Is this the Golden Age of Vaping?

[Trill]

I'm with dragonbone here. It's -my- Golden Age, for sure! The 90s were -my- Golden Age of hippiedom. I was born too late, but I found the culture and made the culture, and for me, I may have well have been riding Furthur and living at The Farm in the early days.

Also had my own Golden Days in the puter biz, rolling my own Linux, going to the first Linux and other open-type software conventions, meeting God himself (Linus), and before that, the Golden Days of BBSing, when people were doing things that other people were saying couldn't be done, and making friends outside of my geography for the first time.

I do worry about upcoming regulation. The tobacco companies do NOT like this. My doctor even said to me, "trying to put me out of business now?" (we have an ongoing morbid joke that I was keeping him in business by smoking)

We'll see.

 

[DaveP]

Actually I think we do drive development. A lot of things we see are first made by vapers themselves. The DCT tank is a variation on a mod made by a vaper using a syringe. I actually made one those. Clearomizers are variations on home built rebuildable atomizers. It happens all the time. I'd venture to say that most development in this area is being done by users. The manufacturers are just perfecting it or in the case of clearomizers, trying to perfect it.

We do drive development in proprietary areas of the technology. Two years ago, ECF was full of posts about which filler media was best for carts. People were tired of polyfill wicking problems, low fill volume and dry hits. They tried blue foam from fish tanks, small cocktail straws, and a myriad of other designs to improve the volume of juice you could put in a 510 cartridge. There were tens of threads with photos and explanations of things people developed for wicking.

Where there's a problem, users will become experimenters and designers and address it.

 

[UncleKevin]

Glad to see the conversation still going ...

I am glad several of you see the validity of the PC industry analogy. I think the timetables are accelerated now a days, but you can certainly see the same cycles at work.

Early on we got most of our software from Shareware, Public Domain and then Open Source (as it is known now) sources. There simply was very little GOOD commercial software. There was a lot of "sharing" of software going on then as well. This was followed a decade or so later with the introduction of so-called software patents.

With PVs, we have already seen the first patent law suit suggesting the industry has already reached a level of maturity. This can act as an agent to produce more innovative designs, but it will also (eventually) stifle the creation of clones as was mentioned earlier. This is not necessarily a good thing because innovation can come in the form of manufacturing process - where costs are reduced, less waste is produced and margins are increased.

Look at all of the tank systems available. These certainly are all copies of each other's basic design. But they differentiate themselves with features and varied manufacturing processes. There are certainly differences in quality as well. All these add up to give consumers more choice even over a similar basic design.

The other thing I notice is that this "taxation / regulation" phase may be upon us but it is really not that important in the grand scheme of things. It is a standard cycle and will happen. The pendulum will swing too far at first as an over-reaction. This always happens. However, the more interesting aspect of this cycle is that it is a sign that the PV is becoming "mainstream" and has caught the eye of consumers, big biz and regulators alike. What comes with that is more investment in product development across a wider group of players.

Yes, we see Big Tobacco starting to get interested, but they will not be the only ones. Look at the communication industry - cell/telco companies, cable companies and even power companies (in some cases) duking it out for market share. This has provided for a healthy source of competition, driving product development giving us more choices.

Yes, vaping will probably become more expensive for a time until the competition can take shape and drive prices back down. Regulation will go over board for a while as well. Watch for vaping to be an issue of some national election - that is when we will really know we have arrived. During this time a large body of companies will be fighting over how to "monetize" the industry. This will, in part, be a driver of some silly regulations that favor one group of companies over others. [ Can you say net neutrality? ]

Ten years from now, the industry will look nothing like it does today. Vaping will no longer just be done by the cool kids. Much like the hobbyist computer geek (of which I was one since the 70s) no longer had a place and lost control of their hobby.

That took some adjustment for me. But now, computer products are commodities. Very few people are afraid of them and software runs in everything (watches, refrigerators, toasters ).

The same is coming for vaping. Better products, more available, a lot more of them and in most cases will be much safer.

Exciting times ...

 

[mostapha]

Look at the communication industry - cell/telco companies, cable companies and even power companies (in some cases) duking it out for market share. This has provided for a healthy source of competition, driving product development giving us more choices.

You and I live in different worlds. In my world, telcos argue with customers and lie about technological capabilities of their own systems and their competitors systems and policies. They don't know how to engage in business practices that aren't anti-competitive. They intentionally stall technological developments. They deal with technological shortcomings by bumping their marketing budgets.

And they do it all because they know people can't live without their service.

If the PV industry is becoming like a telco, we should all start learning to make out own.

 

[UncleKevin]

You and I live in different worlds. In my world, telcos argue with customers and lie about technological capabilities of their own systems and their competitors systems and policies. They don't know how to engage in business practices that aren't anti-competitive. They intentionally stall technological developments. They deal with technological shortcomings by bumping their marketing budgets.

I guess we must. Do you remember Compuserv? Or AOL?

I was using CRL to get access to the Internet in 1994. As I recall it was about $25/mo - it was 9600 baud dialup and text only back then. My phone data plan today is unlimited for both my wife and I for $30/mo.

Today I have service that is many of orders of magnitude better in the palm of my hand - in spite of these [adjective excluded] telcos.

In general, I agree with your assessment. My point is that if you look at the long term the effect was positive for the consumer.

And they do it all because they know people can't live without their service.

Well, they are in biz to make money for their shareholders. They still have to be competitive - at least in the US. I am not sure any company is really going to develop a strategy that is detrimental to their customers. Doing so is a sure death knell for them in the long run. They really are not out to get anyone.

As a matter of fact, most people think these big companies have some sort of grand plan that assures their success. In my experience, most folks at the top of these companies are either bumbling idiots, or at best just regular folks trying to keep up and forecast the future the best that they can.

I just do not buy conspiracy theories. Now do they have their customer's interests as top priority? Some do, so don't - depends primarily on the makeup of their board. It is wise to assume that a company is first trying to please it's shareholders. Pleasing customers and beating the competition for market share is a good way to do that ...

If the PV industry is becoming like a telco, we should all start learning to make out own.

In the short term that is probably not a bad idea. In the long term I think the consumer will be well served.

 

[mostapha]

In the short term that is probably not a bad idea. In the long term I think the consumer will be well served.

Oh, I think you're right.

But a lot of the internet/phone developments happened while ma bell was broken up. Now, AT&T (same company) is bigger than it was when the divestiture hearings happened and has fewer competitors.

Things will still be changing, but I doubt that development will be as fast now that there are essentially only 3 or 4 companies that can compete and AT&T–the biggest one–is complaining that it doesn't have enough resources to expand their services.

Let's hope the mod industry never goes that direction.