The dark den is neither extremely nor slightly educational. Others will argue that you can learn from his mistakes but he never identifies his mistakes so someone unaware wouldn't know what is good and what is bad.
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- Messages
- 216
- Location
- Clackamas Oregon
Dark den is a horrible, a cringy keeper that is way over his head most of the time. He’s literally scared of his spiders. Seen him freak out and put his spiders in harms way before. Of coarse new keepers are going to like him, hes a nice guy. But seasoned keepers see through that **** fast. Like it’s been said before they all do it for the views and money. There’s way better knowledge here in this forum and even the other one I can’t stand. All you tubers can piss off. (Except Clown, he’s family) 
troublemakerwithspiders
Member
- Messages
- 80
- Location
- Boscawen NH
What I would love to see is a channel where one genus at a time is discussed, giving husbandry, what colors or markings when, breeding, from sling to adult. I end up searching 5 different places for all of my questions. I know it's a lot, can someone make that channel?
- Messages
- 1,812
- Location
- UK
Tom Moran is the best most informative channel - he often does husbandry videos on one species at a time - his channel is certainly the most educational and informative one out there
- Messages
- 6,381
- Location
- The Oregon rain forest
95% of all spiders in the hobby are cared for exactly the same. Food, hide/burrow, slightly moist to dry substrate and water. Fossorial, terrestrial, and arboreals require the same care just different setups. It's not that hard as people make it. That other 5% (harder more advanced species that advanced keepers will already know how too care for) just require a little more moisture, clean up crews and ventilation. Do we really need to line the pockets of Youtubers? I just gave you all the keys to do it yourself. It's really that simple.
- Messages
- 4,163
I find @Tomoran to be humble and informative, he calls out his own mistakes and makes corrections.
IMO he does a good job of illustrating practical husbandry and care tips and techniques and often highlights budget and DYI over commercial products.
Most of the others are annoying but I will tolerate them if they have info I want. I don't need eye candy hosts, I'd rather see the Ts, but that's just me.
IMO he does a good job of illustrating practical husbandry and care tips and techniques and often highlights budget and DYI over commercial products.
Most of the others are annoying but I will tolerate them if they have info I want. I don't need eye candy hosts, I'd rather see the Ts, but that's just me.
Are you saying Tom Moran isn’t eye candy?
- Messages
- 72
- Location
- London
Hi ya I've only just seen this thread so thought I'd put my 2 pennies in for what it's wort being one of the YouTubers mentioned in the thread. Yes I agree with some of the comments mistakes are made by a few, but that's nothing to cast scrutiny over when I think everybody in this hobby has made a mistake in either knowledge or husbandry at some point owning these animals, but that said new things are discovered every day and what may be deemed a mistake by the masses now, may turn out to be the correct way in future (example remember the majority of people kept versicolors moist/humid before Tom Moran informed people otherwise). As for the entertainment side of things, sadly when trying to reach out to people who have no education or experience with tarantulas and see them as things to be wiped off the face of the earth, the only way to change popular misconceptions is to provide that education in a way that Is of interest and entertaining, if we didn't then the bad rep these animals get will still continue for years to come. Also behind the scenes youtubers do more for the hobby than you think, I personally have breeding projects or rare and endangered species going on, an animal sanctuary and adoption agency for unwanted inverts that I do for 0 profit. If anyone wants to ask me any questions or get into a deeper discussion about this subject feel free to contact me on here, Instagram, twitter or email me [email protected]
- Messages
- 72
- Location
- London
Very interesting answer to the question, I would like to say though it's a little misinformed as YouTube dosent pay a lot of money to it's creators so no ones trying to turn it into a "cash cow" every YouTuber I know personally and that's 99% of them go into debt for there channels not earn from it, yet still publish content.
- Messages
- 72
- Location
- London
Absolutely fact, YouTube changed the algorithm to suit channels that had already made it big on the platform in turn earning YouTube more money. I don't know one tarantula YouTuber last year who earned more than $50 from there content a month. This whole "doing it for the money" thing is obserd.
I can only assume your part of the right now crowd? Your correct that not all you tubers make a ton of money from their channels and your also correct that YouTube changed algorithms to suit bigger channels for their own income.
If someone has a less successful channel then yes they earn next to nothing but once you start hitting bigger views and subscriber numbers the money in it is life changing.
I've been watching youtube for long enough now on many different genres of content to see the change in small channels lifestyle to how they live now. You can even google YouTube earnings per 1k views and work out for yourself just how much is in it.
Do you think the dark den wants to be just like exotics lair? Or do you think he tries to impersonate some actions to put his name in the title for clickbait in the hopes of going viral?
It isn't just YouTube either. Watch a twitch stream of someone with a few thousand viewers and just see how much money is donated and how many "bits" (twitch currency) is donated over the course of just 1 hour. It will open your eyes a little
- Messages
- 6,381
- Location
- The Oregon rain forest
They go broke because they dont really know the hobby. I have fully financed my massive collection for nearly 40 years entirely by my tarantulas. I have been involved with these YouTubers (started in 2013) and the only giving back they did was plug the next guy for subscribers. Now I'm not saying they are all bad...theres some really good guys and gals out there. But 90% are trash though...no meaningful "new" content.
- Messages
- 4,163
I think the key here is that the packaging of the content, given the medium, is akin to becoming entertainment (or at best edutainment) and as such, is monetized and treated as such by both consumers and network alike. For some the currency is cash, for others "likes" - you can go broke being liked all day.
YouTube is not an altruistic organization, they are in it for the money, make no mistake about that. The content providers are torn between what sells and what matters to them. So they all start out wanting the do the right thing and end up doing what sells or keeps them making videos. It's all about relevance, clicks and subscribers when you enter that world.
Make no mistake, there is some great content out there, and then there is some not so great content. That, it life.
YouTube is not an altruistic organization, they are in it for the money, make no mistake about that. The content providers are torn between what sells and what matters to them. So they all start out wanting the do the right thing and end up doing what sells or keeps them making videos. It's all about relevance, clicks and subscribers when you enter that world.
Make no mistake, there is some great content out there, and then there is some not so great content. That, it life.
- Messages
- 6,381
- Location
- The Oregon rain forest
Last year my YouTube $0
Last year my hobby $10k
Hey ya'll like and subscribe to my Tarantula forum profile for the real deal!!!!
Last year my hobby $10k
Hey ya'll like and subscribe to my Tarantula forum profile for the real deal!!!!
- Messages
- 72
- Location
- London
I think it comes down to the individual, the way I see it there are 3 types of tarantula YouTuber 1)educational 2) entertainment and 3) people interested in neither who are just proud to show off there love of the hobby and collection.
The problem youtubers have is fitting inside the niech while also standing out at the same time. Like take my channel I don't do fully in depth educational content why..... Because Tom Moran does such amazing work that firstly I wouldn't want to step on his toes, and secondly I wouldn't want to be held responsible for giving out miss information leading people in the hobby to make drastic mistakes and do more harm than good. Plus Tom's a great close friend of mine so I wouldn't want any tension due to just "copying" what he does so well. As for the dark den who I've met several times his agenda is just to show off his collection and show people that tarantulas aren't the scary monsters 99% of the globe have gotten into there heads through bad education and lack of knowledge, no more and no less than that. Once you start to realise the agenda of the channel you realise why they make content the way they do.
- Messages
- 72
- Location
- London
Absolutely I spent around £4000 on the hobby last year and got a £10 donation from a subscriber......Last year my YouTube $0
Last year my hobby $10k
Hey ya'll like and subscribe to my Tarantula forum profile for the real deal!!!!
- Messages
- 6,381
- Location
- The Oregon rain forest
@
I didnt spend any money out of my pocket...I made 10k from my hobby.
- Messages
- 4,163
#baller
- Messages
- 72
- Location
- London
I'll try in future to make this kind of content for you
