaping, although I have no intention of going back to smoking. Whatever else they may or not be, cigarettes are real and a real taste, not an imitation. Vaping is always an imitation of the real thing.

I expect that this will change over time though.

 

[talion]

I think the element of "newness" also plays a role. This is a pioneering industry and innovations are being constantly presented. As such, we as consumers want to be at the forefront of these innovations to see and experience the full potential of vaping. Of course, the American tradition of "gadget fetishization" fits right in and, as with many other hobbies, it serves to further encourage innovation. In my own personal experience, I made a conscious decision to exercise restraint and take only what I need from this technology. In the end, the important thing is that this technology has provided us with an ideal means to give up smoking and thus saved many lives.

I agree with you 100%, and also made a conscious decision to limit the purchases I make with respect to vaping. I have a combination that works right now and until that stops working for me I probably won't change it.

 

[Oriana871]

I'm with you both on that. Happy with what I have, only thing I look for now is juice and maybe will have the odd indulgence in accessories.

There are those that love the newest and the greatest and that's just how they are. Do I even have to mention the technology junkies, the TV junkies, the stereo junkies, the instrument junkies, the phone junkies...?

 

[nebulas]

The way that I feel right now I would still choose cigarettes over vaping, although I have no intention of going back to smoking. Whatever else they may or not be, cigarettes are real and a real taste, not an imitation. Vaping is always an imitation of the real thing.

I expect that this will change over time though.

If you stick with it I am sure that it will change. When I first started vaping I had to have everything from the taste of my juice to the aesthetics of my device come as close to replicating smoking as I could. Now, none of my juice comes close to tasting like analogs and my device looks absolutely nothing like an analog. I LOVE the taste I get from vaping and can't stand the taste of analogs.

 

[KillFace]

I think we should remember that the people that post here on a regular basis are a very small percentage of vapers. I think most people that start vaping by coming here might make a few noob posts and find the info they need and then never come back. As well, think of all the "second generation" vapers there must be.....people who were converted by ECF vapers and who have never themselves even visited the forum. I personally have converted 5 people so far. Not one of them has ever visited ECF and are happy with their egos and don't have much desire to turn it into a hobby. Also, there are even "third generation" vapers caused by me....one of my converts has converted 6 other construction workers at his job site.

I think perhaps basing this particular judgement of yours on what you read and see here is biased for these reasons.

 

[talion]

I think we should remember that the people that post here on a regular basis are a very small percentage of vapers. I think most people that start vaping by coming here might make a few noob posts and find the info they need and then never come back. As well, think of all the "second generation" vapers there must be.....people who were converted by ECF vapers and who have never themselves even visited the forum. I personally have converted 5 people so far. Not one of them has ever visited ECF and are happy with their egos and don't have much desire to turn it into a hobby.

I think perhaps basing this particular judgement of yours on what you read and see here is biased for these reasons.

I'm not making judgments, just observations, but by definitions observations can only be based on what you see. With that being said I completely agree with you. There are whole layers of people that we'll never get to see and which in their indeterminate numbers might completely invalidate what I see. God knows most people are more knowledgeable about it than I am. My initial impression remains the same though. Like everything else I expect that to change and evolve over time.

 

[HowlingBadger]

Yeah, don't forget that most people you see here are the ones you speak of. Hobbyists. I'm sure there are countless others who don't take it to that level and don't bother visiting forums.

 

[Rttch]

When I started analogs, I went through several different brands to find the one like I liked best in terms of taste, longevity and amount of smoke it gave off.

I ended up liking a longer cigarette so it could last longer. For me with vaping, that equates to the bigger battery size that I opted for.

Some brands that I tried had tons of smoke and I wanted one that didn't leave a cloud of smoke in my face that could irritate me. That equates to the type of juice that one uses such as more or less vg.

Taste was the other factor in an analog that I also needed to find the right one. That equates to the flavour in liquids of course, which is very subjective.

I ended up settling on King Size Player's Rich cigarettes. That has now equated to vaping 100% vg (only because I have a sensitivity to pg) on a Silver Bullet with cartos in a tank for me personally.

I have now been able to narrow down my list of vape vendors to three and that is because they sell the vg that I need or the cartos that I use. That equates to the convenience of the nearest stores that I used to buy my cigs at.

The shopping experiences that I went through while starting analogs is very similar to what I do now with vaping. It does take a while to find the right setup and of course I put out questions to the community during that course of experimentation. Having gone through all of that, I proudly posted pics of my Silver Bullet with bragging rights because it does what I want it to and it looks great (imo). I was mostly a discreet smoker who only smoked with other people that I felt comfortable around or I smoked by myself. Same applies to vaping for me.

Yeah, some people like the greatest and latest, but a lot of new people are still trying to find their right setup. My hobbies do not include collecting items, but others do and I don't find that "off-putting". This is a forum for all vapers and the hobbyists are going to want to share their new toys with pics and experiences. I generally skip or skim over the devices that I don't have an interest in and keep up with the ones that I have experience with.

Ymmv with this site and my post is simply to reflect how mine works with vaping and ecf.

 

[ctourtelot]

So many good points in this thread!

I can certainly see the OP's point of view as this is the first forum I've ever really participated in on any kind of regular basis and it still blows me away how passionate the members here are. However, I've seen people with other hobbies who are just as fanatical about gear, etc.

I think for a lot of people, this isn't just a hobby in the sense that it's something they do in their leisure time that they enjoy. For many people here that were smoking for 20, 30, even 40years or more PVs aren't just "cool technology". This is something that has literally changed/saved their lives and the lives of people they love. The added ability to bling their equipment is just gravy.

I'm middle of the road myself. I upgraded equipment for awhile in the beginning until I found what worked for me and pretty much stuck with that. If I hang around here too long, I tend to spend more money trying new things, but if I don't come on the forum, I'm happy with my equipment. Granted if money were no object, I'd probably try everything just for chits and giggles.

My bf, on the other hand, got into ecigs with me. He was enthusiastic at first, but over the years it's just a habit like smoking was. I'm the one who researches new equipment. I DIY all his liquid and I place the majority of our orders for supplies.

I do know a lot of vapers outside of this forum and most of them are more like my bf so the poster who mentioned ECF members being a minority is correct in that aspect. Those who live on this forum are the die hard enthusiasts and not necessarily an accurate representation of vapers in general.