Well, the way I see it, we are all logging onto the internet to do one thing: namely, to communicate. Let's face it, the various corkboards and IRC channels and websites aren't really good for much else. If one wishes to roleplay, fine; but there are many much better, and certainly much more enjoyable, computer-driven simulations out there which were designed for precisely that purpose, and which do a much better job of providing an exciting gaming environment.

That having been said, it seems to me one can measure his success in this medium by the amount of information, theory and philosophy which one can effectively communicate to others.

While there are indeed occasional individuals who aren't worth the effort required to intelligently converse with them, for the most part I feel we all benefit by keeping the lines of communication open, if only for the purpose of plumbing the depths of a particular area of ignorance and exposing it to the light of reason.

When the doors of communication slam shut, and people cease listening to one another (no matter how vehemently they might disagree) then a valuable opportunity is lost, one which might have made the difference between grudging agreement and open disdain.

When that occurs, it is a waste. And it so happens I abhor waste, in any of its myriad forms.

Recently someone said to me that, through the medium of IRC, it is impossible to force someone to do anything without their acceptance of it, be it direct acceptance (as in "I wish to do that") or tacit acceptance (as in "I will do that because you require it of me"). And that Gorean men are no different from Earth men, since both could be "dumped" by women.

Yes, we all know that. Kind of blows the whole "cyber rape" concept right out of the water, doesn't it? To my way of thinking, such a crime does not actually exist; though I add that such actions as lying, browbeating and purposely misrepresenting facts in such a way as to con another into playing along with your personal agenda do, indeed, exist upon IRC, and often give a pretty good simulation of the aforementioned "cyber-rape."

As far as a Gorean male actually commanding no "mastery" over a female due to the fact that she is located too far from his land proximity for him to physically assault her should she disobey, that kind of falls apart also, when you look at the matter closely. Since no physical action can be taken against another through the limited venue of IRC, and since that renders most of the online Master/slave relationships in existence voluntary, then it stands to reason that the slave who obeys her Master's wishes online does so because she accepts his Mastery over her and wishes to be so commanded, for reasons of her own.

The word "Mastery," in the online context, refers to a measure of control over another. There are many different levels of such control, each dependent upon the wishes and needs of those who either accept or reject such.

Of course it is true that an online "slave" can leave her Master's collar at any time, providing she is willing to suffer the consequences of that action in her future dealings with others who profess to share her lifestyle. It is equally true that an online "Master" can abandon his property in a similar fashion, also facing the consequences of such an action in the eyes of his fellow Goreans, and the effect that such irresponsible behavior might have upon his interaction with his fellow Goreans.

Personally, I feel that the point that "Online Mastery is not by definition involuntary, therefore it is unreal" is a moot one. No self-respecting Gorean male of my acquaintance would deign to own a slave or slaves who did not wish to remain in service to him, especially when there are so many other willing slaves who are seeking guidance and instruction.

So when one informs us that Goreans males can, like other males, be "dumped" by females, you simply state a fact that all of us are aware of and which means nothing in the great scheme of things. You might as well have said "Oh yeah? Well Gorean males have to go to the bathroom occasionally, just like Earth men!" Yes, they do. Whoop de doo! Another stunning revelation revealed.

Would captured females be able to escape their Masters in such a way upon the planet Gor? Highly unlikely. But since the original statement was made in regard to "IRC slaves" the entire discussion has been removed from the planet Gor and placed it firmly upon the planet of Earth, where the limitations of IRC are well known and remain in effect.

What's next? Someone loudly spouting that "The slave can't feel the whip if you hit a computer screen with it"?

I am left to wonder how much bandwidth must yet be wasted upon such little nuggets of wisdom.

1) Do I believe that to understand the Gorean philosophy one must reenact the physical phases of the examples set forth in the books, or do I believe that this understanding should be present before one acts at all?

I naturally believe that through actual physical experience it is far easier to gain a greater understanding of any matter, be it the delicate psychological ramifications of the Master/slave relationship or the correct way to bait a hook when fishing for swordfish. One can read about such things, imagine them and act them out in one's mind, yet it is often difficult to understand them completely without experiencing them firsthand. The same is true for anything one reads about in a book or experiences through a computer simulation; one can gain quite an extensive knowledge of golf through a computer golf simulation and remain completely in the dark about the correct way to hold a golf club.

Then again, when we read the Gor books we are reading about a place which, in actuality, does not exist. One cannot dwell upon the surface of Gor, ride a tarn, etc., because that is simply not possible. Therefore we are limited in how much of the overall Gorean experience we can actually reenact. To my way of thinking, that is where IRC enters the picture, and why it has always been a valuable tool in our understanding of what Gor is all about.

Much of what occurs in those books, in regards to the realities of life in a slave-owning society, is impossible to experience offline simply because we do not live in such a society. Therefore through our interaction via the net, we can simulate actions and activities denied to us through the dictates of law, to the best of our ability, and attempt to gain an understanding of such matters and how they relate to our personal psychologies and philosophies.

When one attempts to grasp the basic meaning of being Gorean and interacting as a Gorean, it is well to remember that by doing so one is playing with fire, especially in our sexually repressive environment. IRC being the safe and consensual medium which it is (you'll notice I did NOT say "sane"), it is a valuable tool whereby one can immerse oneself in the Gorean environment without crossing the physical line into such a relationship until the would-be Gorean is certain that Gor is for them.

While it is true that BDSM'ers and real-lifers with former D/s experience are much more savvy regarding the ins and outs of such a relationship (pardon the pun), in many cases such persons grow confused at the sudden change of rules and accepted forms of interaction when they encounter the Gorean school of thought.

It seems to me that it is wiser, and perhaps safer, for the would-be Gorean to study the source books and gain an understanding of what Gor is all about before attempting to apply Gorean principles to his or her life. While the basic tenets of Gorean philosophy may already be part of their lives, without their knowing it, it still makes sense to understand the entire picture before making a sweeping lifestyle change which might result in dissatisfaction for both parties should they fail to understand the ramifications of it.

2) Would I follow the guidelines set forth in the books in the pursuit of becoming "more Gorean" or do I act from within myself, leaving the pursuit of becoming "more Gorean" as a natural occurrance?

Of course it is important for everyone who seeks Gor to place the tenets of Gorean society within the framework of his or her life, and indeed, much of the appeal of the Gorean mindset is that many of us have had the same thoughts as John Norman and his fictional characters. Nevertheless, the Gorean mindset (such as it is) is a fully fleshed philosophy which reaches into many aspects of its practioners' lives. Many of us can claim to have begun as "mostly Gorean," though hardly any of us were "completely Gorean" before we found the books. The books gave us something to call it, and showed us the various manifestations of that mindset, both good and bad, allowing us to understand the Gorean viewpoint and accept it for ourselves if we so chose.

The pressures of our society are so great that I truly doubt that many of us would become "naturally Gorean" if left to our own devices. We might become more inquisitive about how our biology worked, more conscious of the principles of biological dominance and submission, etc., but we would do so without the moral (don't snicker!) framework which is the basis for Gorean society as described in the books.

A person, without a guiding force of any kind, might figure out how to grind and sift flour, fold eggs, and harvest sugar; but without the foreknowledge that it could be done, I doubt that they could create a very impressive nine layer wedding cake. And if they did, it might not resemble anything we considered to be such a cake.

The Gor books are what they are: an excellent guide to the way Goreans behave and think as they face the dictates of life. Since we claim to be Gorean, and therefore to have some sort of connection to those who appear in those books, I fail to see why anyone wouldn't want to take advantage of the information to be gleaned from the source books themselves.

The books themselves provide the guidelines, the framework and the "goal," which is an example of Gorean society... how it is structured and what it is supposed to be like. Where our personal opinions and feelings enter the picture is in the area of compromise... how much are we willing to compromise to meld the Gorean philosophy with the limiting realities of our own world? Therein lies the real question, and that is the basis for the ongoing struggle to integrate Gorean ideals and concepts with our own, Earth-born moral system.

Some would argue that it cannot be done, whereas I firmly believe that it can be.