It was a bit by chance that a few months ago we discovered " Vapadonf“, A forum that brings together vaping enthusiasts in a relaxed atmosphere. To help you discover this project a little more, Vapoteurs.net went to meet Frederic Le Gouellec, founder of Vapadonf.
Vapoteurs.net : Hello Frederic, it is you who manages the forum "Vapadonf", can you present us a little this project? ?
Frederic : Hello, first of all, thank you very much for your interest in Vapadonf and for allowing me to present this project via your platform. Vapadonf is managed by a team of passionate and volunteer vapers. it is an independent forum, which is not affiliated with any shop, nor any brand, even if we have partners who offer amounts of discounts to members.
To put it simply, no member of the “Vapadonf” staff is a vaping professional. We are only there out of passion for this e-cigarette which allowed us to say goodbye to the killer and in order to bring together enthusiasts in a forum where there is a mastery, good humor and cordial understanding. Vape professionals, beginners or experienced vapers are all welcome. On our forum. We talk about vaping in all its aspects, info, opinions, news, tutorials, video reviews, tips, health etc ... Like any general platform dealing with vaping.
On Vapadonf, pros can benefit from free individual communication spaces where they can express themselves and communicate on their commercial operations, announce their promotions, their news ...
All members of Vapadonf are cordially invited to live this passion with us. This forum wants to be participatory, it is a virtual bistro of the vape, where the exchange and the mutual assistance are the keywords. We all have to learn from each other and each can make a contribution.
Vapoteurs.net : Since when does it exist ?
The forum Vapadonf was born the 29 January 2015 so he celebrated his first birthday about 2 months ago.
The facebook group was created 11 months ago.
Vapoteurs.net : How did you get the idea to put this in place ?
After having been a moderator for some time on another forum, I must admit that I was, among other things, extremely tired of the bad atmosphere and the unnecessary tensions that could reign between members, especially within the posts, which is d 'more and more frequent on many forums or facebook groups.
Trolling has become a discipline in its own right in vaping and there are many tensions linked to economic issues (a subject in which I have no desire to go into) and unfortunately we come to a point where people hesitate to post or share, knowing that behind the post will be 9 out of 10 times rolled just for the sake of it. So I wanted a space with a friendly atmosphere where mutual aid, sharing and good humor would be natural.
Being a graphic designer and webmaster by profession for 20 years, I therefore naturally wanted to create a web platform with a neat graphic aspect, initially planned to be a group of friends, since we were about thirty at the launch of the forum. Later others joined us, then others etc etc.
The forum was therefore structured gradually by adapting itself according to the comments made by members when they were good. Once again, it is everyone's participation that has made it possible to make a very square and complete structure.
Vapoteurs.net : How many active members have "Vapadonf" ?
To be precise this Saturday March 26, 2016, there are 831 of us on the forum and 2223 on the Facebook group. Counting the number of active members is not so simple, despite the forums statistics tools, because some are regularly, others are punctual and some members come every day, consult everything, but do not post or post very little. No doubt out of habit of what I mentioned earlier in this interview.
Novices do not dare, although we encourage them to do so. As I often say, the fool is not the one who does not know, but the one who out of fear or pride will never know, while others ask only to transmit and share.
The older ones are certainly more at ease, but in view of the general atmosphere that reigns within the vape community, many preserve themselves from conflicts and consult without ever intervening, which I find very unfortunate.
Vapoteurs.net : Is this a forum intended to welcome the world or rather an intimate project ?
Basically, yes, it was a project intended, as I told you earlier, to bring together a few friends within a platform that had a little allure. (You have to admit that a lot of forums, for the graphic designer that I am, are not very aesthetically pleasing and that's saying something…). Today our forum has evolved and is able to welcome absolutely all the people who wish to join us. It is not a sect or a private club, but a forum open to all.
However, our staff remains extremely vigilant concerning the atmosphere within the group or the forum, even if freedom of expression is respected, we do not hesitate for a second to accompany aggressive people in order to preserve the friendly atmosphere.
Vapoteurs.net : There are already dozens of vape forums in France, what differentiates "Vapadonf" from others ?
Vape forums (or others) are a bit like themed bars, everyone has their place, we all do the same thing, more or less, however in each of these forums, there is an atmosphere, an image of mark, a spirit, the theme to which we adhere or not.
I still want to clarify that on Vapadonf the classification of categories is ultra square, even video reviews more than 700 to date, are classified in a neat way and by themes.
We also leave a good place to the pros, who are entitled to intervene wherever they wish in the forum while respecting a charter in which they undertake to make absolutely no advertising outside their individual professional spaces.
The pros are like all vapers, above all enthusiasts, who have the right to express themselves and share their knowledge with others. They are even well placed to do so, since they have access to a lot of different stuff and juices. Turning your back on them or ignoring them is just ridiculous. It's easy to make rules and make sure everyone respects each other.
I come back to it often too, but our real strength is the cordial atmosphere between the members. For me it remains an extremely important point, even vital. Managing the forum and the group only for fun, since for me vaping is neither my job nor a business, I therefore believe that I have the right to ask people to respect each other in order to be able to stay at home we.
Vapoteurs.net : With the TPD coming soon, will "Vapadonf" stay online? ?
I have been thinking about this for some time, to survive yes that's for sure, the forum will survive. It will certainly be painful and restrictive, but I have several ideas that need to be refined. Even if it means no longer having partners in order to respect certain stupid laws, even if it means having the site hosted on a server in a country which will not take into account the TPD, even if it means taking the name private club instead of forum etc etc.
Vapoteurs.net : What is your personal feeling about this tobacco directive ?
There, you're hard ... because I only have profanity that come to mind to express myself on the subject ... (smile) To be soft, I'm outraged and annoyed that the European Union is so corrupt, everything this is just a big story under nothing else, everyone is aware of it. We are endangering people's health and depriving us of our freedoms with pretexts and arguments that do not hold water and all these beautiful people will have anyway, the last word to the detriment of the people.
I'm sick of it for future ex-smokers, because despite the fact that the vape will always exist. The financial argument “vaping is cheaper than tobacco” will no longer be a valid argument if we are forced to buy our liquids only in 10 ml. Not to mention that it is not excluded that our dear government begins to tax our liquids and our gear as it does with cigarettes. In view of the taxes applied on tobacco, I dare not imagine the price of a poor 10 ml vial in 5 years if things remain as they are.
Regarding the DIY, it will certainly remain feasible, but it will also have become significantly more expensive than what it is currently even by buying virgin bases without nicotine per liter and vials of 10 ml of bases in 20 mg.
Apparently gear level, if I have understood everything correctly, because this subject is quite complex, apart from a limitation to atos of 2 ml with secure filling systems and an obligation to announce a new product 6 months to the date. In advance, we should always be able to find gear fairly easily. I think, however, without wanting to play the survivor, that now is the time to invest in a little sustainable gear if you haven't already.
Vapoteurs.net : We know that this kind of project can not exist without extremely passionate people behind. Since when are you vaping ?
I haven't been vaping for that long actually, just over two years. As with everything, everything is a question of passion and motivation, I learn quickly and I am passionate about nature, when a subject interests me, I invest myself fully in it. The vaping evolves so much that this passion remains very strong with me. There is always more to discover, to test, to learn, it's very stimulating.
Vapoteurs.net : Do you have a team with you to support you ?
Yes indeed, the management of a forum and a facebook group require a lot of time of presence. We are not very many in the staff but we all get along very well and that is the key to making it work. Here are the staff members to date and their role within VAPADONF (citing only their nicknames in order to respect their privacy). At least for those who support me on the forum. There is TORKHAN (forum & chat moderator + FB group admin), XAVIER ROZNOWSKI
(FB group admin), NICOUTCH (forum & chat moderator), IDEFIX29 (forum & chat moderator), CHRISVAPE (forum & chat moderator) and therefore myself Frédéric Le Gouellec alias VAPADONF (forum & chat admin & moderator + FB group admin)
Vapoteurs.net : Vapadonf is in a way 2 projects with a forum on one side and a facebook group on the other which works well. Are these the same members that we find on both platforms ?
Knowing that members are often for reasons imposed by facebook, forced to use their real names by dint of breaking accounts under pseudonyms and that on the forum they use a pseudo, it is not easy to To judge but I think that there are members who are anti facebook and only come to the forum and conversely members who swear by facebook for practical matters and who therefore do not come to the forum.
The forum is however in responsive design and therefore even offers on smart phone, 2 versions of the forum, a smart version and a web version. Let's say that the 2 platforms both have a real interest and both their advantages. Forum = classification, organization, archives, visual comfort for consultations. Facebook = spontaneity of posts, responsiveness of members and a multitude of information related to sharing members
Finally the 2 complement each other well, even if the current trend gives more importance to Facebook since we have almost 3 times more members on the group than on the forum.
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, we wish you the best for the future with your forum. For curious and interested people do not hesitate to visit the "Vapafonf" forum and to join the official facebook group.
