If you're new to fetish or the BDSM community, the range of clubs, social networking and dating sites can be daunting - which are reliable, what's the most popular, is it worth paying for membership...?
We've been part of the BDSM Community for years - and on the 'net before there was even a www (anyone else remember JANET and telnet?!) - over the years, we have built up quite a familiarity with what's available: so below are the clubs and networks which we attend regularly, or are members of - and which we would suggest as good places to start...
Clubs
The Backstreet: http://www.thebackstreet.com/
Gay male SM, leather & fetish club in London.
The Hoist: http://www.thehoist.co.uk/
Gay male SM, leather & fetish club in London.
Gear (Bristol): http://www.gearbristol.co.uk/
Gay male BDSM & fetish club in Bristol.
Hard (Bristol): http://www.hard-bristol.co.uk/
Gay male SM, leather & fetish club in Bristol.
Networking and contacts
BLUF: http://www.bluf.com/
Breeches and Leather Uniform Fanclub. Pages giving details of the club for men who enjoy wearing breeches and leather uniforms - and inlcuding profiles and photos of it's members.
gaydar.co.uk: http://www.gaydar.co.uk/
Networking, contacts, messaging services - even a Java-based chat...
www.gearfetish.com: http://www.gearfetish.com/
Excellent networking site for guys into Gear - with free basic membership.
Guyzingear: http://guyzingear.net/
An excellent community forum for sharing fetish videos and photographs. Membership is free - and as easy to use as YouTube (but *way* more interesting!)
With the banning of all 'Adult' themed groups on ning, Guyzingear has now moved to it's own servers, fully hosted by Rubber Rebel. Members to the old site need to re-register and any materials will need to be re-uploaded, but the service is still free - *and* the new system has increased functionality.
Hardcore Tattooed Gay Men: http://www.hardcoretattooedgaymen.com/
The website for men with ink - and lots of it. Membership is exclusive and orientated to gay guys who are seriously inked-up; updates are also irregular, but more than worth waiting for ;)
www.pupzone.com: http://www.pupzone.com/
Networking and forum discussions for guys into dog/pup roleplay
Recon sites: http://www.recon.com/
Contact and networking site (free for basic listings); Various sub-sites based on "themes": worldrubbermen.com, worldleathermen.com, slave4master.com etc. (MasterGeoff and Bootbrush are both members).
RubberZone.com: http://www.rubberzone.com/
A fusion of the old RubberList and Rubbermen community sites - contribute or pay for access to bulletin boards, pictures, videos, stories, lists of retailers and groups... an excellent rubber resource.
SMGAYS London: http://www.smgays.org/
SM Gays is a non-profit making social and educational group for gay men interested in consensual, sexual sadomasochism. Site includes information sheets and details of their "discovery nights"