In the wild if a ball python doesn't like the temperature where it is at, it has the option of leaving and finding a burrow that suits it better. When we confine them to an enclosure we take that option away from them. Therefore if you utilize a UTH, it makes good sense to place one hide near the UTH and one at the cool end to provide the snake some options to be comfortable. That said, I use 2 hides in cages and only 1 in a rack. I don't like the 1/2 log hides for two reasons. They are porous and therefore less sanitary and they don't allow a snake to conceal itself entirely which I can only speculate may leave the snake feeling less secure. Your methods are not revolutionary or controversial. Many people use them successfully.