|
|
Want to know more about #BDSM_Vancouver? Some history, perhaps? Who we are and what we stand for? This is where
you'll find that information. Please feel free to comment on the information placed here when it's done. We're
always open to input about the channel and what we say about it. If you think something we said is completely
out to lunch or missing, we want to know. It's our channel, and all of your opinions are important.
Channel History In winter of 1998, the current owner of #BDSM_Vancouver, Darkfall-, first entered the channel. Darkfall- became an op eventually, and opened the #BDSM_Vancouver channel on the BDSMNet IRC network a few months later. Using a slightly modified clone of the Undernet bot katherreh, Darkfall- created a bot for BDSMNet named messira. Ownership of the #BDSM_Vancouver Undernet channel didn't change hands to Darkfall- until fall of 1999 when Undernet purged the channel due to a small oversight. Darkfall- re-registered the channel in his name to prevent someone else from snapping up the channel name, and thus it's heritage and "feel". With Arcanum's ok, the channel remained registered as it was, with Darkfall- as the owner. Eventually, when the #BDSM_Vancouver home page went down due to drive crash, Darkfall- began working on a new channel page in winter of 1999. The result is the page you're viewing now.
Our Mission The people of #BDSM_Vancouver do our best to help educate anyone who comes into the channel and asks questions. There is alot of sensationalist misinformation floating around regarding BDSM created by the mainstream media, both printed and visual as well as by those who really don't have a clue. The mainstream media typically capitalizes on the poor examples of BDSM, like they do with most other topics. There are plenty of people out there preaching about BDSM who have never experienced it as well, which further muddies the topic. BDSM comes hand in hand with a fair amount of controversy, however, because it's so easy to link it to various kinds of abuse, both physical and psychological. There is also a fair amount of fiction that is taken far too seriously by some. We hope to help change some of those misconceptions by answering questions and offering information whenever we can regarding BDSM and the way it really is for most of us. BDSM, when done responsibly and right, is just another lifestyle. It does not mean physical or psychological abuse. Every relationship or group has some form of power exchange, were one or more people hold a dominant position over one or more others. It's a natural occurance that happens every day in nature and life. At it's root, BDSM simply provides a more offical recognition of that natural behavior. It provides structure, and in many cases can lead to less fighting and problems because the rules of who is in control and when is determined beforehand (via negotiation) and laid out in simple, easy to follow language. Misunderstandings are reduced, and frustration levels come down. The important thing to remember about the BDSM lifestyle is the words we try to live by: safe, sane, and consentual. That means safety comes first. Broken bones aren't ok. How rough one plays with their partner depends on what they negotiate together. It also means we keep a sane mind about what we're doing. Obviously, playing with a loaded pistol is a stupid idea, and that doesn't happen. And, lastly, we make sure that what we're doing is ok with our partners so no one is a victim or unhappy. Of course, there are always unfortunate exceptions. There are always people who don't care about others and do only what they are interested in, resulting in some hard feelings at best, and at worst a hospital stay, jail time, and maybe even death. Fortunately, these types of things are rare. Nine times out of ten, these things happen because of lack of knowledge and understanding. The more we can educate people about dangerous play tyechniques and poor mindsets, the fewer bad incidents will occur. So, we do our best to provide education and information to anyone who asks (and sometimes to people who don't ask, if they look like they need it). Please take a look at the IRC section and do pop by our channel. Also, take a look at the Links section for informative and useful links about BDSM. And, lastly, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send an e-mail to the webmaster (also the owner of #BDSM_Vancouver, Darkfall-) and he'll do his best to help point you in the right direction.
What Is The Pacific Northwest, Exactly? Geographical Features If you look at a map of the north American continent, minus the political boundaries which divide it into Canada and the United States of America, and minus the provincial or state boundaries within these two nations, you might see the geographical features which distinguish this part of the world. The Northwest region is bound by the Pacific Ocean to the west, passes over the "Rockies" and extends east to the "Great Plains". The northern and southern extremities of this region may be identified as somewhere around the 51st parallel before reaching the subarctic zone of British Columbia, and somewhere around the 40th parallel before reaching the mild climate zone of northern California. Reinstating the political boundaries, you will see this region covers the southwestern portions of the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, and the American states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and portions of Montana, Wyoming and northern California. #BDSM_Vancouver Definition The term is used loosely. Sometimes a person has in mind only the states of Washington and Oregon. Sometimes they are adding to this any one of the above mentioned states. For example, using the term "Pacific Northwest" to include only the states bordering the Pacific Ocean. For the purposes of #BDSM_Vancouver, we define the Northwest as being the coastal province and states of British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon, and the land bound states of Montana and Idaho. Yet this landscape is not so easily contained! You will find the scope of #BDSM_Vancouver sneaks over the latter two borders into Wyoming. We also extend over the British Columbian border into Alberta. "A Name and an Imaginative Place" If the above has given you the impression that a definition of the northwest is not very fixed, then you are arriving at an understanding of how the northwest is also a region defined by the imagination. Looking at a map of the continent, it is apparent the Northwest does not include the most northern part of the continent (Alaska, the Yukon and so on). It is not a region defined only by geographic logic. "Northwest" is a name and an imaginative place which, historically, traveled with the westward exploration and settlement of the United States. During the 1700s and early 1800s, places like what we know today as Chicago and the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota were commonly thought of as the "northwest"! A Continuing Promise Nowadays that name, with its connotations of wild landscapes and new horizons, has alighted upon the area described above. It is this continuing promise of opportunity and discovery which today sees the Northwest containing some of the fastest growing metropolitan regions of North America. We hope you come and find out for yourself what draws so many north-westwards!        
|