Are people not fans of the Tim Tracker?

[FlightlessDuck]

I don't think these people are doing anything necessarily unethical. As long as disclose they got to do "X" for free because of some promotion, they can do what they want with it. It's up to the viewer to recognize it as a paid promotion and consume the media in a responsible and logical way. It's no different than other YouTube or Twitter or Instagram "influencers".

If you listen to podcasts, or watch paid spokesman in commercials, it's the same thing. I mean, does Terry Crews really use Old Spice? Does Marc Marron really use SquareSpace? Does Rush Limbaugh really drink Snapple?

 

[DisneyOma]

I don't know what your beef is, but the evolution of the celebrity and the entertainer to someone who build themselves and their activities as a brand is not anything new. That started with the starlets of the stage and their scandals with specific politicians or leaders in the community as early as the 1700s. This is a slow moving train to affulence not being required to make a name for yourself and find adoring fans. Youtube may still infact be a gatekeeper in some aspects, as twitch and mixer are, but the community still gives you the thumbs up or down and the tides can change at the whim of the popular thought. Having years of staying power and a slow built community takes discipline, dedication and actual entrepreneurship.

Sure, anyone can be an "influencer" and post cute pictures and get freebies, but it takes actual planning to come up with a business model where your content is new, engaging and garners enough followers to offset the cost of the productions. That didn't happen overnight or even in the first five years for the Trackers, and Tim still works a regular job.

And honestly, whatever you think "actual work" is, is just another way society has taught you to devalue entrepreneurship and innovation. People are getting mad because they don't have the drive and dedication to do what people like the Trackers do, not that they want to be youtubers but they want to excel through the bonds of the 9-5 or the daily slog and be job creators, career builders and influencers in their own way, influencers of their subordinates. It is not a bad thing or a horrible goal, but showing distaste for someone who managed to create a niche that builds a community and fills a need and making the sacrifices that it takes to grow that into a stable business is difficult, regardless of if the business is pillows, protractors or popular content.

I am not particularly surprised by everyone who dislikes the Trackers take, people are more than welcome to hate what they want to hate, but the interesting people to me are the people who follow that historical pitfall of "This new thing, its bad and it doesn't fit with what I believe is the right way to earn a living! Boo!" You'd think we'd be past that by now, Radio stars dealt with that... Radio Stars.

This is exactly what I was talking about - fluff. I don't want to be influenced by people. I certainly don't want a whole society out there glued to YouTube and people making a living off of it. As a source, sure look at a video someone made of a trip. TimTracker is good for a view of something new in the parks so that I can add that knowledge to my next trip planning. But I don't care if he thinks something tastes good or not. I certainly don't care if his sperm met her egg. I don't go to shows because others say 'oh, this one's popular'. I don't follow popular trends. It's a waste of brain space and money. I rarely watch television, rarely go to the movies. I read books. Lots of books, by a variety of lesser known authors and a few more prolific ones who I enjoy, not because they are popular or promoted. I'm just not impressed by people who promote themselves, in any way. In fact, it's a huge turnoff for me. Actions speak louder than words.

 

[AllyReggie]

This is exactly what I was talking about - fluff. I don't want to be influenced by people. I certainly don't want a whole society out there glued to YouTube and people making a living off of it. As a source, sure look at a video someone made of a trip. TimTracker is good for a view of something new in the parks so that I can add that knowledge to my next trip planning. But I don't care if he thinks something tastes good or not. I certainly don't care if his sperm met her egg. I don't go to shows because others say 'oh, this one's popular'. I don't follow popular trends. It's a waste of brain space and money. I rarely watch television, rarely go to the movies. I read books. Lots of books, by a variety of lesser known authors and a few more prolific ones who I enjoy, not because they are popular or promoted. I'm just not impressed by people who promote themselves, in any way. In fact, it's a huge turnoff for me. Actions speak louder than words.

To me, honestly this response sounds cantankerous. You could literally say the exact same thing about people who listened to newspaper articles and decided to buy products based on ads in the middle of their favorite radio shows in the 1930s. "I don't want a society of a bunch of people sitting around an idiot box spouting ads and consuming products just because Fanny Brice told them to."

And your beloved books are just the words of the aristocratic and theocratic affluent pushing down on you to contrive you into believing that they are more enlightened and more intelligent because their words are on a piece of paper. Its all a way to get you to buy more of whatever they are selling, be it ideas or disney plushies.

Life is fluff, consumerism is fake and meaningless. Opinions are just regurgitation of corporate dogma. Nothing has value, everything is just a reshuffle of the 10,000 or so words that most people know and comprehend. There is nothing new, and even your beloved and sacred books hold nothing but creatively tossed concepts that have been disseminated years prior.

The world is an empty shell and nothing has value but what we imagine it does. Eventually we will die and our possessions will decay into nothingness.

Eat at Wendys.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

"I don't want a society of a bunch of people sitting around an idiot box spouting ads and consuming products just because Fanny Brice told them to."

 

[MickeyBarMike]

To me, honestly this response sounds cantankerous. You could literally say the exact same thing about people who listened to newspaper articles and decided to buy products based on ads in the middle of their favorite radio shows in the 1930s. "I don't want a society of a bunch of people sitting around an idiot box spouting ads and consuming products just because Fanny Brice told them to."

And your beloved books are just the words of the aristocratic and theocratic affluent pushing down on you to contrive you into believing that they are more enlightened and more intelligent because their words are on a piece of paper. Its all a way to get you to buy more of whatever they are selling, be it ideas or disney plushies.

Life is fluff, consumerism is fake and meaningless. Opinions are just regurgitation of corporate dogma. Nothing has value, everything is just a reshuffle of the 10,000 or so words that most people know and comprehend. There is nothing new, and even your beloved and sacred books hold nothing but creatively tossed concepts that have been disseminated years prior.

The world is an empty shell and nothing has value but what we imagine it does. Eventually we will die and our possessions will decay into nothingness.

Eat at Wendys.

i love Wendy's frosty

 

[Jennasis]

To me, honestly this response sounds cantankerous. You could literally say the exact same thing about people who listened to newspaper articles and decided to buy products based on ads in the middle of their favorite radio shows in the 1930s. "I don't want a society of a bunch of people sitting around an idiot box spouting ads and consuming products just because Fanny Brice told them to."

And your beloved books are just the words of the aristocratic and theocratic affluent pushing down on you to contrive you into believing that they are more enlightened and more intelligent because their words are on a piece of paper. Its all a way to get you to buy more of whatever they are selling, be it ideas or disney plushies.

Life is fluff, consumerism is fake and meaningless. Opinions are just regurgitation of corporate dogma. Nothing has value, everything is just a reshuffle of the 10,000 or so words that most people know and comprehend. There is nothing new, and even your beloved and sacred books hold nothing but creatively tossed concepts that have been disseminated years prior.

The world is an empty shell and nothing has value but what we imagine it does. Eventually we will die and our possessions will decay into nothingness.

Eat at Wendys.

Can we be friends? I think i love you.

 

[Disney Von Drake]

There's only a conflict of interest if they don't disclose it

Disclosure of any potential conflict of interest may help to eliminate the appearance of unethical behavior, but it does nothing to nullify the actual gratuitous conflict.

 

[ChrisFL]

Disclosure of any potential conflict of interest may help to eliminate the appearance of unethical behavior, but it does nothing to nullify the actual gratuitous conflict.

What conflict are you saying they have then?

 

[nkereina]

Tim's day job used to be in construction and he made a LOT of money doing that

Tim still works a regular job.

Tim has construction experience, but to my knowledge, his job right before he quit for YouTube full time was with children. I know where it was, but won't share for privacy reasons. YouTube has been his full time job for a while now, which is how they are able to put out daily videos. I don't believe he's worked a "regular" 9-5 type job in at least a couple of years, if that's what you're referring to.

Personally, I don't take issue with the sponsored videos. Even if their review is bias, it's still showcasing the place they are visiting which is mostly what I'm looking for. Sponsored trips ands videos are big money makers for them. All the fashion influencers on Instagram do the same thing with various retail stores. It is what it is. I take it with a grain of salt and enjoy the videos for seeing these places I otherwise wouldn't consider going to.

 

[AllyReggie]

Tim has construction experience, but to my knowledge, his job right before he quit for YouTube full time was with children. I know where it was, but won't share for privacy reasons. YouTube has been his full time job for a while now, which is how they are able to put out daily videos. I don't believe he's worked a "regular" 9-5 type job in at least a couple of years, if that's what you're referring to.

Personally, I don't take issue with the sponsored videos. Even if their review is bias, it's still showcasing the place they are visiting which is mostly what I'm looking for. Sponsored trips ands videos are big money makers for them. All the fashion influencers on Instagram do the same thing with various retail stores. It is what it is. I take it with a grain of salt and enjoy the videos for seeing these places I otherwise wouldn't consider going to.

I apologize, it was my understanding he was still working a traditional 9-5 (the one where he works with children) on top of doing daily videos as I had been told his daily videos are typically filmed 2-3 in one day on a set schedule, then edited (by Jenn) and scheduled for release. That is probably an old model for their business, I apologize for the inaccuracy. Still, I'd say its probably nice that he can dedicate himself full time to this, and anyone who works in video production can tell you that getting out of the office/service industry does not preclude itself from being a "full time job". Being on set of any production, small or large is rigorous!

 

[nkereina]

I apologize, it was my understanding he was still working a traditional 9-5 (the one where he works with children) on top of doing daily videos as I had been told his daily videos are typically filmed 2-3 in one day on a set schedule, then edited (by Jenn) and scheduled for release. That is probably an old model for their business, I apologize for the inaccuracy. Still, I'd say its probably nice that he can dedicate himself full time to this, and anyone who works in video production can tell you that getting out of the office/service industry does not preclude itself from being a "full time job". Being on set of any production, small or large is rigorous!

No need to apologize! That probably is how they used to do things, but they are fortunate enough that they can live off YouTube earnings now. Which is great for them!

 

[Disney Von Drake]

What conflict are you saying they have then?

Why do the Trackers disclose instances when they receive free gifts, travel, transportation, lodging, food and other largess? Because they are required by YouTube and by law to make such disclosures. In such videos they are being paid to promote a product or service. Disclosure of that business and commercial relationship does nothing to change their obligation to provide the content required.

They have a built-in bias in favor of their generous benefactors because they are engaged in paid promotions. Disney, Universal and many other companies cultivate these social media types. They look for amateurs on social media that start out sharing their opinions and as their popularity grows, they are viewed as authentic, trustworthy and approachable. Disney and other companies entice these social media types by offering free gifts and special access for the purpose of product promotion. They are just another form of advertising.

They are freelance shills. They'll promote any attraction that's willing to pay the price. They are not independent, unbiased, fair, objective, impartial or even-handed in the production of their videos. They are conflicted.

 

[DisneyOma]

To me, honestly this response sounds cantankerous. You could literally say the exact same thing about people who listened to newspaper articles and decided to buy products based on ads in the middle of their favorite radio shows in the 1930s. "I don't want a society of a bunch of people sitting around an idiot box spouting ads and consuming products just because Fanny Brice told them to."

And your beloved books are just the words of the aristocratic and theocratic affluent pushing down on you to contrive you into believing that they are more enlightened and more intelligent because their words are on a piece of paper. Its all a way to get you to buy more of whatever they are selling, be it ideas or disney plushies.

Life is fluff, consumerism is fake and meaningless. Opinions are just regurgitation of corporate dogma. Nothing has value, everything is just a reshuffle of the 10,000 or so words that most people know and comprehend. There is nothing new, and even your beloved and sacred books hold nothing but creatively tossed concepts that have been disseminated years prior.

The world is an empty shell and nothing has value but what we imagine it does. Eventually we will die and our possessions will decay into nothingness.

Eat at Wendys.

Thanks for the great laugh today! After the mass shootings, some family issues, and other general suckiness, this was so obnoxiously funny I shared it with my family.

 

[PollyannaMom]

They share their experiences that were paid for by the very place they are reviewing. If people can't recognize the conflict of interest, there is nothing else I can say.

But as long as they do share that info, I know what I can get get out of the video and what I can't. I don't expect an unbiased review - I expect a "Disney fix" when I'm missing my happy place, and maybe some tips for planning my next trip (how certain extras work, where new restaurants have opened, things that have changed since I was last there...)

 

[Allison]

I don't know these people from Adam but do people not realize that social media is how companies advertise these days? It is no different than the actors and athletes who are the paid spokespersons for whatever product they are promoting in 30 second tv spots. So, why does it bother people so much? They seem more interested in the Trackers than the people who are fans.

 

[ChrisFL]

Why do the Trackers disclose instances when they receive free gifts, travel, transportation, lodging, food and other largess? Because they are required by YouTube and by law to make such disclosures. In such videos they are being paid to promote a product or service. Disclosure of that business and commercial relationship does nothing to change their obligation to provide the content required.

They have a built-in bias in favor of their generous benefactors because they are engaged in paid promotions. Disney, Universal and many other companies cultivate these social media types. They look for amateurs on social media that start out sharing their opinions and as their popularity grows, they are viewed as authentic, trustworthy and approachable. Disney and other companies entice these social media types by offering free gifts and special access for the purpose of product promotion. They are just another form of advertising.

They are freelance shills. They'll promote any attraction that's willing to pay the price. They are not independent, unbiased, fair, objective, impartial or even-handed in the production of their videos. They are conflicted.

...and that is just your opinion. I don't get that impression from watching any of their videos.

As mentioned before, they were doing this for YEARS before they received any promotional material, they did it because it was fun and they would get some youtube revenue. Now you're going to bash them as being completely untrustworthy because they receive promo material that they disclose. Their reviews haven't changed IMO, they still feel unbiased to me.

There's PLENTY of other Disney shills you can find on youtube and podcasts which are a lot worse.

 

[nkereina]

They are not independent, unbiased, fair, objective, impartial or even-handed in the production of their videos. They are conflicted.

I don't believe they claim to be these things, so how can it be a conflict? Frankly, if they didn't do the sponsored videos, it would be a bad career and financial move for them. If this is their career that they are relying on to support their growing family, why would they want to decline these offers? I agree with you that they will promote any place that's willing to pay, but I guess I don't see what's wrong with that. They are still showcasing things about the destination people wouldn't have otherwise known, and the content can still be used by a person to determine if its the right vacation destination for them.

This topic reminds me of hipsters who fret when their favorite band is played on mainstream radio because it's "selling out". Like, isn't that the end goal? To make money and receive attention? If not, then why do it at all

 

[Shaunalaska]

Honestly their videos would be a lot better if they weren't compensated with free trips in every other video they do. They point out the fact that they are given special access many times and then they try and review it when 90% of us will never get to do the things they are doing because we have to pay for it. They are essentially advertising agents for hire, give them free compensated things and they will make a video about it telling everyone how great it is.

 

[Floridaman999]

Honestly their videos would be a lot better if they weren't compensated with free trips in every other video they do. They point out the fact that they are given special access many times and then they try and review it when 90% of us will never get to do the things they are doing because we have to pay for it. They are essentially advertising agents for hire, give them free compensated things and they will make a video about it telling everyone how great it is.

Thanks for joining and sharing your opinion. Was it a Google search?

 

[nkereina]

Honestly their videos would be a lot better if they weren't compensated with free trips in every other video they do. They point out the fact that they are given special access many times and then they try and review it when 90% of us will never get to do the things they are doing because we have to pay for it. They are essentially advertising agents for hire, give them free compensated things and they will make a video about it telling everyone how great it is.

Their content may not be your cup of tea, but it still adds value for people who want to see the experiences they wouldn't otherwise normally do. And for their videos like the Dollywood one, that's a place I would have never considered vacationing and knew nothing about. Their video still provided me with information on it. The only thing the sponsored videos lack are a reliable opinion of whether something is good or bad, but that can be subjective anyhow.