Somebody Tell the Dark Den to Stop!! (Unless I'm Wrong)

[AnObeseHippo]

Depends, points of view. Seeking to make cash (just for saying) by/from your own created stuff (like a YT channel is) isn't being a worst person (at least for me).

@Potatatas said that they are 'attention seekers', 'click baiting', and 'money hungry'. Now maybe this doesn't goes for everyone, but for a very, very huge portion (no matter which kind of YT channel) of Youtubers is indeed true.

But analyzing a bit what he said, nothing of that suits into being a worst person.

Click baiting, while annoying, is a reality. To gain some cash (depends) by monetizing the videos is a reality. And 'attention seekers', if viewed under another perspective, is a reality as well, for that, the uploader (no matter which) hope for gain visibility/views/audience.

IMO what's worst is how much "fast" sometimes those things goes, including 'hardcore' followers behaviour, rather than what he said

Nah, but to be cynical (he said he is) is to be distrustful of human integrity. He’s questioning the morals of TDD, and that’s what I mean by assuming the worst. Since morals are part of how we determine if someone is doing their best or worst.

But I see where you’re coming from at the same time. I appreciate your input and I side with you. Just had to defend myself because... I don’t want to be wrong :^)

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Youtube is always full of haters, you can't please everybody. When it comes to toxic comments, it usually stings the person. But honestly, you got to get back on your feet and do the things you stand for. Every time a person becomes toxic online, whether on Youtube, Discord, Reddit, etc. I really just troll them out to annoyance for fun with dumb jokes about science or memes . I realize that people take in toxicity differently. Every time it happens to me, I just laugh and comment back in a troll to boil their blood even more. Despite knowing how serious they're taking it compared to me just playing around. Hey, I don't how high your tolerance to toxicity is, but my whole life has been like this. I tolerate hate very well now, unless they wanna get physical . It's good for some people to get toxic comments, because it reminds them to stay on tier with everyone else and not get generic over-tiered youtubers who think they are above everyone else at what they do, LOL.

You know, it's not even a question of comments 'toxicity' and whatever, for me. I mean, now the Internet is a solid 'reality', we know that kind of attitude since a while, no?

No, the issue is another. The issue (IMO) is (like I've said before when replying to @cold blood post) how fast (insanely fast) the attention/importance/kinda form of 'holy' respect is easily gained, by playing well a couple of cards (such technology), on those medium.

Now I don't want to talk about people/users that aren't present here, but a fact remains a fact, so take Rob 'tarantulaguy1976', for instance.

Honestly, he collected a nice amount of bites; handling (yeah... handling, as if a Theraphosa spp. crawling on his back is 'handling' etc) and whatnot, yet he was viewed, even here in this site in the past, and still today by someone, as a sort of 'King/Guide' to place in a pedestal.

All of that isn't (at a 360° I mean) useful for the arachnid hobby, which btw, no matter the recent 'new wave/revival' (mostly involving Theraphosidae) our hobby gained... for that, rest assured, the arachnid keeping always was, today is, and even tomorrow would remain a quite 'controversial', heavy disliked, passion.

Now what happens, as was said above by @cold blood, is also that the perception of a keeper ability/experience etc can be easily fall into pure mystification.

Ain't saying that Petko, let alone Rob 'tarantulaguy1976' aren't good keepers, skilled, or else. Not at all.
I'm saying that, doing certain things, certain acts, things can be perceived not in a 'clear enough' way... especially from those that moves/are moving their first steps in the hobby

 

[Liquifin]

Maybe..... I should make a video to troll the T. youtubers . Seriously, I wouldn't mind taking the L for a troll.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

hes got a whole 3 yrs experience

Nothing personal, he does good camera work and is personsble...but IMO hes just an intermediate level keeper thats keeping waaaay too many ts considering his experience...and again, to someone with lots of experience, his lack of experience often shows in his vids.

I had no idea he's only been around for about half a year or so more than me (I started keeping June 2016). He seems like a decent brer and his videos are somewhat entertaining but he wouldn't be my go-to for information even on YouTube.

 

[basin79]

I had no idea he's only been around for about half a year or so more than me (I started keeping June 2016). He seems like a decent brer and his videos are somewhat entertaining but he wouldn't be my go-to for information even on YouTube.

It'd be great if youtube was NEVER the go to place for information. Fantastic if it is but forums like this are invaluable. Because if bad advice is given it's quickly picked up and debunked. On YouTube there's usually that many fanboy comments the good ones are lost.

 

[The Seraph]

The thing about him, is that when he started this just 3 years ago, his followers dont seem to realize he was a complete newb to ts at the time....even now, hes got a whole 3 yrs experience...sorry its just not enough to be called or thought of as an expert....and it explains his inconsistency and rampant mistakes. Then look at someone like boina, making a correction and getting blasted by his followers who dont realize shes got way way more experience.

I really hate to see newcomers get lauded as you tube experts and followed like that....imo the followers are being decieved into thinking they are getting expert info.

Nothing personal, he does good camera work and is personsble...but IMO hes just an intermediate level keeper thats keeping waaaay too many ts considering his experience...and again, to someone with lots of experience, his lack of experience often shows in his vids.

And his followers have no clue because they cant recognize improper info.

I had no idea he's only been around for about half a year or so more than me (I started keeping June 2016). He seems like a decent brer and his videos are somewhat entertaining but he wouldn't be my go-to for information even on YouTube.

Wow, I probably have more years of experience then him and I would not consider myself even remotely capable of making an educational tarantula YouTube channel.

 

[basin79]

Wow, I probably have more years of experience then him and I would not consider myself even remotely capable of making an educational tarantula YouTube channel.

The more any tarantula keeper decides to makes a video promoting the positives is ALWAYS a good thing. Even if you get 1 comment saying, "do you handle your tarantula" and you respond to it with, "no as tarantulas get nothing from it and a fall could be fatal" it's a good thing.

 

[Venom1080]

Agreed, and I certainly considered that. But I do enjoy the back and forth with the 95% of constructive comments. It's the 5% of needless bickering I can't stand. One of the last straws was a comment thread that started by me bringing up the lack of an actual mouth in tarantulas, meaning they can't eat solid foods like reptiles do. This is spider anatomy 101. Some girl with one tarantula swore that she saw her spider eat a cricket whole, and either trolls or more uneducated folks swarmed like flies to back her up. I don't know, I may get back into them. Recently got a new job that affords me much more free time, and I did enjoy the act of actually making videos. We shall see.



The exact same thing could be said of RobC's channel. I loved his videos when I first got into the hobby, but I very quickly realized he was just another intermediate keeper (at best) with the cash to lay down for a nice collection.

A intermediate keeper with tons of successful breedings.. I still enjoy his stuff. Maybe because his collection is so similar to mine.


Usually I'm telling beginners to have a thick skin when getting blunt advice. I'll tell you the opposite. Ignore the idiots. There's endless hordes of them. Even AB isn't free from them now and again lol. Facebook is the same. You just learn to deal with it.

 

[Liquifin]

Facebook is the same.

Never been on the FB side of the hobby, how's it over there??? The only thing I hear from FB on the hobby is ludicrous things

 

[Minty]

It'd be great if youtube was NEVER the go to place for information. Fantastic if it is but forums like this are invaluable. Because if bad advice is given it's quickly picked up and debunked. On YouTube there's usually that many fanboy comments the good ones are lost.

Quality of forums can wildly vary, depending on the subject and the active users.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

It'd be great if youtube was NEVER the go to place for information.

I'd rather it wasn't but FB and YT are probably the first places a lot of people look. Then again, I suppose forums are only as good as the users on them.

I would not consider myself even remotely capable of making an educational tarantula YouTube channel.

I wouldn't do it mostly because I'm awkward. Also because I'd struggle to get through a video without swearing

Never been on the FB side of the hobby, how's it over there??? The only thing I hear from FB on the hobby is ludicrous things

The politest way I could probably put it would be:

Kinda like here but much less civilised and far fewer people actually know what they're talking about.

 

[antinous]

Quality of forums can wildly vary, depending on the subject and the active users.

This is true, but on forums as old as this, you can read up on many threads pertaining to the same subject and make an informed decision then. That’s what I did before I joined and I was able to grasp the gist of basic tarantula keeping through that. Or even skimming through the posts of more experienced keepers, like I did with @Poec54, there’s a ton of valuable information that’s open to new hobbyists. (even though I kept asking about enclosure size for Pamphos and Theraphosas as well as their growth rate...don’t judge me I was young back then)

 

[basin79]

Quality of forums can wildly vary, depending on the subject and the active users.

"Forums like this one".

 

[The Seraph]

I wouldn't do it mostly because I'm awkward AF. Also because I'd struggle to get through a video without swearing

I would immediately begin to swear profusely at the slightest thing as well. I can actually speak confidently and well on the spot, but APPARENTLY I do not pronounce words properly (chips and ships are pronounced exactly the same, no matter what any of you "speech therapists" say. And who cares if I don't say "s" well, as long as people get the point!)

 

[Venom1080]

Never been on the FB side of the hobby, how's it over there??? The only thing I hear from FB on the hobby is ludicrous things

I'd choose Facebook over arachnoboards tbh. Loads more people. Loads more solid photography. Learn about so many new species.

Plus, most of my friends here are on Facebook too.

Yes, there's handling photos. Just block and move on. Good to develop the ability to ignore people.

 

[basin79]

I'd rather it wasn't but FB and YT are probably the first places a lot of people look. Then again, I suppose forums are only as good as the users on them./QUOTE]

Exactly which is why I typed a forum like this.

But if more sensible/competent pet owners made youtube videos the bigger the chance of potential new tarantula owners would see them.

Youtube DOES work the other way too. I've been educated in my comments section not necessarily about the video in question either.

The Internet is the vert definition of a double edged sword.

 

[The Snark]

I've been educated in my comments section not necessarily about the video in question either.

Somewhat off topic but bears relevance. I've recently had a man, retired from Rolls Royce aviation, give me about a solid classroom year of turbine engine theory and design in the comments section of a series of Youtube vids.

 

[ArachnoFreak666]

Yeah I remember seeing him being called out in facebook groups for being a bad keeper and I even defended him a little, but after that video... i couldnt even make it past the part when he started trying to pick up the robustum with the tweezers, it was VERY cringe! Honestly it even looked like it left marks on the T afterwards, but i may be wrong. Either way its pretty scary thinking hes got that kind of following and is throwing that kind of bad info out there like that. I feel like he needs to slow down a bit and maybe brush up on some basics before he continues with his youtube channle. He addressed the negative feedback from facebook, i wonder if he will address this issue now?

 

[LV-426]

Unfortunately you can’t tell a person what do. One of these days whatever he does to these Ts will bite him in the rear end eventually.

 

[EtienneN]

I don’t think he is a bad guy, just severely remiss in understanding his audience and what they will take away from watching him do stunts like the tweezer thing. I did feel really bad when his T. seladonia died. He does care about his animals even if he is misguided at times like this.
Tl, Dr: There are worse Youtubers than Petko.