"Brand protection" vs "The right to have an opinion"

[ghostrider1971]

Evening each,

Hope this is isn't either too dull or too controversial.....please feel free to delete if it fits into either

With the wonderful and completely evil social media, we know that it is very easy to get an opinion - good or bad - across to many people very quickly. We also know that social media can be used to create both fictitious good and bad reviews by the brand owner, customers and rivals alike.

I'm just a little curious about how social media, and it's censorship, is managed by companies in the vaping industry....two examples:

1) As you may know I have reviewed, I hope both fairly and positively, a number of a company's concentrates recently. I tried one I haven't reviewed on here yet, and made a neutral but not uncomplimentary comment about it on their Facebook page and felt I was "jumped on" for that fairly quickly.

2) I also left the Facebook page of another "very popular concentrate supplier" about 4 weeks ago. Apart from the increasing number of what I considered to be silly and annoying posts I was being bombarded with, I got the impression on a number of occasions that people were "jumped on" by a significant number of people if they "dared" to raise a criticism or made a complaint.

This has led me to a number of conclusions:

1) Maybe leave all the vaping Facebook pages I'm on.

or.....

2) "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"

or....

3) "The paying customer has the right to have an opinion (good or bad) and be heard"

I actually think VHM is the only FB page I "like" now

One of the best things about AAEC is that we are allowed to have an opinion and to share our views - good and bad - with each other. I think not being affiliated to any brand or company obviously makes this a lot easier. I think we also understand that vaping equipment, styles and juices are extremely subjective and that we can all happily co-exist doing our "own thing". 

Thoughts?

[thebishman]

Great thread.

I am very anti social media. Im 34 so am probably a rare case. It has its postives.. like keeping incontact with friends and family miles away etc. I get that.
But apart from that, i think it is ruining society...just like one of the original founders said himself!

So, when it all kicked off i couldnt be assed with it all. I didnt need to know about what dinner a mate had that night, what coloured socks they just bought in a bargain sale, that they have booked a holiday etc etc whats the point of meeting up with friends as your have nothing to talk about! Not only that...but when you do meet up with friends etc you see them pulling their phone out and going on facebook! Lol

Wow you got me going there so ill stop but you get where im coming from.

In response to your points, all i can do is quote something a plonker from across the pond once said...on social media.... "fake neeeeews"

[Get Off My Cloud]

Post whatever you want to say and just ignore baseless negative responses.

[joeten]

Fan boys/girls are a PIA and they are all over vaping pages on FB, the fact is no one gets it right every time and when pointed out in the correct manner they should be grateful for a honest and unbiased opinion.

[domesticextremist]

1) Maybe leave all the vaping Facebook pages I'm on.

This - abandon Freindface with extreme prejudice. Immediately.
Never been on it myself, but their record for harvesting personal data, performing psycholigical experiments on its user base and more recently deciding what news you are allowed to see disqualify it from polite discussion.

2) "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"

This applies to social situations (for the most part), not for commercial transactions.

3) "The paying customer has the right to have an opinion (good or bad) and be heard"

Yep, absolutely. Though expecting the vendors site to not censor you is a bit hopeful.
Thankfully, there are non-commercial fora (like AAEC) where you can give your honest opinion to the community without getting shut out.

[pipeman01]

Thing is, we're grown ups on here... not snowflakes

[Perpetua]

My Facebook interaction is largely very limited ( through choice )  . . . . primarily it gave me an opportunity to follow, support the animal charities and causes I care about. Second to that, there's our private work FB group - with the different shifts so many of us do, we're literally like ships that pass in the night. So it is a very useful means of communication I find for keeping up to date with anything important.

At the bottom of my priority list are the Vaping Groups, I'm a member of a number . . . . they can also be a useful source of information, which with the decrease in Vendor activity on the forum ( mainly due to having their own FB groups now ) are a good means of keeping up with developments - which I'll often report back here with any news I think might be of interest.

Actual posting in groups, I do very very little of - although there is one non affiliated that I feel comfortable in doing so, largely I suspect because one of the main Admins is a terrific dog lover. So there's a bond there for me.

To post anything less than glowing in a Vendor run group, I'd probably think twice about. Not because the Vendor's can't take it, if you're respectful then they'd probably welcome honest opinion - but the ' groupie ' element I can't be doing with, life's too short to get involved in disagreements that really don't matter in the scheme of things.

That said, there's always been a ' fan boy/girl ' culture for Vendors since I've been involved with vaping and the internet  . . . . back when GG's were all the go, dare to post anything vaguely detrimental in Imeo's group on ECR you'd get abused and virtually hung/drawn/quartered by his disciples.

So I don't think Facebook is so vastly different in that respect really. Like it, lump it or leave I guess.

Our forum thanks to the Members always has been and always will be where my heart and loyalties are.

[solac77]

Constructive critisms people are so sensitive sometimes...bit like my boss takes everything personal and can't separate work from life etc....shame...Yeah social media sucks...especially the data harvesting...scary stuff when you really look into it. Back to vaping tho...it's so subjective you can't argue really...as long as you have have beaten tobacco and enjoy flavours and shiny gadgets there is no wrong only multiple options of vaping goodness...

[snow]

I'm like Perpetua I belong to quite a few vape groups on Facebook but I very rarely post in them - what bugs the heck out of me is when the fan boys/girls jump all over someone who dares ask where their stuff is after they have tried and tried to get the vendor to answer them via private message or email. It IRKS me no end to see some of these facebook vendors happily taking peoples money for their mass produced "home brew" but then think that consumer regulations don't apply to them because they aren't a big manufacturer and their groupies pile into the poor bugger who's been waiting 2 or 3 weeks for their juice with no contact from the vendor and dares ask whats happening and getting told he's got a lot on at the moment you'll get it eventually ... thats simply NOT good enough.

[pxr5]

I haven't got a facebook account and I never will have one. Never felt I've missed out on anything. Just can't be bothered with all the crap. Then again, I'm an anti-social grumpy old sod.

[chykensa]

I must admit to having a FB account, and find it very useful for some things, especially the news and views from Brazil, which I have a keen interest in.
However, despite being on a few vaping pages, I rarely post anything, simply use them as a means of learning about new products, troubleshooting common problems, and learning more about recipe mixing. As I don't use commercial juices these pages are of no interest to me, and I have un-liked various other pages because the membership is infantile (and often can't express themselves using English - and I'm not being racist or anything else here, I just can't abide bad spelling, grammar, etc.!).
I have also considered reducing the number of vaping pages I belong to as sometimes my newsfeed is full of competitions, something else I'm not really interested in.
Just call me a grumpy (nearly) old man . . .