• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

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    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Eastern DiamondBack Rattlesnake's

I can agree to disagree Barry but the name calling is unnecessary. As I said, nothing personal. You may not believe it but my intent in posting my opinion was to assure any young or inexperience person who came along this thread would be able to read both sides before attempting to handle hots. I cherish my venomous collection so much that I would not risk a bite and the potential of having family and friends on me to get rid of them. I understand risking your life but I don't want to risk my hobby. There is no need to free handle venomous snakes, it's no more enjoyable than any other snake, pretty much the same although all species and individuals have their own quirks. There is never a good reason to have any part of your body within the striking distance of a venomous snake. Any time a venomous snake has an opportunity to bite it's because the handler is taking an unnecessary risk and intentionally putting his/her life in danger. We can argue all day whether that decision is stupid or not, it depends on your personal priorities and how much value you give your life/well-being. But I doubt anyone could make a convincing argument as to why someone should free handle venomous snakes. So Barry, what is the point of this thread? Not trying to be a jerk, I'm just curious.
 
Tony, let's de escalate this thread. I don't think it was appropriate for you to tell the OP that you hope he gets bitten. That is very different from the preceding opinions about free handling which we all have a right to our opinions. You obviously feel strongly about the subject, as do I.

I have no reason to believe the OP has lied about his bite. I could go one about how that should have taught him, but it obviously has not, so all I can say is that I don't think free handling is wise


TOsage said:
So Barry, what is the point of this thread?
Click to expand...
I'd be interest in his answer, but I personally feel he simply enjoys the attention.

Similar thread:http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=534398&page=2
 
Thanks Lucille, I will take your advice and this will be my final post on this thread. Just to clarify I believe I said it would be in the best interest of the hobby if he were to get bitten, it would decrease the risk of someone getting the idea that venomous snakes can be safely free handled. Better than a thread filled with only positive accounts of free handling venomous snakes all the time with nary a problem. But that's just my opinion and I can see that being construed as my wanting him to get bit so I apologize to Barry if it was taken that way. I'm sorry if I implied question of his previous bite account but people do frequently lie about these thing and it was really hard for me to believe that someone who had experienced envenomation in the past would continue to practice unquestionably unsafe handling of venomous snakes.
 
I understand being passionate and wanting to intimitley understand the animals we work with but since you are knowledgable about the species in question ( beautiful animals by the way) why do you free handle? I'll leave my opinion completely out of it since there seems to be enough opinions here. I'm truly curious to my core. Once you've gained the animals trust and can free handle..... What then.... And why? Please don't see this as me questioning your practices I really am just curious.

Sent from my LG-H634 using Tapatalk
 
I have posted many pics of me holding my venomous snakes, now here's a pic of the consequences of free handling. You have to be willing to pay the price and this is the second and LAST time I'll pay this price.

 
This happened on june 28 of this year, I was in the hospital until july 27th. For just over 2 weeks I was in a coma and the doctors told my family they weren't sure if I'd live. In fact one doctor told my family that I was in the process of dying. My lungs filled with fluid and pneumonia set in,I contracted mersa, I was bleeding in my stomach, my blood coagulated and my kidneys shut down. After I came too the doctor told me quote "we didn't save your life,we did all that we could do,it was the Lord who saved you".
Life is to short and precious and the price is to high for me to continue on freehandling venomous snakes.
 
Unfortunately, it doesn't take a "mistake" on your part when free handling.
I'm sorry that you had to experience that (again); but I'm glad you're still around to tell the story. Thanks for posting...hopefully, your lesson will save somebody else from learning the hard way.
 
Yeah, sounds like you had a VERY close call. No matter how tame (or just acclimated to handling by humans) we may think a wild animal is, it is still a WILD animal, and by definition unpredictable when it comes to how we want them to act.

Glad you were able to stay on top of the ground a while longer.
 
I'm really sorry to hear that, I've been enjoying your posts and the reasoned way you explained your methodology and handled opposing points of view. You took the risks knowingly and I applaud the fact that you have come on and shown that it can go wrong, even for you.

I'm sure you'll continue to enjoy your snakes, even if you stop freehandling. I love the concept of taking them out for some sunshine.
 
Glad you are alright and recovering. Though I would never hold a venomous snake you certainly took it to a new level with sweat pea. Was she the one that gave the bite?

Sent from my SM-G900R6 using Tapatalk
 
Kudos for posting the hospital pic and I'm glad you recovered. Was it sweet pea who got you?
 
54bogger said:
I have posted many pics of me holding my venomous snakes, now here's a pic of the consequences of free handling. You have to be willing to pay the price and this is the second and LAST time I'll pay this price.
Click to expand...
Barry, my thoughts and prayers are with you, that you make a full recovery.
 
Barry, I just now heard about this...so sorry for what you went thru and I'm so glad you're still with us. I quite agree, you don't ever want to take this risk again. You were lucky this time, very lucky...and I also hope you make a full recovery. Will you still be keeping your hots? (-only hands-off now?)
 
Oh my gosh.
I just now saw this.
Barry I hope you and yours are doing ok.

I have always enjoyed reading your posts and seeing your spirit.
Sweet pea and your gaboon are nothing less than beautiful.

I am an old 1%er.
I have a old pic somewhere of me a bit over 30 years ago.
I was looking like you in your hospital pic.

It was a Friday about 6-7 pm.
I was In my early 20's.
I was drinking and I was stoned.
By no means am I saying my hit was the same.

I pressed her head down with my hook and grabbed her behind the neck and she circled back and hit my left index finger.
Full hit from a baby WDB..
Nerve damage on my finger lasted near 8 years.

Being a young ass wipe, after I was on the road to recovery my wife (we just had our 34th anniversary) accidentally brushed against my lower area and it spiked my heart monitor.
We messed with the nurses for a bit before they told us to stop😜.

I love hots but after that no way can they ever be in my collection.
I'm just not good enough.

If you ever hit the Frisco area I got a good bbq and cold one for ya.
Take care.

Andy
 
Thanks Andy I will. Here's the really bad news, while I was in a coma my wife GAVE AWAY ALL my snakes!! She was never into snakes like me, but at least they all went to great homes. Sweetpea is at the Edisto Serpentarium and the retic's are at Alligator Adventure in Myrtle Beach S.C.
I'm now in the process of looking for a Green Anaconda, I sold the one that I had and regret it EVERYDAY now.
 
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