Exactly why can't a Dom have a collar?

[AngelicAssassin]

from Open Sources: Voices from the Open Source Revolution.

Diligence, Patience, and Humility
Larry Wall



But the action is in the middle.

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That's where everybody's been looking, to see what's going to happen. In fact, this is really last year's picture. This year it looks more like this:

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Robert L. Forward has written a book, actually a series of books, about a place called Rocheworld. It's named after a fellow named Roche, surprise, surprise. He's the fellow who defined Roche's limit, which predicted that planets would break up if they got too close to each other. It turns out he oversimplified because his math wasn't powerful enough. If you allow your planets to deform into shapes like these, you can get them very much closer together, and keep them stable. Mind you, the net gravitational pull on these points is very low, but it's enough to keep the planets together.

In similar fashion, the freeware and commercial communities are much closer together this year than many people thought possible by the old calculations. In Rocheworld, the planets did not touch, but they shared atmospheres. If we fuzz things out a little with the magic of xpaint, then we kind of get the picture:

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You see how you can fly from one planet to the other, but not walk. It's reminiscent of quantum mechanical tunneling, where you can't get from here to there but you do it anyway with a flying leap.

What we have flowing between the freeware and commercial communities is a lot of ideas. Together, these two inner lobes define what we're now calling the Open Source movement. What we have here is something brand new: former enemies agreeing on a common good that transcends any particular business model. And that common good is better software sooner. Here's what made it all possible. People realized the power of a simple idea. We don't need software patents or trade secrets. All we need another simple circle:

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A circle with a "c" in it. Open Source lives or dies on copyright law. Our fond hope is that it lives. Please, let's all do our part to keep it that way. If you have a chance to plug copyrights over patents, please do so. I know many of you are already plugging copyrights over trade secrets. Let's also uphold copyright law by respecting the wishes of copyright holders, whether or not they are spelled out to the satisfaction of everyone's lawyer. The "c" in the circle should stand for civility.

 

[AngelicAssassin]

from Open Sources: Voices from the Open Source Revolution.

Diligence, Patience, and Humility
Larry Wall

...

When we think of civility, we think of cities, and of doing things fair and square. So here's the requisite square:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/opensources/book/ose.39.gif​

And indeed, cities are built on squares, and rectangles. We call them blocks. And if the city planners leave the buildings off of a block, we call it a square. Even if it isn't square. Go figure.

Sometimes the buildings themselves are square:

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But often they're not. Similarly, if you look through the Unicode book, there are not nearly so many squares as there are circles. I think there's a fundamental underlying reason for that. When we build buildings, and when we write characters, we install them into a rectilinear framework. In terms of writing, we write left-to-right, or right-to-left, or top-to-bottom. The abstract cells into which we install the characters or buildings are squarish. But both buildings and characters tend to disappear visually if they follow the same lines as the overall text. So most characters tend to contain lines at odd angles, just as many modern skyscrapers are designed to avoid looking like boxes. Nobody really likes the skyscrapers of the 1960s, because they're too boxy. People like things to be visually distinct from their surroundings.

That is also why the various classes of operators and variables in Perl are visually distinct from each other. It's just sound human engineering, as far as I'm concerned. I don't like the fact that all the operators look the same in Lisp. I don't like the fact that most the street signs look alike in Europe. And I applaud the decision of Germany to make their stop signs look different from all the other signs. Of course, it's also helpful to us ignorant Americans that they made them look like American stop signs. Chalk up another one for cultural imperialism.

However, in repentance for American cultural imperialism, let me point out another advantage of the ideographic system of writing. Because ideographs are written into square cells, they can just as easily be written horizontally as vertically. Or vice versa. Our variable-width characters do not have that nice property. Especially in a font like Helvetica, where you have trouble telling i's and l's apart even when they're next to each other. Put one above the other and it'd just look like a dotted line. Chalk one up for the Chinese, the Japanese, and the Koreans.

 

[AngelicAssassin]

from Open Sources: Voices from the Open Source Revolution.

Diligence, Patience, and Humility
Larry Wall

...

To wrap up, I'd like to talk about triangles. Here's a sample:

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Triangles are related to circles in the same way that arrowheads are related to targets. Here's a target:

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I know I got this one right. I looked it up on the Web. More importantly, I stopped as soon as I found the first one.

Actually, this is the Unicode character named "bulls-eye."

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I'm not quite sure what it's supposed to mean. But that's never stopped me before. I'll make it mean something.

I've shot a lot of arrows in this essay, and I don't know whether I've hit any bulls-eyes yet. We put triangles on the front of arrows because they're sharp. Triangles are associated with pain, especially if you step on one. The angles of the triangle tend to suggest the hard work of climbing a mountain:

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On the other hand, looks can be deceiving. A triangle also represents a flat road stretching to the horizon:

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It's all a matter of perspective. You can choose your view by choosing where to stand. I can't predict whether Perl's road ahead will be bumpy or smooth, but I can predict that the more perspectives we can see things from, the easier it will be to choose the perspectives we like. And this is, after all, the job of a language designer, to survey the problem from many perspectives, to be just a little bit omniscient, so that other people can benefit. I do a little triangulation, and I map the territory. That's my job. If my map gets you where you're going, I'm happy.

 

[AngelicAssassin]

from Open Sources: Voices from the Open Source Revolution.

Diligence, Patience, and Humility
Larry Wall

...

If you take a section out of the Perl onion, it looks kind of like a triangle. Put in on its side and you have a growth chart for Perl over the last ten years:

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All fine and dandy. This chart is notional, of course. I have no way of measuring Perl's actual growth. But obviously it is still growing. We're doing a lot of things right, and by and large we should keep doing just what we're doing.

Now suppose we shrink this triangle and extend the chart to show the whole lifetime of Perl. We really don't know how long it might last.

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/opensources/book/ose.47.gif​

It's hard to say what will make the difference here. But I have to tell you that I don't evaluate the success of Perl in terms of how many people like me. When I integrate these curves, I count the number of people I've helped get their job done.

I can tell you that I think the difference between curve 1 and curve 2 might depend on adding in all the potential Windows users, and all the problems they need to solve. Which are many. It's no accident that we've just put out a Win32 Perl Resource Kit.

And I can tell you that the difference between curve 2 and curve 3 may depend on adding in all the international users that could benefit from Perl. It's no accident that the latest development version of Perl lets you name your variables with any characters that are considered to be alphanumeric in Unicode. That includes ideographs. There are a billion people in China. And I want them to be able to pass notes to each other written in Perl. I want them to be able to write poetry in Perl.

That is my vision of the future. My chosen perspective.

I began by talking about the virtues of a programmer: laziness, impatience, and hubris.

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These are virtues of passion. They are also virtues of an individual. They are not, however, virtues of community. The virtues of community sound like their opposites: diligence, patience, and humility.

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They're not really opposites, because you can do them all at the same time. It's another matter of perspective. These are the virtues that have brought us this far. These are the virtues that will carry our community into the future, if we do not abandon them.

Basically, we just have to stay the course. Friedrich Nietzsche called it a "long obedience in the same direction," which is a good snappy slogan. But I like the full quote too:

The essential thing "in heaven and earth" is . . . that there should be long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living.

And now we've come full circle, back to the circle. Here is the front door of Bilbo Baggins' house. There's a road that goes from that door, and Bilbo wrote a poem about it.

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The Road goes ever on and on,
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Wear the collar if you wish. It's your journey.

 

[RJMasters]

This was the 2nd funniest thing I have read today. RR got the number one position with his mellon story.

 

[FurryFury]

This was the 2nd funniest thing I have read today. RR got the number one position with his mellon story.

This thread has gotten interesting. Speaking of interesting, that's an interesting Av choice RJ, is there a story behind it?

Fury

 

[catalina_francisco]

I'm talking about the 70's and early 80's per sources who were there.

At the very beginning of the existence of TES.

There were no fancy codes of dress for the heterosexuals because they mostly were not invited. They were doing either extremely private SM, involved with the professional FemDom scene, or bumping elbows with Gay Leather *rarely* and only with a ton of underground street cred.

There was no "lifestyle community" as we now enjoy. The professional scene and the gay leather scene were more or less where it was for any kind of fetish activity. T

hose "glossy fantasy magazines" were the contact magazines that even allowed perverts to encounter one another at all, so saying the tone they set had no bearing on real BDSM is preposterous.

Dunno Netz, I have met quite a few people who have been part of the lifestyle, and mixed with others in a social BDSM setting and were not in gay or leather settings as long ago as 40 years...so perhaps it was different in the areas you are used to, or perhaps I am just getting too old and mixed with too many in the post 40-50yo age group.

Catalina

 

[graceanne]

Dunno Netz, I have met quite a few people who have been part of the lifestyle, and mixed with others in a social BDSM setting and were not in gay or leather settings as long ago as 40 years...so perhaps it was different in the areas you are used to, or perhaps I am just getting too old and mixed with too many in the post 40-50yo age group.

Catalina

Maybe it's an america vs not-america difference. Maybe that's how the american dom/me's were, and they weren't like that in oz or the netherlands.

 

[catalina_francisco]

from Open Sources: Voices from the Open Source Revolution.

post 74

Damn I miss snail mail...have been thinking of it a lot of late. I used to have a lot of penpals all over the world many moons ago, and have never found anything online that comes close to the anticipation and receiving of a hand written letter, postcards, the smell sometimes of perfume on the letter, the personalisation of the contact, the exchange of gifts etc. Technology has it's pluses, but also misses a lot of the points. Sheesh, must be getting old!!

Catalina

 

[FurryFury]

post 74

Damn I miss snail mail...have been thinking of it a lot of late. I used to have a lot of penpals all over the world many moons ago, and have never found anything online that comes close to the anticipation and receiving of a hand written letter, postcards, the smell sometimes of perfume on the letter, the personalisation of the contact, the exchange of gifts etc. Technology has it's pluses, but also misses a lot of the points. Sheesh, must be getting old!!

Catalina

Remember wax seals? I used to love making them on my finished letters!

Fury

 

[@}-}rebecca----]

Remember wax seals? I used to love making them on my finished letters!

Fury

ohhhh love them still . I have one with my initials monogrammed on it. Rarely used though last time I did a VERY special dinner party I used it on 'menu's' ( folded ) that stated what was being served/presented food and otherwise that evening. Then one was placed on each setting . Our guests were fascinated and I know they felt very special for the care taken. I love stuff like this. Thanks for the reminder Miss Fury .

 

[Netzach]

Dunno Netz, I have met quite a few people who have been part of the lifestyle, and mixed with others in a social BDSM setting and were not in gay or leather settings as long ago as 40 years...so perhaps it was different in the areas you are used to, or perhaps I am just getting too old and mixed with too many in the post 40-50yo age group.

Catalina

How did those groups get together and form? I'm genuinely curious. And grace is right, it's possible the monolithic appeal of the contact magazines in the US wasn't the main thing going on elsewhere. Or even outside of the east coast. (I'm pretty east coast centric)

I guess I am steeped in 50+ people too, seeing as the majority of my clientele is of that age. Those who are clientele now were not necessarily clientele back in the day of being young and eye candy.

My point is that I don't think any of them were stupid enough to take an obvious Domme with experience less seriously because she has on a neck corset.

I've been with Dominant women, Leatherdykes and straight, who laugh at the idea of a Domme in a neck corset or say "I can't stand when you see a Domme in a collar", but these people are usually early 40's and introduced to the scene via the 'net in the last 10 years. The ladies I know with enough scene longevity to make them comfortable in their skin accessorize freely.

Personally I'll do a neck thingie once in a while, but it has to be really standout for me to go there, and it never ever ever ever has a ring. I hated leashes as a bottom, I'm certainly not going to invite them in any way shape or form now.

 

[graceanne]

ohhhh love them still . I have one with my initials monogrammed on it. Rarely used though last time I did a VERY special dinner party I used it on 'menu's' ( folded ) that presented what was being served/presented food and otherwise that evening. Then one was placed on each setting . Our guests were fascinated and I know they felt very special for the care taken. I love stuff like this. Thanks for the reminder Miss Fury .

I used to have five penpals. We don't write anymore. I had one penpal - we wrote for about 15 years. But I don't think her hubby likes me, cause last time sshe moved she didn't send me her new address. That was shortly after he married her.

I started writing letters to them cause I LOVE getting mail. It just thrills the heck out of me.

 

[RJMasters]

This thread has gotten interesting. Speaking of interesting, that's an interesting Av choice RJ, is there a story behind it?

Fury

Once upon a time...

I'm hungry.

~The End~

 

[catalina_francisco]

I used to have five penpals. We don't write anymore. I had one penpal - we wrote for about 15 years. But I don't think her hubby likes me, cause last time sshe moved she didn't send me her new address. That was shortly after he married her.

I started writing letters to them cause I LOVE getting mail. It just thrills the heck out of me.

LOL, join the club...I actually met some of mine, and the mother of my favourite one...but over the last few years, life became too much and I lost contact. Have been thinking of sending her a buig letter of apology and hoping she still lives in the same place and forgives me. Also have been looking for penpal contacts, but seems the only ones I keep finding are prisoners!!

Catalina

 

[catalina_francisco]

How did those groups get together and form? I'm genuinely curious. And grace is right, it's possible the monolithic appeal of the contact magazines in the US wasn't the main thing going on elsewhere. Or even outside of the east coast. (I'm pretty east coast centric)

I guess I am steeped in 50+ people too, seeing as the majority of my clientele is of that age. Those who are clientele now were not necessarily clientele back in the day of being young and eye candy.

My point is that I don't think any of them were stupid enough to take an obvious Domme with experience less seriously because she has on a neck corset.

I've been with Dominant women, Leatherdykes and straight, who laugh at the idea of a Domme in a neck corset or say "I can't stand when you see a Domme in a collar", but these people are usually early 40's and introduced to the scene via the 'net in the last 10 years. The ladies I know with enough scene longevity to make them comfortable in their skin accessorize freely.

Personally I'll do a neck thingie once in a while, but it has to be really standout for me to go there, and it never ever ever ever has a ring. I hated leashes as a bottom, I'm certainly not going to invite them in any way shape or form now.

I didn't mean they were to be taken less seriously, just that it is expected and/or recognised as not necessarily being the same as your average lifestyler who is not into the glamour thing or play parties etc. I know the subs I talk with who go to professionals do not expect the same from both areas.

Catalina

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Mho

Collars have never equalled submissive in my head...I have too many other types of alternative lifestyle friends. And though I do understand why it may equate *submissive * to those within this lifestyle, I have never before thought about why collars don't mean that to me.

(I am assuming it's because I have collared and been collared...neither of which was more than temporary...neither of which meant more than the anklet she wore for me..or the tattoo I am getting in remembrance of Her).

I guess in the end, my opinion is the same as some others: someone who is submissive will be that without a collar..and someone who is Dominant will still be that, even with one.

 

[FurryFury]

Once upon a time...

I'm hungry.

~The End~

*L*

Okay.

Fury

 

[MechaBlade]

It's weird, but I've had so many people in the last couple of days online remark about a particular image of me wearing a collar. One friend just happend to notice and made the comment along the lines of: "Craig, what's with the collar? You some sorta slave or something?"

Needless to say I lost it on him completely. I mean, just because I have a collar on, how does that automatically signify that I belong to someone else as opposed to belong WITH someone, or just wearing it for my own self-gratification? If a person protrays a submissive personality or slave-like tendencies, one could easily figure out that the collar is meant to signify they are owned. But what about a person with an obviously Dominant personality? Why would the presence of a collar create confusion?

Truth be told, I've met quite a few experienced Doms who wear their own distinct collars and they have had the same comments made. Is this a natural assumption on the part of the ill-informed or am I and several others I know breaking some sort of recognized convention?

A collar is just current fashion. I wouldn't wear one, but you should wear what you dig.

Now, if it has a leash attached to it, we've got to start discussing your domliness.

 

[rosco rathbone]

I don't see why a leash should be any less domly. In for a penny, in for a pound.

 

[@}-}rebecca----]

If a person protrays a submissive personality or slave-like tendencies, one could easily figure out that the collar is meant to signify they are owned.

Ohh was so caught up in the established significence of what a collar signifys in a general D/s Community I missed this part ........smiles

May I ask how one projects or "If a person protrays a submissive personality or slave-like tendencies" ?

signed the

forever grateful and certainly never worthy http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c224/rebecca000/YAY.gif @}-}rebecca----

 

[catalina_francisco]

Ohh was so caught up in the established significence of what a collar signifys in a general D/s Community I missed this part ........smiles

May I ask how one projects or "If a person protrays a submissive personality or slave-like tendencies" ?

signed the

forever grateful and certainly never worthy http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c224/rebecca000/YAY.gif @}-}rebecca----

I guess in a party or club setting some might go out of their way to act in a certain manner, but for my thinking, when we walk and interact in mainstream society (which is the biggest part of our daily life), my collar is the only thing which signifies my submission and I have only ever noticed someone realise (or at least visibly show in their face they did) the significance once in that setting. We are not big on drawing attention to ourselves, so as submission and Dominance do not really need any special actions to demonstrate or actualise the reality, we tend to act fairly regular according to mainstream in public, and private for that matter.


Catalina

 

[@}-}rebecca----]

I guess in a party or club setting some might go out of their way to act in a certain manner, but for my thinking, when we walk and interact in mainstream society (which is the biggest part of our daily life), my collar is the only thing which signifies my submission and I have only ever noticed someone realise (or at least visibly show in their face they did) the significance once in that setting. We are not big on drawing attention to ourselves, so as submission and Dominance do not really need any special actions to demonstrate or actualise the reality, we tend to act fairly regular according to mainstream in public, and private for that matter.


Catalina

Exactly..........nothing definitive comes to mind that would alert anyone . In private perhaps topics of conversation though that wouldn't be an 'observed/overheard' issue.

 

[Evil_Geoff]

Dominants and collars

Hi gang!

I was able to ask our local leather historian and according to his training and experience (not original generation "Old Guard" but he came up that way):

Dominants can certainly wear collars. They can wear leather pants, harnesses, cuffs or whatever else they want to wear.

What signifies the difference between Top or bottom is the presence of accessories or items used for bondage, to secure the collar, cuff, harness whatever. Plain leather collars or collars with spikes do not signify possession or ownership or submissiveness. D and O rings do.


So there you go, O'Mac! As long as you aren't O-ringing on your collar, rock on. You might consider having your collar customized with "MASTER" or "TOP" in nice shiney silver letters for the not-so-initiated so they can figure it out without having to spend the money to buy a clue... And you probably want to have it fairly wide, as narrow tends to look like a choker and may be considered fem.... *grin*

Hey, don't take my word for it, I'm a guy that has very little in the way of fashion sense...

 

[Marquis]

Many think it undomly of me to wear latex.

Many also think it's rather unstraight of me to wear latex.

Once upon a time boys didn't wear earrings, I say fuck it.