Lynn asks if I can share something about my research on this site. Here's a brief thumbnail (the chapter I wrote was 5300 words, and I really had to edit a lot to make it fit). I've shared bits and pieces of this elsewhere: In terms of the current discussion, I can say this:

There's a BWS culture, and it's not for everyone. It's not a free-for-all which is one of the things that women like about it. For those who feel like they belong, BWS provides a safe haven where women commune with friends.

Rules were originally established by Dotsie, but are enforced by regular members in order to maintain the atmosphere that they prize here. Some of the more active regular members set the tone and also enforce protocols and standards.

The lack of nonverbal cues is an issue that is overcome in various ways (emoticons, etc.) but because of that lack as well as the linear nature of threads, participants may become alienated and depart the site. Other alienating factor (related to this) is the one of feeling ignored. That's a biggy. Some of the participants overcome this by personal messages with others here.

There is also a dominant ideology (set of beliefs), let's call it. Women who don't share the ideology may continue to participate, but don't always feel like they belong in the way that more active, regular participants do. They don't feel that same sense of "safety."

What's interesting is that the women who do feel the sense of safety and warmth seem to share a certain mindset with others here, which is what gives the group a certain solidarity. In other words, although there may be diversity in background, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, etc., there is a similarity in some dimensions like belief and attitude.

[ October 23, 2005, 09:59 PM: Message edited by: DJ ]