A former regular of this forum was emphatic in encouraging that position, if you recall TigerG. His theory was that it wasn't as hard on the digestive system. My thought is, as long as the snake is getting enough to eat of nutritious prey items (not pinkies or wild-caught rodents, etc.), then the only really important factor left is whether the prey is offered live. I don't think an adult ball python who eats 5 mice every 10 days is 'suffering' any more than one who eats 1 large rat every 10 days.