**GRAPHIC** Reminder to always monitor live feedings!!!

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Originally Posted by zina10

You know it is perfectly alright to have different opinions and to disagree.

Nowhere did I "rant". But I guess that too can be disagreed upon.

By the way, there would be a difference between pictures of starving children (that can be helped) and pictures of dead, dismembered and ripped to pieces children.

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I apologize if that came off as more than just a difference of opinion. I think rant was a bad choice of word. There is a difference between dismembered children and a dismembered snake as well.

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Originally Posted by AntTheDestroyer

I apologize if that came off as more than just a difference of opinion. I think rant was a bad choice of word. There is a difference between dismembered children and a dismembered snake as well.

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Absolutely!!!

And that is why I said that snakes aren't human babies, and that this was just meant to be an example why "shocking" images are rarely learning tools. In my opinion. Because of human nature..

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Originally Posted by AntTheDestroyer

I disagree, people should know the consequences of irresponsibility when feeding live and this shows that perfectly. The original intent of the photo taker is immaterial as the OP placed it here with a pretty clear intent. I have seen this pictured posted several times now, mostly as non live feeding propaganda. In this case it was posted as a reasonable point that you need to be careful when feeding live. Which situation is more accurate and helpful?

Just to counter point your shocking images rant how much money do you think aspca or child hunger campaigns bring in by posting sad starving animals/children? It is by no means a small amount. I see these type of photos as reality and think it is good we do not ignore the consequences of our actions or future actions. I think it is easy to say a snake is a predator and it will easily take care of its prey, but in nature this is not always true. Usually the snake wins, but sometimes the rat wins.

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While I may not agree with how this was said, my experience says Ant is 100% correct. Pictures, not matter their original intent, do work and can be used for good or evil to sway peoples decision making. If this was not the case there would not be so many news organizations that are clearly slanted in one direction or another and so many people that buy into the BS regardless of what the facts really are.

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

I drive basically the same 45 mile commute each way to and from work. Every day I see at least one accident during those drives. Every day traffic slows down to stare until just clear of the accident site and then it's green light racing again. The same thing happens every day. People slow, stare, and go right on with their day thinking it could never happen to them. Every day this happens. Every day. Until it happens to them, the lesson that could be learned isn't as strong as the desire to stop, stare, be "entertained" for a moment, and get on with their day. That's just how this game works.

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This is not the same thing. This is an example of people believing something only happens to other people. You want people to be careful with guns? Show them what can happen if you are not. Worked for my kids. Same thing goes for playing with matches. Show a burn victim. Working in a morgue seemed to convince my friend he should not drink and drive any more. Not a picture, but same idea.

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Originally Posted by JodanOrNoDan

This is not the same thing. This is an example of people believing something only happens to other people. You want people to be careful with guns? Show them what can happen if you are not. Worked for my kids. Same thing goes for playing with matches. Show a burn victim. Working in a morgue seemed to convince my friend he should not drink and drive any more. Not a picture, but same idea.

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Want people to be careful while driving? Show them what happens when they are not. What's not the same?

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

Want people to be careful while driving? Show them what happens when they are not. What's not the same?

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When you "have" to do something your brain finds ways to make it easier. As far as accidents go it sometimes does not matter how safe you are if someone else is not. I am scared to death of heights. I have seen what happens when something goes wrong but I managed to jump out of the plane every time. My brain made it fun. It was a necessity of my job and the failed chute was always someone else. Could never happen to me. If the brain did not work this way, no one would ever drive to work or leave the house for that matter.

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Originally Posted by JodanOrNoDan

...if someone else is not.

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Those "someone else's" drive the same roads everyday too. What did they learn by rubbernecking those same accidents?

OK, here's the thing. Regardless of how any of us feel about this picture and its ability to change behaviors, here is the biggest reason I personally have a problem with it: It's one thing to grab someone's attention, but it's quite another thing when that kind of attention becomes "bad for the brand". These kinds of pictures are horrific for the reputation of the snake keeping hobby. Not all publicity is good publicity, and it's a shame that these are the pictures that go viral more often than not. Never assume that your message is only going to be seen by your target audience.

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

Those "someone else's" drive the same roads everyday too. What did they learn by rubbernecking those same accidents?

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Probably nothing if all they see are banged up vehicles and at the worst a sheet over a body. If we are going to continue to stray further from the topic, I know a guy who witnessed a motorcyclist get killed by an on coming truck. He was first on the scene and saw all the gruesome aspects of which I will spare you all. He listed his motorcycle for sale the next day.

Well, driving drunk is not a "necessity", like driving itself.

Yet it happens ALL THE TIME.

Texting while driving is not a necessity. Again, happens all over and all of the time.

Some of the offenders are young people that most certainly have come across the typical "scare tactics" during their education at school. The typical gruesome pictures, the visits to the morgue. Yet, they still do it. The human brain has a great mechanism of "blocking out" negative information.
The adults that do it. They know better as well. I think everybody has seen the pictures of wrecks, or dead people, thanks to drunk driving, texting during driving or even smoking during driving. Yet people do it all the time. I dare say everyone in here has done something like this at one time or another, fully aware of the possible consequences.

Children are being taught not to go with strangers. Some are being taught with scare tactics. Scary pictures. Scary stories. There has been a study out there where they tested children. Most went with the stranger, if only to see puppies. The children who were actually taught in a positive way, appealing to their "good sense" praising them for remembering reasons, giving them incentive and positive feedback to do the right thing fared FAR better!!

I can't find the study right now, but it has been established that scare tactics really do not work that well for educational purposes.

On the contrary, positive experiences and teaching tools work great. Offering help, not berating for mistakes, praising effort. All this has a long lasting effect. It wakens the desire to do better.

I do agree...a picture is worth a thousand words. In many ways.

But certain images such as the one posted don't have much of any true positive effect and not much of a educational one. I don't even think they were intended for that. Pictures such as that are usually abused for some agenda or other.

Opinions will always vary. Points differ. I think we can all argue all this till the cows come home and in the end, there will still be disagreement.

Most important is to remember that we are all here for the love of our animals, so we can get past not agreeing on everything ;)