There are several clubs and munches (informal bdsm group gatherings) to be found as August sugested: google the word munch or bdsm club and the name of your city and be amazed at all the results.

Online imho is great for many things. It can be used to learn and understand several principles in the arts of bdsm, especially theory. Does it really compare to real life in actual practice...imho ...no. Some people go the online relationship route, some don't and prefer to keep their online arrangments if any more casual, some use online as a stepping stone to real life and others have no intention of doing so. Many come online expecting one thing and find another entirely.

For people new to bdsm in general...I personally do not reccomend hooking up in any way shape or form right off the bat with any single online personality just becuase they have "dom" in their profile (one simpley cant know if that individual is exactly who and what they say they are from an online medium alone) and I especially warn against trusting people who want to "place you under their protection" (the site has ample ways for the staff and you yourself to protect you just fine without any such bs) for the simple reason that it often tends to limit by defualt the kinds of interactions and experiences that one will be able to gather when one becomes exclussively cyber collared or any such thing by another.

I would also avoid any individuals who try to restrict your access to information or limit your online time in certian ways or try to take away or have you give up real life freedoms beyound a certian point becuase they think they own you somehow before they have even so much as met you in real life yet.

(I know this all sounds like common sence but you would be amazed by how many people one sees online who appear to abandon it outright and or live in some kind of fantasy)

Whatever you do, I reccomend that you keep saftey in the forefront of any of your dealings and take what people tell you with several grains of salt if you know what I mean.