loconorc;1297864; said:
Its an oxymoron in the sense that its not as "common" as the phrase implies.
Of course, motorcycles aren't living things....but you're missing the point. According to some people, you don't know anything about [insert said herp] unless you've kept one for yourself for years. But what if you want one, but have never owned one before? By your logic (which is essentially correct), you must know enough about the animal before embarking on owning one, but by their logic, you can't gain that knowledge without owning one. You're trapped in a circle. That's my point here; it is definitely possible to learn through others (whether its talking to them on a forum or reading a book they read). You don't HAVE to personally own the animal to know anything about it. Of course, I understand that one also has to weigh in the "experience level" of those he's getting advice from, too.
Since you don't get the motorcycle thing, I'll try it with Jackson's chameleons: this is another herp I've never owned. I've taken care of dozens of them at petstores over the years, I've read a lot about them, I've talked with people who do keep them, I know what they eat, I know what temps they do best at, I know how UVB effects them, etc etc.....but I've never owned one myself. Person A says that despite all of the above, I don't know anything about Jacksons chams and that any knowledge gained can only be done if I own one myself and take care of it in my own house.
Do you agree with that? Should I just go out and buy one? Do you think based on what I just told you, I'm "experienced" enough to own a Jacksons chameleon? If not, how do I get the necessary knowledge to take care of a Jacksons chameleon if all that other stuff I mentioned isn't adequate?
