Simulation

The past few days while I've been home "under the weather" I have had a little more time to spend online than in recent months. Now, perhaps it's the cold meds, or perhaps it's just that less time here has given me a different perspective , but no matter the cause, I find my tolerance level for bullshit is at an all time low.

I have been asked my opinion on several topics that seem to have sprung up recently, so I thought I'd share them here. Along with a few observations of my own.

The "serving vs. not serving vs. serving pretend drinks vs. pretending to serve real drinks" debate.

Well, I'll give you the policy in my Falls which I still adhere to. I think there is a great deal to be learned through online simulation for those who feel a pull toward slavery. Since the Falls was created as a virtual Gorean setting, slaves are expected to learn what that is and serve accordingly. Does this teach them to serve paga offline? Nope. What it does teach them is that in my home, they will behave according to my wishes without question. They learn that even if something is not important to them... if it matters to the free person they serve, then it becomes important, period. One of the first times I encountered this particular part of Gorean interaction was years ago when I witnessed a slave being punished for typing "LOL" instead of typing it out. I asked the man "What does it matter?” He replied, "It matters because I say it matters. And that is all a slave should need to know for it to matter to her."

Excellent point.

I have had slaves question why they are corrected for typos. The answer is simple. The free call the shots. The free set the standards. Slaves either live up to those standards, or fail. It's not a difficult concept. The free need not justify why they wish things a particular way. It is a slave's lot to obey. Period. Whether he demands paga or pepsi in a Donald Duck cup with a silly straw, the slave will obey. *Without question* That is the important thing that a slave learns (or should be learning) by online simulation of serving. The reality of her status.

Will she learn any more or less whether she's serving paga or pepsi? Nope. Simulation is simulation is simulation... Period. While some may enjoy pretending they're in a virtual living room vs. a virtual tavern, it all boils down to semantics. (Read, bullshit) Doesn't make it any more real or any more Gorean. The bottom line is that online simulation serves a purpose that is valid. Or it should. When used correctly. When both parties are committed to the task, simulation can be very real.

It is not a tool for some man to use to look like a big guy while his collared slave types a 45 min dripping and quivering extravaganza to show everyone how "Masterly" her owner is. It is not a gynecological exam. It is not a slave's "right" to take center stage so that everyone must hush and pay her the attention she feels she is entitled to.

It is quite simply, an opportunity to express feelings, thoughts and emotions in a creative way. The desire to please the one being served and the devotion to the task will show in the attention to detail. Detail, meaning a familiarity with the works that this lifestyle is based on. Detail meaning a working knowledge of rudimentary grammar. It is also a way for the free to exert their control over a slave by demanding (and getting) the particular service they wish. If that means making her repeat the serve until it is typo-free, then that is what should happen. What is important is the understanding of the dynamic between free and slave. The free commands, the slave obeys. It is not enough to say the words "slaves have no rights." The simulation allows her to experience that. Or it should.

Simulation is an opportunity for those who have no offline experience to safely explore whether this particular lifestyle is something that they can handle. While it will not answer every question, it will sometimes show a person that this is perhaps a little more intense than they first thought. Personally, I'd rather see a person learn that here, online, than in a face to face encounter that may just cause irreparable damage.

As for whether that simulation takes place in a "virtual living room" or a "virtual tavern," well... Online Gor sprang from the virtual tavern. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that. Just because some of us have found valid and real philosophies to anchor our lives within the words of Norman... does not mean that we have given up forever our ability to appreciate the fictional world that he created.

When the day comes that I am content to simulate sitting on my couch instead of taking that flight of imagination and hope that Gor inspires in me... That will be the day that Gor has lost its meaning for me.

I hope that day never comes.

Wish you well,

~Dangrus

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Originally published in 2001.