quote:

ORIGINAL: Kana

Remember the old kink swinger mags with contacts?
Yeah, those days were fun

quote:

ORIGINAL: LadyPact

It's both. Just about every positive that's been related to the internet also brings a negative with it. Two of the biggest advantages, being accessibility and education, also bring the issues of misinformation and the problems associated with the 'open cattle call' approach that has led to so many difficulties in our clubs and groups.

Like MC, I wasn't on the internet first before I was associated with kink. It was a much different learning environment. That's why I'm a bit backward when folks come here asking for net resources on how to learn some topping skill or another. Before I ever knew what Google was, we had books from Greenery Press and folks who would teach you whatever kind of play you were interested in and show you how to do it. A lot fewer accidents that way.

The last couple of years, in My opinion, there's also been an increase in problems in a particular area that started out innocently enough. It's what I've been calling the extension of the feteratti. For those who don't know, the "feteratti" is what some of us leather folks used to call those who would give the impression that S/m stood for 'stand and model'. In other words, the folks who dressed in the leather outfits and went out clubbing mostly to show folks how hot they looked in the outfits and pretty much staged kink. There's been a huge escalation on the net in this area about who's got the most impressive looking play pics and the dangerous things some folks have done to capture those shots where the picture is sometimes more important than the safety aspect. The gal in Florida who scarred a woman for life because she wanted a neat shot of birthday candles on a woman's back because "it would look really cool on Fet" (those were her words after the incident) is an example of this.

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ORIGINAL: TNDommeK

I'd say both. It has expanded my knowledge of things and met new people, however I think it cripples ppl from getting out and going to munches or parties. Experience is great practice.

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ORIGINAL: LadyPact

I think there's a happy medium. I'm actually still in favor of groups vetting their members, rather than the approach of anybody who feels like it showing up and gaining immediate access to the group's play events. To be honest, I still prefer groups that do sponsor memberships, probationary periods, and/or groups that provide an orientation. When these practices exist, the groups have lower incidents than the groups that don't.

quote:

ORIGINAL: PonyGroom

The internet may have made it easier to find out that your boss was into something kinky.

I didn't need the Internet to tell me my boss is a sadist.
The Marquis de Sade was less obvious. But I'm topping
from the bottom so it's all good.


_____________________________

A thousand dreams within me softly burn.
Rimbaud

(in reply to PonyGroom)

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesFIP

quote:

ORIGINAL: LadyPact

I think there's a happy medium. I'm actually still in favor of groups vetting their members, rather than the approach of anybody who feels like it showing up and gaining immediate access to the group's play events. To be honest, I still prefer groups that do sponsor memberships, probationary periods, and/or groups that provide an orientation. When these practices exist, the groups have lower incidents than the groups that don't.

No argument with that. Private parties are for people you want to invite to your house. Even if the house is a club for members. Certainly you should get to know someone in public, like a restaurant where a munch is held, before you invite them to your home. That's just sensible.