[Thrax]

I'm not the best at math, but I noticed that adding the poll percentages gives a result of over 122%. I already voted the fourth option, so I can't go back and experiment: can a person select more than one poll option? That would explain the 100+%.

I think GoodTime's suspicions about the data being skewed by non-swinging visitors' votes is valid. But, of course, polls on boards like this are like any Internet-based polls, they're done for fun or to start a discussion; they have no safeguards to assure any scientific validity.

We don't know who is voting or what their motives are. I suspect most of the active members of this Board tried to answer honestly, since it's an anonymous poll, but we don't know that for sure. And when we consider non-active members that vote in these polls, we're in a quandary. We don't know how much they know about the lifestyle and what they know about what might or might not be considered acceptable behavior by active members on this Board, or in the lifestyle as a whole. And are the active Board members' opinions typical of the majority of swingers? That might be true, but we don't know that for sure. And, are there significant numbers of poll respondents who just vote contrary to accepted behavior just for fun? Teh Intertubes is a dangerous place to run a poll.

Still, I agree with Vegas Lee, even if all the above has been considered, to me it is disconcerting that there appears to be a large amount of people who approve of cheating if it meets their sexual needs, regardless of how it might eventually play out. I'm usually a "hands-off" person when it comes to other people's choices, but cheating on a spouse/SO -- reneging on a commitment one has made -- makes me feel...icky.

There are risks to practicing the lifestyle. Most of those risks are related to physical health (i.e., STDs), but we all know that there are emotional and societal risks as well. IMO, cheaters magnify that risk. But since this lifestyle stuff is supposed to be a pleasureable hobby I recommend a section from the Hippocratic Oath (traditionally taken by physicians pertaining to the ethical practice of medicine): Διαιτήμασί τε χρήσομαι ἐπ' ὠφελείῃ καμνόντων κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ κρίσιν ἐμὴν, ἐπὶ δηλήσει δὲ καὶ ἀδικίῃ εἴρξειν.

Just in case your Greek is rusty, that translates to: I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.

I think you all are creative enough to modify that statement to apply to swinging, the lifestyle, or whatever you want to call it. My view is let's have fun in a responsible way, similar to the medical admonition based on the Hippocratic Oath: "Primum non nocere" ("First, do no harm").

Have I always been responsible in my swinging? I'm sorry to say, no. I've made mistakes; I'm a work in progress. But personally, I don't want the problems of swinging with cheaters, either.

Thrax