To begin this post, I would first like to thank all of the manufacturers, vendors, organizations, and of course the people of the community for participating in GuideToVaping’s Best of 2018 event. For those that don’t know, this is an online polling event that begins at the end of the year and closes on the last day of the year — I’ve been doing this since this blog was formed back in 2011. Each year this blog has created an online event that pulls the vaping community together and unites as one to show recognition to those who deserve it and to participate in something that is fun and interesting.
EDIT: Both Approved Vapers and Bold Vape will be removed from all categories on the polls. It has come to my attention today that Approved Vapers is, in fact, a Facebook Group, which is owned and operated by Bold Vape. Since the Approved Vapers FB Group wasn’t eligible to participate in the “Best Vape Forum” category, they then reinstated an ‘inactive’ forum today (12/28/18) on their website to become eligible. Unfortunately, I cannot allow groups or companies to ‘work’ the system I have in place, therefore, Approved Vapers is being removed since it isn’t eligible, and Bold Vape will be removed due to the deception. They own both, both will be removed. In other words, we do not tolerate shady business.
Mods, Hardware, and Liquid
Like in past years, this year’s event has been very eye-opening, showing us many things. We’ve learned Geek Vape, VOOPOO, Wotofo, and Vandy Vape remain to be the industry’s most liked brands, and we’ve also seen Innokin make a leap forward due to its latest releases. What’s shocking this year is that SMOK was barely voted on. We’ve also learned that Naked 100 continues to dominate in the e-liquid market, for both regular and salt nics, and for those who enjoy CBD e-liquid, Koi and CBD Chefs earn the spotlight. We’ve learned that the Lost Vape Orion and its DNA powered Vape Pod is loved by many, while Innokin gained attention this year due to the Innokin EQ Vape Pod. As odd as it may seem to me, Geek Vape is on top from the Geekvape Aegis Legend while Uwell remains at the top with its Crown 4 Tank. It’s obvious that consumers are enjoying the Drop Dead RDA, they still prefer the Dead Rabbit RTA, and the Profile has made a swift push as many vapers daily driver.
Forums
Now onto the forums category. Let it be a note that if a forum does not exist, it will be removed from the forum category. Additionally, on this poll, a Facebook group is not considered as a forum, even though technically it is. Let me explain why. This poll was made to show recognition to those who deserve it, and it takes a lot of work for forum owners to create a standalone forum, whether that be from conducting SEO, generating traffic, marketing, moderators, and much more. As a blog owner, I know there’s a lot that goes into running a website and ensuring that it remains relevant and functional. When it comes to a Facebook group, none of that is required, there is no real work that goes into it (I run a group as well), and I do not feel that a 5-minute-thrown-together Facebook group deserves the recognition, nor should it be considered the “best” out of an entire year. If you do not agree with this, I’m sorry and I will not try to force you into participating in next year’s event.
Blogs
As for the Best Vape Blog category, if the blog does not exist, it will be removed from the Best Vape Blog category. Again, as a blog owner myself, which has been up and running since 2011, I know the hard work it takes to generate traffic, produce quality content, and to ensure that everything is running properly. It started as just a way for me to help vapers with information about electronic cigarettes as I was learning it myself, then turned into a full-time business that requires my non-stop attention. Owning and operating a blog is definitely a job, so those who have one that has gained attention for the information they provide should be recognized. Since this is a specialty field of mine, I would like to give some advice to you blog owners — your Internet fame may not last, and the past videos you’ve created and just posted on your blog will slowly trickle down to a couple of viewers per day, and eventually you’ll be left with a blog that’s filled with videos and no actual content. Before that time comes, if you want your blog to thrive, as I do mine, create helpful content and gain organic traffic. That’s where the real work comes into play and that’s how you’ll build a successful blog.
YouTube Channels
For the YouTube channels… you guys are a trip, honestly, and I say that in no disrespect. For some reason each year you crave the attention and recognition, and that is completely fine, I get it, kinda. However, you make the poll out to be nothing but a huge popularity contest and that isn’t what this is about. I want you to earn votes and I want you to get the recognition that you deserve, but creating a monstrous campaign for everyone and their brother to vote for only you in every single category is a bit ridiculous. Encourage your viewers to really express their opinion on what the best mod was this year by voting, instead of telling them to vote for you in every category. Let’s take GrimmGreen for instance, I don’t think he participates in the best of polls on GTV anymore, I really don’t know how he feels about me and this blog, and yet each year he’s at the top of the list when it comes to the best youtube channel and vape blog. Why? Because he simply creates good content, even if it takes a full day to watch it. And as for his blog, although he only just posts his videos on the blog, he adds timestamps etc to the post to share information, guide people, and to give the post some substance. As much as I love you pushing traffic to my site for people to vote, I would prefer and I’m sure others would prefer a more quality voting experience, rather than seeing your name plastered on the best mod category. It’s hard for me to help you understand this, but these polls are a community thing, not a you thing.
Best of 2018
The Best of 2018 category: This category was designed to share the best of the entire year, be it what mod you thought was the best or the brand that was the best, but it’s not another category for YouTube reviewers to take attention away from others who deserve it more. Like year’s in the past, all “people” will be removed from this poll. As much as I respect you for constantly creating videos (I know it’s some tough work), you aren’t the best of 2018. You and I do not come even close to the number of hands these mods fall into, nor do we have the reach that many of these brands do. Let’s give these sites, brands, and products the recognition they deserve in the Best of 2018 category. In this post, we want some of the industry’s hottest forums, events, brands, and stores to shine. Each year you’ll see everything from vape society supply to vapor authority and more filling up the polls. Hundreds of names get entered into the Best of 2018, but only three come out on top!
Closing
To finish, I understand that a large part of every year’s faults is on me. After doing this for year’s, it has become a huge headache with people manipulating the polls, treating the polls as a popularity contest, and the constant emails I receive from people complaining about this person or that person. Next year, things will be much different. I will have my developer implement an account-based voting system, along with an initial post to explain how to properly vote in each category with rules and guidelines, as well as including it on the voting page. I know it may not seem like much, but I’ve traveled across the US running these polling events and to many manufacturers, vendors, brands, organizations, and people, receiving that recognition means something. I will do my best next year to improve. Thank you.
The polls have been updated to reflect the changes mentioned. I want to leave you with the text that Vapor Authority uses when they tell their customers about GTV’s Best of 2018 as an example others should follow in the future.
Dear Newsletter Subscriber,
We have some exciting news – the annual Guide to Vaping Best of 2018 has officially launched! You can now cast your votes for the best within the vaping industry. If your a fan of Vapor Authority, show us some love!
Make sure to visit the Guide To Vaping Website and support those who you believe are truly the best in their respective fields. Of course, as much as we would like to place first in certain categories, we ask that you maintain the integrity of the contest, and choose your selections honestly.
Thank you, and happy vaping!
Wait, I’m confused about the “Best of 2018”-category. You stated above that quote;
“all “people” will be removed from this poll.” end quote.
You have removed one “person” from “Best Of 2018”-category, yet I still see several other “people” in there that should according to your own words, also be removed? If I’m understanding this correctly, this category should only hold votes towards brands, companies and manufacturers? If this is the case, then I am happy to inform you that “Vaping With Vic” is indeed a company (established summer of 2018).
From your wording I take it that you don’t want reviewers in this category and even though I do understand your logic, this should have been stated when the polls went live. Altering the results and/or poll when it is still active or has ended is not doing you any good credibility wise since “Best of 2018” may be a mod, it may be a liquid, it may a company as a whole, it may be the work that someone has done for advocacy, and it may also be the work that someone has done throughout this year for other vapers so that you and me knows what to buy or stay clear from. And since I presume this new rule applies for all then I expect you to remove all other “persons” from this category. That or simply reinstate the votes that was removed. Thank you, best wishes for the new year.
This will be the last time I respond to one of these comments about Vic, since it’s honestly becoming a headache and distracting from me my normal work. For some reason, this guy is causing a huge issue out of nothing. He’s craving, even more, attention, even though he’s winning in two categories. If I had it out for “Vic”, wouldn’t I have removed him from the polls entirely? He’s busy making YouTube videos insulting me for doing something I do on the polls each year. Aside from that, all people are removed from the “Best of 2018” category. If there are still “people” that exist in the category, it’s because the entries were made past the date and time I removed the old ones or I left them in there simply because they will not affect the polls due to having a low number of votes. When the polls end, only the top 3 in each category will be displayed and the dropdown of entries won’t be seen. Vaping with Vic is a person.
It isn’t that I don’t want reviewers in the category, it’s that I don’t want “people” in the category. It has been like this since 2011, when I created the first poll. Never has a “person” ever won in the Best of 2018 category. And you are right, I apologize for not explaining every detail this year. I usually make a video before the event starts, but this year was rushed due to plugin issues, which is another reason why the event started on the 15th this year, instead of the 1st like past years. However, either tonight or in the morning I’ll be sure to remove other “people” in the category so you aren’t confused.
I’m sorry to hear that the poll results are distracting you from your normal work, however I highly doubt that Vaping With Vic is causing you any issues at all. The issues you are undergoing are merely a result of your own misdoing. Any votes given from the public to any “person” or company being Vaping With Vic or Jai Haze or GrimmGreen or any other “brand”, these are votes given because the person behind the vote believed the “person” or “company”, deserved that given vote. Votes were done based on the information given from you.
When a brand being a “person” or a company are removed during or after a poll, the said person or company are in their rights to be conflicted, and so are us, the voters. People who voted for “persons”, these votes are now removed and these voters are now also unable to give their vote to someone else in said category. And just to clarify, Vic is the person behind the business Vaping With Vic, which is the business people voted for.
On a general note, if I may address your rather bold statement; “As much as I respect you for constantly creating videos, you aren’t the best of 2018”. If the readers believe that a person within say advocacy (just an example) should win, who also happens to do videos. These are votes given because that “person/brand” has been a solid rock and pillar of light for the international vaping community for years, who are you to decide that the voters are wrong? I appreciate that you have a separate categories for said advocacy, but this is also the case for hardware and/or brands as well.
“Best of 2018” should be exactly that – the best of, being advocacy, reviewers, manufacturers, sites or whatever. It should be open to all within the vaping industry and allowing votes towards the one that the public believed stood out this past year. Once again I’m sorry that you feel like this has been an issue, and I trust that next year will be easier for both you and the voters.