Remember When Vaping Didn't Suck?(aka Before TikTok Vaping Ruined Everything)

Picture this: no candy-flavored plastic grenades littering the planet. Instead, we had this underground thing going on. Remember hanging out on ELR, deep-diving into flavor profiles, and actually getting stoked about figuring out the perfect coil build? Those were the days, man! Forums like Vaping Community UK and Ecigssa were our digital hangouts, filled with folks who genuinely cared about the craft. We weren't chasing fleeting trends; we were on a quest for that perfect vape, sharing recipes like secret family formulas and helping each other troubleshoot a wonky atomizer with the patience of saints.

🐐 Back then, we earned our clouds.

And mixing your own juice? That wasn't just slapping a one-shot into some VG/PG. Nope! You had to earn your stripes. We're talking raw concentrates, syringes, and more than a few "oops, that tastes like feet" moments. But when you finally nailed that complex blend after weeks of steeping and tweaking? Pure vaping nirvana! It wasn’t instant gratification—it was a badge of honor.

Our mods? They weren’t just shiny toys for TikTok. Owning a legit mech mod or a beautifully engraved regulated box meant something. You understood Ohm's Law (or you learned real quick!), you respected battery safety, and you appreciated the engineering. These were tools—extensions of our passion—not some RGB-riddled toy for Instagram flexing.

🧨 You think flicking a pod on TikTok makes you a vaper? Please. That's like microwaving instant oats and calling yourself a chef.

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🚮 The Disposable Apocalypse: Where Did We Go Wrong?

Then the dark clouds rolled in, and they were shaped like brightly colored, candy-flavored sticks. Disposables. Ugh. They might taste like Skittles and a whole bunch of lies, but let’s be real—they're choking the life out of everything we built. Cheap quality, mass-produced waste, and ZERO skill involved. It’s vaping for dummies, and it’s turning our goat-powered community into a landfill of lithium and lies.

⚠️ We’re not just talking about losing flavor here—we’re losing culture. We’re losing community. And yeah, now I’m angry.

Suddenly, nobody wants to learn. It's all about "what hits the hardest" or "what makes the biggest cloud on TikTok." Passion? Soul? Gone with the wind, replaced by this "one and done" mentality. Why bother with the intricacies of coil building or the subtle art of flavor layering when you can just chuck another dead battery in the bin and grab a new fruity number?

And let’s talk about the elephant in the room: these things are an environmental NIGHTMARE. Their carbon footprint is bigger than a gorilla on growth hormones. We’re drowning in plastic and dead lithium batteries, all for a few fleeting puffs of artificial flavor. Seriously, we gotta call it out—this ain't sustainable, and it sure as hell ain’t cool.

🗑️ Disposables? They're like fast food with a battery—convenient, soulless, and guaranteed to leave a mess behind.

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📸 The Shifting Landscape: Clout vs. Craft

Social media, bless its chaotic heart, has changed everything. Now we’ve got “vape influencers,” and while some are genuinely awesome folks keeping the flame alive, let’s be honest—a lot seem more interested in the ‘gram than the ohms. You see it: folks with more followers than actual builds under their belt, slapping logos on stock mods and calling themselves reviewers.

🔥 I’ve built more coils than most of these TikTokers have brain cells. Put the RGB toy down and learn to wick, ya muppet.

And yeah, let’s talk about some of the OG legends—guys like Mike Vapes, Vaping Bogan, and Rip Trippers. These goats started out in the trenches with us. They reviewed real gear, pushed rebuildables, and kept it honest. Mike Vapes? The dude inspired me to start this very blog. But lately? Pods. Pods. More pods. I get it—money talks and a man’s gotta eat—but damn, it feels like watching your favorite band sell out and start doing jingles for cereal.

I say that with mad respect—but also real disappointment.

And before anyone comes at me—I’ve been called a shill too. But here’s the kicker: at least I wasn’t out here promoting pods or disposables. I’ll always stand behind the craft, not the convenience.

Want proof? Head over to my Instagram and see what I’m about.

And if you’re ready to get your hooves dirty and mix like a proper goat, check out my guide: Mix It Like a Goat – Your First Steps Into DIY E-Liquid.

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🐐 The GOAT Way – Let’s Get Back to Our Roots!

But here’s the good news: we can fix this. We can bring back that pride in building your own coils—that “hell yeah, I made this!” feeling when you get it just right. Remember the satisfaction of finally nailing that perfect juice mix after what felt like 20 tries? That’s the good stuff! That’s the reward for the grind of testing, adjusting, steeping, and re-testing.

And let’s not forget the community that helped us get there. Back in the day (and still today, on those badass forums), it wasn’t about “like & subscribe”—it was about genuinely helping each other learn.

Big shoutouts to:

• SessionDrummer – across all forums – the flavour master and king of reviews.

• Grubby – over at VC – the founder and builder of that incredible community.

• CloudyCaptain – also VC, Flavorah, All The Flavors – the one who rescued VC when Grubby needed a hand.

• Victim – Ecigssa – the man with the PIF box, always giving, always hosting Vape Meets. A true hero in Joburg.

• Rob Fisher – Ecigssa – the main man, a cancer-kicker, and a living legend in the SA vaping community.

• Renaldo Rheeder – The Good Guys – the glue of the Port Elizabeth mixing crew. Always helping, always there.

• Kurt Yeo & Craig Stuart – from VSML and the Pack Breakers Podcast – the new voice of vaping in SA, keeping the fire burning.

That’s the kind of community we need to nurture.

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🧠 Where Do We Go From Here, Fam?

We’ve gotta bring that old-school spirit back! Let’s start new forums, dust off the old ones, and host mix meets where we can actually connect and share our creations face-to-face. Let’s make tutorials that teach people the fundamentals—not just show off the latest shiny thing.

Let’s support the real creators. The small-batch mixers pouring their hearts into every bottle. The reviewers giving honest, no-BS insight. Let’s put our money where our mouth is and champion quality over hype.

Most importantly? Let’s empower people to understand their vape—to take control of their experience and appreciate the craft. We need more mech mod education, more DIY juice guides, and a revival of the rebuildable culture.

It’s time to ditch the disposables, ignore the hype, and get back to what made vaping awesome in the first place.

Who's with me? 🐐