As the world at large becomes more and more aware of BDSM, resources such as The Dominant's View become more and more popular and more and more community groups start popping up all over the place. This is both a good and a bad thing.

Along with resources who tap into real people with real experience are the resources that are out there just to make a profit and resources that only true for the person who uploaded the material. Solid resources build traffic and begin to cost money and in this day and age money is hard to come by.

In Leather Views, Jack Rinella discusses this exact same problem. Money in the BDSM community is hard to come by to put out resources like The Dominant's View, or events with good presenters. He states that even vendors are finding it hard to break even (let alone make a profit) to sell their wares at kink conventions. Being well informed and well supplied in the BDSM culture is expensive. Providing those things to the masses cost the providers, often times out of their own pocket. I guess it's growing pains as we evolve, but the reality is at some point the cream is going to settle on the top and we will have fewer resources that are going to cost more.

Is that a good thing? I'd say it will depend on what side of the fence you sit on. Eventually, those who work should and will get paid for doing that work, those who access it will and should pay something to benefit from somebody's time, effort and experience. Why is it that so many people involved in our culture find it distasteful if somebody tries to make a profit or at least cover their costs for the plethora of information and activities that others provide? Personally, I just don't understand.

I write this today because I'm very pleased to announce that The Dominant's View has been offered a sponsorship by a local community group in Victoria British Columbia. Sagacity, a very active BDSM group, has offered to sponsor the zine as we go through our own tremendous growing pains (our traffic has increased 10 fold in the last year!!). In exchange, TDV will provide promotion of their community and their events. It is this kind of community outreach that has made Sagacity the successful group that they are.

Please folks, visit their site, and partake in their events if you can. Their events are very unique, an exceptional value and packed with fun.

From the bottom of my heart Sagacity, thank you for your support.

This issue of TDV is once again packed full. With every issue I wonder how we are going to reach the excellence of the issue past and yet we continue to do it with the wonder contributions from the BDSM culture all over North America.

We offer you our contest winners from our first ever contest for amateur bondage photography. Let me just say we received some very interesting entries. It's a prickly issue with an article on vampirism, a review of the erotic vampire novel A Taste for Blood and a how to in The Dungeon on Quilling. Funny how these things just happen without any planning at all.

Our Feature articles are all about relationships, from dealing with past abuse issues to dealing with just plain old bad relationships. Mackenzie Cross completes his article on punishment and Norische details how she became involved in BDSM.

ShoShin talks about aging in BDSM in Switch's Corner and Mr. Percival Bott Warmer completes his adventure in Thailand for us.

And you really don't want to miss either our Erotica or Poetry section this issue. The stories by Mackenzie Cross and Kat Long are HOT and Brazilia French sends us poetry that will make you both smile and raise an eyebrow. I can't encourage you enough to visit that section of the zine this time round.

When you need a break from reading head over to our Art section and have your breath taken away by Mia Jennings exceptionally erotic paintings. And while you are gasping for air, check out our interview with Frank from Ebony Bondage, his photography is erotic and oh so sexy. Frank is a man devoted to bondage and black women; his interview is insightful and gives you a taste of the intimacy you'll find on his site.

As usual there just isn't the room to tell you about everything we have to offer so I invite to you grab your beverage of choice and spend a while with us. Enjoy!

Kayla Kuffs
Editor
The Dominant's View