What does “EhBC” stand for?
It’s a Canadian-ization of the “ABC” acronym used by Munch groups on the American West Coast, and in the Boston-Washington, DC corridor on the East Coast. There are so many acronyms in the Kink Community at large – B&D, D&S, S&M, NLA, TPE, and so on – that the people began to refer to the whole thing as “alphabet soup”, or “ABC”. One of our founding members had roots in the Bos-Wash munch community, and wanted to start something similar here, and decided he wanted something like “ABC”, but made it a pun instead. For the record, it is pronounced “ABC”, or “Eh!BC”, as opposed to “E.H.B.C”.
What is the EhBC List?
The EhBC List originated as an online method of keeping the Kitchener-Waterloo munch community in touch with each other between munches. As time passed and the munch community widened to encompass most of Southern Ontario, this list has become a BDSM-specific discussion group, an educational resource for alternative sexual practices, and a social events “bulletin board”. What most of you receive is referred to as the General List, which is open to those who ask for access. There’s also Announcements List, for those who wish to be kept up to date on what’s happening in the EhBC community, but who may not want to wade through the occasionally heavy traffic of mail on the General List. The List still serves the primary function of keeping the Community members in touch with each other, even though that community now extends far beyond the boundaries of Kitchener-Waterloo into the States and even overseas.
Who is on the list?
Anyone who is over 18 and who asks for access to the list is added, provided they’ve either attended one of our events in person or been vouched for by someone who has. We do ask potential new list members to read and acknowledge a set of formal “rules” before they are added to the list, so that newcomers are aware that they are joining an established community that cares about the security and comfort of its members.
Is the list moderated?
No, it’s not. However, if you were to consistently violate the list rules, you would be removed by the list administrator. Typically we let the conversations flow as they will, only stepping in when it appears a prolonged digression from BDSM topics has occured. Our policy is to deal with inappropriate behaviour on the list first by a private warning to the parties involved, followed by expulsion from the list for repeated offences. The Announcements List is fully moderated; event announcements need to be sent to us using the Contact Us link at the top of this page (select “Calendar Updates”).
What sorts of discussions do you have?
The primary focus is on topics relating to D/s relationships, S&M practices, bondage techiques, fetishes, and sundry associated legal, social, or health issues concerned with all of the above. In short, if it’s kinky, its welcome. We try to be open and non-judgemental, as we have readers from all walks of life, all experience levels, and all different orientations. Light-hearted though we sometimes can be, we do tackle more serious issues from time to time, and often solicit input specifically from the readership. We discuss techniques, information sources, and personal issues – sometimes to a very in-depth and intense level. That’s part of the community you have joined; many of us have been here long enough and are comfortable enough to “bare souls” as part of personal explorations into BDSM. Whether you join the discussions or simply prefer to read them, we ask that you appreciate and respect the personal nature of some of these discussions and not treat them lightly.
Do I have to post, or can I just “lurk”?
As we have often noted, 90% of the List traffic is generated by less than 10% of the people on the list! We have a small number of regular posters, a somewhat larger number of irregular posters, and a very large number of people who are reading for content, but don’t quite feel comfortable “coming out” yet. We do ask that you post a brief intro about yourself when you join the list, but it is not mandatory, nor are you required to continue posting afterwards. We do encourage private or offline conversations if you have questions but are too shy or uncomfortable to post to the General List. Many of the regular List “personalities” will be more than happy to talk offline as well.
How much traffic does the List handle?
It varies wildly from a couple of messages a week to several dozen a day; we haven’t yet broken 100 messages on a single day, but we have come close! Some people use mail software which allows them to filter incoming messages to help them handle the load; others may prefer to make use of the Announcements List which has been set up for those who prefer to keep mail traffic low. The rest of us just tackle the traffic as it comes. If you find you can’t deal with high-flow traffic, let us know and we can switch you to the lower-traffic Announcements List, or take you off the List completely if you prefer. You can always get back on it later.
My email to the list isn’t going through. What’s wrong?
It could be any number of things. Click here for some possibilities.
Does being on the List mean I’m an EhBC “member”?
As far as your List Administrators are concerned, yes. This is the main reason why we as a community would like to know a little bit about you when you join the List – we’re trusting you enough to let you join or sit in on the conversation, so it would be nice if you would meet us halfway by sharing a little bit about yourself. Being on the List means you will receive event announcements. These may be invitations to both EhBC parties and to the occasional private parties (play or non-play as the case may be), as well as to Fetish Night trips and other generic social events. We have worked very hard in the past several years to foster a sense of community, so we tend to be protective of our members’ security and privacy. We’ll happily share that with anyone who cares enough to share some trust with us! Membership has its benefits … and in the EhBC community, membership is free. 🙂
How do I get involved in events announced on the list?
Simple – RSVP to the person listed as the event organizer to let them know you’re coming. We frequently do things which require a head count (dinner reservations, bus reservations, etc.), and sometimes we’re just looking for volunteers to help organize parts of larger events. Keep an eye out for these notices, and respond to the organizers to let them know you’re coming or free to help. Or, you can send an invitation or event announcement to us using the Contact Us link at the top of the page (select Calendar Updates) and it will be forwarded to the Announcements List for distribution – before you know it, you’ll have an event of your own on your hands! Please submit any questions or miscellaneous inquiries about this document to us using the Contact Us link, selecting “General Inquiries”.