Request For Support

[JoeMischief]

Right. This may get me some sort of naughty boy spanking from an admin and as much as that would probably prove a lot of fun if I've gone about this the wrong way please remove the thread or plop it somewhere more appropriate. I am still relatively new so please forgive me.

I'm on Facebook as Joe Mischeef (they wouldn't let me have Mischief) and I've started a page called A Billion Vapers. I feel passionately about this whole vaping lark and am trying to gather together the vaping community united in one cause. Foolish possibly but I feel like I have to try. To be fair in a matter of hours I've got over a hundred people signed up and would like to keep that momentum going.

Firstly I would be quite moved if anyone would like to join.
Secondly to have the approval of this amazing site that has given me so much faith in the last few days and the permission to discuss the page would be incredible.
Thirdly to be able to promote the amazing work you guys do here would be an honour.

Please be gentle with me if I've gone about this the wrong way as my intentions come from the right place which is a passion for the very thing we all love.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/abillionvapers/?ref=group_cover

 

[JoeMischief]

Oh and just to cover it off I've been interacting with @ABillionLives and @Biebert the director and they are OK with the name...

 

[madstabber]

Sounds good, I'll look into joining the group. Good luck with your Facebook group goal and best wishes.

 

[JoeMischief]

Thanks. Much appreciated!

 

[Opinionated]

So, I have a question. What is your specific intent with the group: meaning, is there something specific you hope to accomplish? Or, do you just want to create a chit chat group?

I ask this, because a chit chat forum we have here, also, we have an informative area here on this forum as well where we can keep up on various laws etc. that are getting passed which affect vaping.

In general, I'm not trying to be hard on you or shoot you down in any way.. and I agree that we need to be organised enmass, but I'm not sure a new group is what is needed, but rather, more vapers rallying hard and supporting the groups which already exist in any given area.

I see new groups as more of a splintering/fracturing of what exists more than I see a new group as providing anything positive... UNLESS you see an area which is somehow uncovered/unaddressed by other venues?

 

[Eskie]

I hope good things come to you with this. I'd join but I don't do Facebook (common when you're old and cranky).

 

[JoeMischief]

Riiiight. I was hoping the 'good' people at Facebook would have unlocked my account before I answered, but they haven't foxed me - merely slowed my progress a smidge so all is not lost. So here goes.

Am glad you asked the question. It needed asking as it made me stop and quantify it myself. The answer sounds a bit crazy if I say it out loud. I want to see if I can do anything my way. It hasn't been tried. I don't have some kind of magic wand. It isn't arrogance either because there is a dangerous smell of that in the air. It's about me seeing if I can put my money where my mouth is. Far more talented people than me have failed so it is probably just a punt in the dark. I will need a massive dose of luck too. I have done a little consulting work on a few of these subjects believe it or not! I have turned small sections of failing businesses round for National companies whilst hating myself for doing it. I've always wanted to put a bit of energy into something I care about. Well here it is... I have a little time at the moment too for personal reasons.

There is currently a bit of a prevailing wind. A Billion Lives coat tail that needs to be ridden. I feel it might just be a moment to bring everything together. Or at least to try. As @Eskie rightly pointed out there are many who won't be heading to Facebook as they just don't use it. I'd happily bridge that gap though. If the chit chatters and the advocates and the Facebookers and the YouTubers and the Twitterers and the film makers and the tech bods and the tootle puffers and the Australians and the Canadians and the list goes on all have their separate place then we are fractured. We are disorganised. And we stand a chance of failing. We shouldn't underestimate that we are global. Who says that everyone can't add their name in one place. We can all pop off and do the thing we most love. Forums, local campaigning advocacy etc. But with a massive number of names all in one place with different preferences but one ultimate goal I think we could have something. Even if someone more able/connected than me can effect the idea somehow then I've succeeded. You should always have the best person for the job in hand. I may not be that person but it doesn't mean the job isn't worth doing.

This forum is beautiful and without it many of us would be lost. In the modern world of fast paced social media when immediate calls to action for every petition and protest etc might be needed I wonder if it's the only tool for this job. The weight of EVERYONE behind each cause in each territory. Twitter doesn't really give people a solid base. A dedicated website doesn't reach enough people. Facebook could just be the place to use as huge quantities of people worldwide are already there and it has enough attributes and enough people who care to reach out to the other platforms. Including here and YouTube and the power of their voices. Admittedly it took a bit of hard graft but within 12 hours I had over 200 members in the group. So much activity they actually locked my account! Bless em eh! It may not work. But first you have to try to gather together the numbers all in one place. If I fail have I really done any harm trying? If I fail chances are as an individual I won't have been noticed enough to do any damage...

I'm only one random guy. I just figure we need to think big. Sorry about the length of this but I have thought about this. Maybe a little too much eh.

 

[mattiem]

I don't do facebook either but I seem to remember reading something here about the powers that be over there were down on vaping. That could be one of the reasons your account was locked so they could determine if it passes their rules.

I will say though that I love your enthusiasm. Thank you for signing the Petition...hopefully, once your account is unlocked you will be sharing it too. Link to it is in my signature.

 

[JoeMischief]

Too much activity on my very new personal account which restricts my access to the group created and means until or unless unlocked all the contacts I've made and work done is relatively inaccessable. The group stays as is but can't be proactively progressed. People have to go to it rather than drawing them directly from the personal account to the group. Simple as sadly. I can regain access to the group whatever happens as it is now but will have lost some if not all the all the potential gained in recent days. As the rapid rate of response was to my personal account that is a significant loss and a danger of annoying the same people a second time. A bit like not saving a nights work on a pc and having a power cut. Irritating but it is what it is. It was just going SO well I overcooked things and the excessive activity flagged by their algorithms. The subject matter is widely discussed and ignored by the automated system so it would likely have to be an individual in PR who would have to flag the subject matter as a no no for the company before it was stopped. Supposedly they are down on vaping, but there are huge vape groups and many in number over there so I think it'd be safe for long enough. Once you got to the sort of numbers that Facebook as an organisation took umbridge it would be easy to direct such a large group of people through social media to another platform or dedicated website. The word spreads fast when everyone starts looking at the same time. There's an element of disruptive but coordinated marketing but on a massive scale. We do disruption to a market well. That is why we're in this pickle in the first place. The advantage of us being fractured is there would be no one simple way to keep us quiet with the speed a viral message can be passed through the net.

 

[JoeMischief]

I don't do facebook either but I seem to remember reading something here about the powers that be over there were down on vaping. That could be one of the reasons your account was locked so they could determine if it passes their rules.

I will say though that I love your enthusiasm. Thank you for signing the Petition...hopefully, once your account is unlocked you will be sharing it too. Link to it is in my signature.

Once I'm back up and running 100% I will post here so remind me I owe you a petition embed. Sadly burning the candle at the Vape page ends means my own name escapes me currently!

 

[Riplea]

I am not into Facebook. I use it only on the rare occasion. I know i am in the minority.

I am not sure how you will rally international troops. Each country will have its own set of laws and troubles? The main thing I see in common is vaping is not tobacco and should not be lumped in with tobacco.

I wish you luck.

 

[JoeMischief]

I am not into Facebook. I use it only on the rare occasion. I know i am in the minority.

I am not sure how you will rally international troops. Each country will have its own set of laws and troubles? The main thing I see in common is vaping is not tobacco and should not be lumped in with tobacco.

I wish you luck.

 

[JoeMischief]

I'm signing all the international petitions and explaining about the NHS and Royal College of Physicians report in my comments. Because I searched them out. Others would if they knew. Because I know, I'm adding my voice to yours because I care. You'd be surprised the sort of solidarity there is. I can't change FDA rules but when the voices get louder and come from across the globe singing from the same sheet surely it can't do you harm. Everyone seems so defeated and the battle hasn't even really begun. In this little Facebook group there are Spanish, Italians (did you know they are having the first ever outdoor nightglow vape crazy festival thingy?), Australians, Canadians, Americans, English, Scottish, Welsh and thats just the ones I know about. I got told off as my 5 words of Italian ran out and I reverted to English on an Italian group. One Italian guy has posted a video in Italian. Don't understand a word but how cool is that!!! Everyone has put aside even language barriers to come together!

 

[Opinionated]

I'm signing all the international petitions and explaining about the NHS and Royal College of Physicians report in my comments. Because I searched them out. Others would if they knew. Because I know, I'm adding my voice to yours because I care. You'd be surprised the sort of solidarity there is. I can't change FDA rules but when the voices get louder and come from across the globe singing from the same sheet surely it can't do you harm. Everyone seems so defeated and the battle hasn't even really begun. In this little Facebook group there are Spanish, Italians (did you know they are having the first ever outdoor nightglow vape crazy festival thingy?), Australians, Canadians, Americans, English, Scottish, Welsh and thats just the ones I know about. I got told off as my 5 words of Italian ran out and I reverted to English on an Italian group. One Italian guy has posted a video in Italian. Don't understand a word but how cool is that!!! Everyone has put aside even language barriers to come together!

Well, language barriers can be difficult to gap as not everyone speaks the same language..

But.. I do wish you success in your endeavors! If you send me the Facebook link once it's unlocked ill join..

Cant make too many participation guarantees though.. I hate Facebook. Lol..

 

[JoeMischief]

Well, language barriers can be difficult to gap as not everyone speaks the same language..

But.. I do wish you success in your endeavors! If you send me the Facebook link once it's unlocked ill join..

Cant make too many participation guarantees though.. I hate Facebook. Lol..

Is just as important to stand up and be counted for what you believe in. Participation is not mandatory! There are other admins in my absence and the group is fully functional - just doesn't have my ugly mug. You can go straight there.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/abillionvapers/?ref=group_cover

 

[texastrainwreck]

I get you want to be a leader of something important but it's a little silly. There is already a large group here. You're making it about you instead of the people you're saying you want to help. Seems really selfish. There are hundreds of groups and forums already. What would your group offer?

 

[JoeMischief]

I get you want to be a leader of something important but it's a little silly. There is already a large group here. You're making it about you instead of the people you're saying you want to help. Seems really selfish. There are hundreds of groups and forums already. What would your group offer?

Fair comment. I think you may have misunderstood some of what I said though. And silly - you could well be right! I have rambled an awful lot in this thread as I've had no sleep due to a poorly elderly doggy so you could easily be forgiven for misinterpreting a few of my poorly made points. I did say that more talented people than me have struggled so I may well just luck out if it does go right. Sometimes it's about timing or luck. I also thought I made it clear that this is something I believe in and would like to see if some of the knowledge and skills I have can be put to good use. You are absolutely right when you say my group may end up offering nothing new and there are hundreds of viable alternatives around already. If I succeed in some way then we all gain. If I fall flat on my face which is as you rightly imagine is much more likely then I won't have done any harm as I won't have made any difference at all. I said before that I will try to help anyone else in any small way I can but there are better people than me already doing those tasks. Some central place where people who are active on the important stuff can meet other passionate people who maybe don't know how to get involved might just make their individual causes a bit stronger. And as I also said if it is a good idea and there's someone better qualified then if they can take the reigns and make it a success where I couldn't then I've still done a good thing. I really do however respect your opinion as it seems to come from a place of caring for the subject matter.

 

[JoeMischief]

Thanks for all the likes and support. Even the critique too. Listening to others is valuable. Much appreciated!

 

[Alaria13]

Right. This may get me some sort of naughty boy spanking from an admin and as much as that would probably prove a lot of fun if I've gone about this the wrong way please remove the thread or plop it somewhere more appropriate. I am still relatively new so please forgive me.

I'm on Facebook as Joe Mischeef (they wouldn't let me have Mischief) and I've started a page called A Billion Vapers. I feel passionately about this whole vaping lark and am trying to gather together the vaping community united in one cause. Foolish possibly but I feel like I have to try. To be fair in a matter of hours I've got over a hundred people signed up and would like to keep that momentum going.

Firstly I would be quite moved if anyone would like to join.
Secondly to have the approval of this amazing site that has given me so much faith in the last few days and the permission to discuss the page would be incredible.
Thirdly to be able to promote the amazing work you guys do here would be an honour.

Please be gentle with me if I've gone about this the wrong way as my intentions come from the right place which is a passion for the very thing we all love.

I'll check it out

 

[JoeMischief]

I'll check it out

Epic. That's all I can ask. Thank you. Is very early days but from little acorns oak trees grow!