Fetlife
Encyclopedia
FetLife is a social networking website that serves people interested in BDSM
, fetishism
and kink
. It describes itself as similar to Facebook
and MySpace
but run by and for fetish enthusiasts. It is also private in that membership is required to view content, although since membership is free the level of privacy
offered by the site is relatively minimal. Most notably, the site is not indexed by search engine
s.
Paid membership includes the additional feature of access to videos uploaded by other members. Alternatively, members who offer donations to FetLife are granted access to videos as well. As of October 19, 2011, the site claims the following statistics:
in Montreal, Quebec. Frustrated by attempts to find women who had the same sexual interests as he did, Baku created a website in 2007 called “FriendsWithFetishes”. While working on release 2.0 of FriendsWithFetishes, Baku decided to launch it as a separate site and named it FetLife.
Unimpressed by existing dating sites catering to alternative sexuality, he set out to create a “non-dating site”. Baku designed the site to be an online community rather than a dating site. For example, he deliberately limited the search feature to prevent the site from being used only for matching users with specific characteristics. Another community feature Baku added is a group of volunteer greeters that welcome new members individually.
Visitors to FetLife see a front page featuring photos submitted by members specifically for the front page.
and list which fetishes they are "into" or are "curious about." They can also upload pictures and videos, including sexually explicit ones often rejected by other sites. They can write journal entries (called Writings), and send and receive private messages (called Conversations) with other members. Users can create "fetishes" both for genuine and satirical purposes.
Groups on FetLife are subject categories in which users may start Discussions. Events are listings of in-person events such as conventions, workshops, parties, and meetings to which members can RSVP as going, maybe going, or not going. Members must join the particular group in order to comment on "Discussion" threads.
Members may "report" illegal content as well as terms of use violations to the administrators of FetLife.
variant of the Ubuntu/Debian distribution of GNU/Linux; it was adapted from the brightbox version.
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
, fetishism
Sexual fetishism
Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the sexual arousal a person receives from a physical object, or from a specific situation. The object or situation of interest is called the fetish, the person a fetishist who has a fetish for that object/situation. Sexual fetishism may be regarded, e.g...
and kink
Kink (sexual)
In human sexuality, kinkiness and kinky are terms used to refer to a playful usage of sexual concepts in an accentuated, and unambiguously expressive form....
. It describes itself as similar to Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
but run by and for fetish enthusiasts. It is also private in that membership is required to view content, although since membership is free the level of privacy
Internet privacy
Internet privacy involves the right or mandate of personal privacy concerning the storing, repurposing, providing to third-parties, and displaying of information pertaining to oneself via the Internet. Privacy can entail both Personally Identifying Information or non-PII information such as a...
offered by the site is relatively minimal. Most notably, the site is not indexed by search engine
Search engine
A search engine is an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system. The search results are usually presented in a list and are commonly called hits. Search engines help to minimize the time required to find information and the amount of information...
s.
Paid membership includes the additional feature of access to videos uploaded by other members. Alternatively, members who offer donations to FetLife are granted access to videos as well. As of October 19, 2011, the site claims the following statistics:
| 1,060,465 | members |
| 4,504,746 | pictures |
| 35,683 | videos |
| 1,455,682 | discussion threads |
| 33,087 | discussion groups |
| 3,986 | event listings |
| 511,211 | blog posts |
History
FetLife was launched in January 2008 by John Baku, a software engineerEngineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
in Montreal, Quebec. Frustrated by attempts to find women who had the same sexual interests as he did, Baku created a website in 2007 called “FriendsWithFetishes”. While working on release 2.0 of FriendsWithFetishes, Baku decided to launch it as a separate site and named it FetLife.
Unimpressed by existing dating sites catering to alternative sexuality, he set out to create a “non-dating site”. Baku designed the site to be an online community rather than a dating site. For example, he deliberately limited the search feature to prevent the site from being used only for matching users with specific characteristics. Another community feature Baku added is a group of volunteer greeters that welcome new members individually.
Visitors to FetLife see a front page featuring photos submitted by members specifically for the front page.
Features
Members may create a personal profileUser profile
A user profile is a collection of personal data associated to a specific user. A profile refers therefore to the explicit digital representation of a person's identity...
and list which fetishes they are "into" or are "curious about." They can also upload pictures and videos, including sexually explicit ones often rejected by other sites. They can write journal entries (called Writings), and send and receive private messages (called Conversations) with other members. Users can create "fetishes" both for genuine and satirical purposes.
Groups on FetLife are subject categories in which users may start Discussions. Events are listings of in-person events such as conventions, workshops, parties, and meetings to which members can RSVP as going, maybe going, or not going. Members must join the particular group in order to comment on "Discussion" threads.
Members may "report" illegal content as well as terms of use violations to the administrators of FetLife.
Technology
FetLife runs on a custom NGINXNginx
nginx is a Web server and a reverse proxy server for HTTP, SMTP, POP3 and IMAP protocols, with a strong focus on high concurrency, performance and low memory usage. It is licensed under a BSD-like license and it runs on Unix, Linux, BSD variants, Mac OS X, Solaris, and Microsoft Windows.- Overview...
variant of the Ubuntu/Debian distribution of GNU/Linux; it was adapted from the brightbox version.
External Links
- Fetlife homepage
- What FetLife Has Done - Submissives Guide