Responses to Your Responses, 20-26 May 2010

Moose said: "Remember if your not absolutely lovin it then dont do it!" Just so. Reflecting on our tastes and limits is critical, and we should revisit them periodically, because they may change. Some subs fall into the psychic trap of believing they must frequently or constantly endure experiences that dull or cut their spirit, in order to be "good subs". No. As Moose also said: "Some dominants are just plain bullies or worse. Unfortunately some submissives think being a sub is submitting to abuse."

Moose also talked about "assisting dominants who might be inexperienced." I've starting thinking more about "junior doms and junior subs." We should encourage and nurture newcomers, to grow the community (both Dark Den and the larger D/s and kink community). puyin rightly said that we need to encourage those who are "educable", and politely deter those who aren't, those who Moose says "have no clue what they are doing and will not listen because they think they are doing it right and everyone else is wrong."

My beloved primary rightly balanced my argument about subs challenging Doms, saying that a smart sub may be testing a Dom, to see whether he has the flexibility and cleverness to handle complexity. She wants a Dom to use "my sensuality against me." I can't say it better than that.

I was clumsy in my thoughts on protocol. As puyin amended, I was trying to outline ways that players could demonstrate excellence through their avatars. I unwisely mixed it in with my discussion of enforcement. Subs with the right attitude should be encouraged and reinforced, regardless of their players' present skills. Any IC correction should probably be coupled with OOC IMs, to ensure that protocol play is enjoyable for both. My larger point was that Doms and subs should think about each others' experiences, since D/s should be about mutual pleasure, not lockstep adherence to protocol.

I like the open structure at Dark Den very much, and I wouldn't want to see it changed, or limited to D/s or BDSM. Specific subcultures might want to be more organized and D/s oriented (e.g., Sisterhood, EM, the relationship between Sisterhood and EM), but people should be free to play in other ways (i.e., by not joining the Sisterhood if they don't like how it's organized).

I like ROPE. I've completed the certification. I recommend the classes and examination process. I'm a very experienced role-player, and I learned some new things.

Take-in-Hand is very intriguing. Thank you, Tami, for calling our attention to it. I'm still reading and processing on it.

Regarding what I'm calling classic D/s, with male Dom and female sub... Arguments about what's natural or found among other animals have limited appeal to me, for D/s or homosexuality or whatever. We are animals, and we are sentient. Both aspects of our nature matter. I want everyone to enjoy themselves and the partner(s) of their choice, in healthy relationships that stroke their kinks and make them ultimately feel fulfilled. I love the live-and-let-live climate in Dark Den, and I hope that any partners in any combination or of gender, species, and D/s (or not) feel welcome. (Obviously, I'm not referring to combinations that violate our OOC rules.)

Personally, I find strong ties between my identity as a man and my identity as a dominant. But I don't assume that others find the same match in their identities, nor assume that I am the right man or the right dominant for every submissive woman I meet.

Some of you talked about the shortage of men. I'll probably say more about that in a future post.

Finally, repeatedly and respectfully... the reason I'm focused on D/s in this blog is because I was asked to offer some vision and provocation about D/s in Dark Den, as a D/s Coach. And because that's why I'm in SL: sensuality, sexuality, and D/s. I have a voice in Dark Den, but it's one among many. Thanks to all of you for sharing your voices so far.

Square One

Welcome to my blog. I've been asked to serve as a Dominance/submission (D/s) Coach in Dark Den (DD). DD is a marvelous place in Second Life (SL), combining a sane out-of-character (OOC) community, consistent In Character (IC) public role-play (RP), and public erotica (including sex). Yum.

OK, DD has a mostly-sane OOC community. People who enjoy RP, D/s, and sex are passionate. Passionate people are always a little crazy, myself included. As my uncle told me before I got married, one key to a successful relationship is to take turns being crazy.

DD is owned and administrated by YT Recreant. YT chose me as one of several D/s Coaches. She loosely defined the role. She wrote that if a Coach was qualified, they would already know what to do. Clever.

While I'm still learning DD, I know D/s very well. I want to help sustain and improve DD, especially the D/s climate, while continuing to study the endless, fascinating complexities of sensuality and power exchange.

For this and many reasons, I'm starting this blog. I want my fellow kinksters at DD to know me, even if our prime times don't match, or our tastes run different. I'll try to provoke some thinking and discussion. As you know me better, I hope you'll be more comfortable approaching me, when I might be able to help or support or just listen.

Why am I Dom, and why should you consider my ideas? I have been with my beloved primary for about 16 years. We recently celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. My beloved has a bedroom collar and an everyday collar. She discovered her submission first, and asked me to explore Dominance. In many ways, I've been a Dom all my life. I just needed to learn the language, so that I could be a mindful Dom, and properly study and improve. Fundamentally, I'm a Dom because I love my primary. She is my best of all friends, and the most desirable of all women. I am a Dom because I want to bring out the best in her.

Also, I like kinky sex and I'm a control freak.

Master SuperMaster says, "A true Dom never makes a mistake."

I am not Master SuperMaster (MSM). You'll know this if you play with me, because you'll see me make mistakes. MSM is a fictional character my beloved and I have joked about for years. MSM is a parody, combining the most ridiculous and dangerous beliefs and behaviors we've encountered among so-called Masters in SL.

In this blog, MSM will periodically be my sparring partner. I'll let him take a swing, and then I'll show how absurd, even hurtful, his ideas are. I usually don't capitalize pronouns for Dominants (e.g., "I'll let Him take a swing"), but even if I did, Master SuperMaster wouldn't get this honor.

So... Welcome, and thanks for reading. I hope you find this blog entertaining and useful.