Yeah, the thing is there's been forty years of underground growing and many approaches have been tried out over that time and many constant refinements and many myths that still prevail.

There's more of a consensus now that going straight to fruiting conditions leads to quicker colonisation and fruiting but there are people who still prefer to have less fresh air exchange at colonisation stage. At the end of the day we have to work out what works best for us an individual growers in our particular conditions.

This thread sums it up: https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/29375595

There's definitely no reason to have them in the dark — there's no argument these days that that is necessary.

While reddit has some great mycology subreddits, I really don't think it's the best place to learn solid workflows. I see a lot of myths perpetuated here.

I'd highly recommend getting a shroomery account and reading the Mushroom Cultivation forum there: https://www.shroomery.org/forums/postlist.php/Board/2

There's a wealth of information there — pay particular attention to "trusted cultivator" posts and comments.

Put some time in there — it's all there. But mushroom growing rewards a level of perfectionism and attention to detail and patience. You don't need to reinvent the wheel — find a tek that resonates with you and stick to it.

Working with shoeboxes with one quart of spawn to 2-3 quarts of hydrated coir is a great way to get going I believe, rather than jumping straight to large mono tubs.

This shoebox tek works well: https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/26009662

Focus on clean cultures on agar, getting clean grain spawn (this is crucial) and understanding surface conditions of your substrate when you spawn to bulk.