Very interesting article (if a bit dated) from the New York Times about the founding of Kink.com, the most well-known BDSM site on the internet (and one of our affiliates, I am proud to add). The article also talks about the company's attitude and philosophy about helping to bring about more understanding of BDSM to mainstream culture.

[Founder Peter Acworth] describes the company as having a certain social mission. Too often, he told me, B.D.S.M. is conflated with rape or abuse. He realized early on that building a respectable company devoted to the fetish could help “demystify” it. People who felt conflicted about their kinkiness, as he once had, “would realize they’re not alone and, in fact, that there’s a big world of people that are into this stuff and that it can be done in a safe and respectful way. Loving partners can do this to each other.” Kink’s required pre- and post-scene interviews, like the one I watched Wild Bill and Adams tape, for example, are meant to break the fourth wall, assuring audiences that, as in real-life B.D.S.M. play, everything is negotiated in advance and rooted in a certain etiquette and trust — that everyone is friends. The company actually requires that each model be shown smiling during the segments.

The article is very interesting and worth the read - see the whole thing here. Don't know much about BDSM? This article is a must.