I think this section of the forum needs to have a safety sticky right at the top. People need to be aware of how potentially deadly selfbondage can be if done wrong.
If everyone is <ahem> tied up at the moment, I'd be happy to put one together.
Safety Sticky Needed
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stephanie_cd
- Forever Mummified
- Posts: 3246
- Joined: 23 Nov 2005, 04:16
Re: Safety Sticky Needed
Welcome to the Bound Forum!
This issue has come up before -- here's one big thread from 2005: http://www.boundforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=98433
Some points I had already thought of before reading that thread:
New members and lurkers REALLY don't read "stickies" or "FAQ's" or threads with titles including words like "IMPORTANT!" or "Read this first!" They're the internet version of "The Purloined Letter," just hiding in plain sight yet for all intents practically invisible.
(I should know, since I get to send PM's directing new members to the Forum Posting Guidelines and similar threads on a regular basis.)
The six main BDSM subjects we have listed under "Interests" on the main index page are ALL fraught with potential dangers, many of which overlap. Bondage is inherently dangerous, with or without a partner. Self-bondage, obviously more so since there's nobody RIGHT THERE to help in case of emergency. Chastity can cause permanent damage to people's "dangly bits" or lead to infections. Mummification, latex and rubber can lead to dehydration and heatstroke, especially if mixed with bondage and struggling. Crossdressing can lead to serious injury or death when homophobes are involved.
Because of this overlap, the disclaimer for each section would probably be so long that they would cause people's eyes to glaze over and not read it -- especially those people who need the warnings the most!
Because of the increasingly litigious society we live in, I can't help but wonder if some lawyer somewhere might have a field day if we posted an incomplete list of dangers and someone got hurt. "That forum mentioned 'positional asphyxia' under 'Bondage,' 'Self-Bondage' and 'Mummification' but NOT under 'Latex and Rubber!' My late client was a rubberist who just HAPPENED to meet a Dom/me who was into bondage, so he didn't know the dangers -- let's sue them!"
I'm not saying that we shouldn't have some sort of safety disclaimer(s) somewhere, only that implementing the idea would be a lot of work and could potentially be counter-productive.
This issue has come up before -- here's one big thread from 2005: http://www.boundforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=98433
Some points I had already thought of before reading that thread:
New members and lurkers REALLY don't read "stickies" or "FAQ's" or threads with titles including words like "IMPORTANT!" or "Read this first!" They're the internet version of "The Purloined Letter," just hiding in plain sight yet for all intents practically invisible.
(I should know, since I get to send PM's directing new members to the Forum Posting Guidelines and similar threads on a regular basis.) The six main BDSM subjects we have listed under "Interests" on the main index page are ALL fraught with potential dangers, many of which overlap. Bondage is inherently dangerous, with or without a partner. Self-bondage, obviously more so since there's nobody RIGHT THERE to help in case of emergency. Chastity can cause permanent damage to people's "dangly bits" or lead to infections. Mummification, latex and rubber can lead to dehydration and heatstroke, especially if mixed with bondage and struggling. Crossdressing can lead to serious injury or death when homophobes are involved.
Because of this overlap, the disclaimer for each section would probably be so long that they would cause people's eyes to glaze over and not read it -- especially those people who need the warnings the most!
Because of the increasingly litigious society we live in, I can't help but wonder if some lawyer somewhere might have a field day if we posted an incomplete list of dangers and someone got hurt. "That forum mentioned 'positional asphyxia' under 'Bondage,' 'Self-Bondage' and 'Mummification' but NOT under 'Latex and Rubber!' My late client was a rubberist who just HAPPENED to meet a Dom/me who was into bondage, so he didn't know the dangers -- let's sue them!"
I'm not saying that we shouldn't have some sort of safety disclaimer(s) somewhere, only that implementing the idea would be a lot of work and could potentially be counter-productive.
Franzia wrote:Some kind of a disclaimer would be good IF people would actually read it- I've always had the suspicion that those who should pay most attention to warnings or safety reminders are also those who ignore any written reminder in the first place.
<snip>
...all the safety tips there are can be summed up in one quote, and I apologize for the grim tone of it- it's powerful but needs to be said for those who never heard it before:
"Think of how stupid you're going to look when they find your body!"
Hopefully, somewhere out there this quote may save a life.