• Posted 12/19/2024.
    =====================

    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.

    =====================
    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.

Please Help Correct False Article

Wow I already got a reply! I didn't expect a reply at all.


On Thu, Jul 10, 2014 at 1:56 PM, <[email protected]> wrote:
Entry id: 5574209
Entry title: Man Finds Snake In Toilet On Bathroom Break From Hell (PHOTO)
Entry url: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/...n-worker-alabama-willie-harris_n_5574209.html
Author name: Hilary Hanson


Submission type: correction
Username: Patrick Bull
Email: [email protected]


Kind of error: Factual or typographical

That is a harmless rat snake. They lack fangs and have no venom.... It gets old seeing these stories calling harmless snakes cottonmouth's or copperheads.


This correction submission came from the Contributions form at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/...n-worker-alabama-willie-harris_n_5574209.html
Click to expand...

Hilary Hanson <[email protected]>
1:22 PM (1 hour ago)

to me
Hi Patrick,

Thanks for writing in -- the info about it being a cottonmouth came from the police officer's assessment, but I have to admit I personally am not able to identify snakes. What makes you believe it's a rat snake?

Thank you for the help!

Hilary
Click to expand...

Patrick Bull <[email protected]>
2:26 PM (2 minutes ago)

to Hilary
I've been keeping and breeding snakes and tarantulas since I was a child. I help moderate the herpsofarkansas.com forums and am a member of several reptile and tarantula forums. I keep and breed the exact species pictured. I'm also an avid field herper and have captured countless rat snakes and cottonmouths both.

Pattern and Body/Head size and shape is a dead give away, as well as length. It looks nothing like a cottonmouth and completely like a Texas Ratsnake Pantherophis obsoletus. Just about any amateur herper could easily ID that snake from those pics. I don't want to sound rude but us "Snake People" get tired of every single snake being called a cottonmouth or copperhead....

You need to read this blog by a herper more advanced than me on this story. http://www.livingalongsidewildlife.com/2014/07/rat-snake-freakout-cottonmouth-in.html

Also please read this http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2014/07/post_25.html

Thanks for taking the time to look into this!
Click to expand...
 
Success!!!!!

Hilary Hanson
2:28 PM (23 minutes ago)

to me
Thank you, Patrick! May I quote you in the story?
Click to expand...


Hilary Hanson
2:28 PM (23 minutes ago)

to me
also thank you for the link!
Click to expand...

Hilary Hanson
2:39 PM (13 minutes ago)

to me
Just wanted to let you know I updated the story with a link to Steen's blog. The story now reads:

"Hueytown Police stated that the snake was a venomous cottonmouth, but snake experts disagree.

Wildlife ecologist David Steen writes that the snake in question is "clearly and unequivocally" a rat snake, a harmless animal that has no fangs and is common on the East Coast."

Thanks again for bringing this to our attention.
Click to expand...

Patrick Bull <[email protected]>
2:51 PM (3 minutes ago)

to Hilary
Wow!!! Such a fast reply. I honestly expected to never see a reply. Reminds me of why I love huffington and read daily. Feel free to quote me. Also, I realized this could either be a Texas Rat OR Gray ratsnake, but most definitely a rat snake. Both are very similar.
Click to expand...
 
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