Gibran, I can absolutely understand your frustration with other methods given what you've reported. I don't mean to fault any individuals (if there's even necessarily a fault to be had), just assessing a trend and the possible symptoms of that trend. I came to these conclusions largely prior to this thread, but the thread brought the matter to the forefront. And I don't use the term "jerry-rigging" in derogatory fashion, I advocate all manner of hacking one's tools and devices, but I'm referring to the discrepancy of how the device has come to be used versus how it is intended to be used by its designers and whether one could achieve the same or more with less.
Thanks for relating your experience though. SWIM may have some input: ANY oiler method (light bulb, test-tube, what have you) SWIM's ever tried has let him down and been far too much trouble to even try and master. The very first time he vaporized (after attempting insufflation...ugh) was with a lightbulb.... SWIM'll jump on the bandwagon any day against this method (burning, nastiness, etc.). What likely made all the difference in the direction SWIM took was that the next thing he tried was a really shoddy, somewhat large but mostly traditional version of "the machine" and found out exactly what spice was all about.
From there he sought to tweak the design, first trying a front-loaded machine in a dropper stem and spending quite a lot of time mastering and teaching others how to use it. Fond memories with this one, very portable but certainly inconsistent in terms of harshness.
Then came the bong. The first experiments were with a front-loaded machine bowl (wad of copper scrub-pad stuffed in the bowl). SWIM spent a great deal of time with this one discovering the general power of bong delivery, but there was always the issue of run-off and the considerations of inconsistency of technique leading to burning.
This was perhaps around the first time SWIM tried a test tube...virtually the same results as with a light bulb. He already had a method that worked quite well, so he ditched the oiler methods to tweak the machine and continue with the bong.
The main shortcoming SWIM perceived with any "machine" design used with a bubbler of any kind was the front-loading of the piece leaving the product exposed to the flame. So he modified his dropper stem design to allow rear-loading. This solved everything but the run-off issue, for which he developed a fairly nifty workaround, but he just wasn't satisfied. He thought that if he could heat more rapidly he would avoid run-off, so he tried different sizes of copper mesh plugs to remedy this but to no avail. The method also required a degree of skill to avoid overheating but did prove to be more consistent and more rapid than the front-loaded bowl.
Then VG inspired him to experiment with ceramic fiber and convection heating, since conduction was generally the cause behind run-off and overheating. The first design was essentially the same idea as the previous bubbler-stem, as it was rear-loaded. The main problem with this one was keeping a clear airway to ensure proper convection, and though this was remedied with time, SWIM kept his mind open for a different design.
Some research into commercial vaporizers and the development of "the key" lead him to his current design. This design would much more closely resemble the operation of the VG, as it would employ a removable heat-element, resembling a cork and opting to have the hot air pass around the element rather than through (ceramic fiber doesn't allow ventilation); it would also prove to work without ceramic fiber, more in line with the principles of "the key." Because this device was front-loaded and used convection run-off is typically not an issue with adequate heating technique (ensuring even and rapid heating) and adequate air passage (typically only blocked by repeated use of an impure product containing non-volatile impurities). SWIM has successfully use this device at a completely vertical position with zero run-off, but in cases where he has had run-off (again in cases with non-volatiles carrying actives away) his latest modifications have allowed him to retrieve these for immediate vaporization; plus the run-off doesn't leave the device (i.e. drip into the bong). These modifications also allowed SWIM to comfortably explore changa for the first time (he's not a smoker of any kind), and he's fairly impressed.
He perceives his current device as capable of accomplishing everything a GVG is used for in a more low-tech manner with only probably a slight disadvantage when it comes to leaf. The advantage is the ability to produce multiple devices at low cost, for multiple parties or as replacements, ease of maintaining a clean device, and general modularity and ergonomics of such a small simple device, but the main advantage is the ability to readily use it with a bong, which are generally preferred for the rapidity of delivery. All one would need to try this is a bunch of screens, medicine droppers, and rubber gaskets for a seal, and if such a deign were in fact capable of rivaling a $100+ device, wouldn't that be ideal?
As a side note with reference to the question of whether VG usage may manifest as a bit club-ish in this community, I do vaguely recall assertions that those who are skeptical about the VG are typically those who haven't tried it, insinuating that those who haven't tried it simply have no basis for their opinions on the matter. It's impossible for me to try and dig up examples of this, but this sort of attitude has cropped up here in my experience.