Quote Originally Posted by JLC View Post
You know folks....there are PLENTY of real red flags to worry about without having to invent any. All the constant nit picking and assumptions about certain future failure as if were already fact makes everyone involved sound petty, vindictive, and mob-ish. Is this a genuine concern? Or is it a witch-hunt that's become too much fun to let go of?

We've all seen pictures of breeding ball pythons...posted by people we DO trust to take good care of their snakes...and those breeding bins are flat out nasty. Breeding ball pythons are very messy and it's standard practice to not bother them until they're done.

I also know plenty of people who take perfectly good care of their snakes that have less than optimal "facilities" to do it in. Basements that aren't finished. Home made racks. None of that says anything about the character of the person taking care of those animals. There are plenty of OTHER things you can look to to judge character, so why make us all look bad by picking on things that DON'T matter?

Getting bent out of shape because someone said something a bit snarky after what must have been a very long day of constant stress...really? The man is human. Things aren't going the way he'd expected them to. He's being attacked constantly from all directions. And whether or not you believe anything he says, he is at least handling it with some aplomb. So no...a moment of sarcasm is not something worth getting upset about, I don't believe.

Neither is mentioning BP.net. Just because he referred to us in some manner doesn't mean he's attacking us. (Not that I saw, anyhow. If I missed something major, maybe someone will point it out.)

And a host of other things. I am NOT defending these two. I see plenty that makes my eyebrows wing up and my head to shake in dismay. But I see no worth in constantly harping on things already talked about ad nauseum, nor in going on treasure hunts for things to pick on that really have no relevance in the grand scheme of things.
Judy:
Personally speaking, I would not care if the basement was unfinished. I know many who keep reptiles in garages/basements/etc. My concern though is how is the room heated. Throughout this entire situation, my hope was to attempt to educate them on proper husbandry. I agree that it isn't fair to nitpick over someone's room/facility/etc. Regarding the sarcastic comment, I totally understand that sarcasm is a great stress reliever. I'm one of the most sarcastic people I know and in fact, find myself backpeddling quite often because someone does not understand when I am being sarcastic. My frustration with that one statement though comes from the fact that, given the situation they are in, it was not the best choice of words at all. There is a time and a place for sarcasm, and given the fact that the thread was concerning the care of the animals, to come out and make a comment like that really got to me. Perhaps I overreacted, perhaps not. I said not one thing to him regarding the comment though (if you read the thread) and just let it go. The whole reason I posted it here was to basically vent frustrations out over it. I think we all can agree that anyone who would make a comment like that regarding any animal would cause us to raise our eyebrows at least.

I'm not here to attack anyone. Do I think the overall concept is a "good idea"? No. Do I LIKE what it could do for the hobby/industry? No.

My immediate concern though is the health of those animals. That is all. The rest of the stuff (is it legal/what is going to do/etc) is all secondary to me. I've been in their shoes- attempting to start a business without being properly prepared. I know what it is like to be completely overwhelmed and watch your hard work come crashing down in front of your eyes. Thankfully for me it was cakes and truffles. These are animals that we are all passionate about in our hobby.

I just wish that they would take the communities advice/suggestions/etc.