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Ask HN: Should we use a picture of a smoking man on our webpage ATF?

1 points by digital_ins ↗ HN
I manage a site for a firm that sells narrow AI applications. During revamp of the site, we found this stock pic that suits the site's above the fold background perfectly in terms of theme, color, everything. The only hiccup is that the man in the picture's got a cigarette in his hand. Given that even the most moderately non-PC things nowadays tends to stir up a lot of st online, I'm wondering if I should junk this picture and go hunting for another; or stick with this one? Thoughts / considerations appreciated

2 comments

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FroshKiller
PC has nothing to do with it. Do you really want visitors associating your site, even unconsciously, with addiction, the stench of smoke, death, etc.?

Personally, when I see a business use stock photography that has cigarettes, I have that reaction. And I also wonder whether they're trying to appeal to smokers in particular or trying to convey something else about themselves that I don't understand. To me, it's no good.

How prominent is the cigarette? Could you have it edited out? Does the license for the stock photo permit that?

digital_ins
Thank you! That's a pretty solid line of thought to consider this decision. The offending butt is not small enough to be prominent, but large enough to be visible.

Editing it out has become quite the challenge given the amount of blur in the hand already. If you're curious, here's a look at the image: https://img42.com/tMbeJ