Before the Internet.

[Belarin]

I've never heard of Wetset; I must say it sounds interesting. I'd like to see your pictures so I can get an idea of what the scene was like back in the -90s.

Wetset is actually still going they are now 31 years old, you can still sign up or simply purchase media from them, though I don't know how much of the oldest content is still on there. I thought some of the Bytemine stuff I have is probably older than Wetset but I'm not so sure now I think BM was more mid 90's.

To be fair the "scene" itself was probably not much different just much more hushed up and hidden away in that you had to know where to go or what to look for. With less "cute" printed nappies, possibly more cloth used and with probably more emphasis on the "baby" aspect (at least from the adult media side) than today.

Where most of it today is more "hey look at this really hot girl" who happens to be wearing a diaper when it used to be more "here's someone who likes to wear diapers and is just like you" if that makes sense, not that there wasn't any hot models just that the appeal is now more focused on the model than the nappy.

Although they have good stuff I blame places like Diapergal and ABsource for beginning the more modern idea that the models on their sites need to be cute younger women, many of whom are just being paid to wear a nappy for a photoshoot, rather than actual ABDL's doing their thing.

I'd happily share some photos though not quite sure what the rules would be around that on here especially given that much of it is probably still copy protected media. I wouldn't want cause trouble over sharing a few images.

 

[Gwendolyn]

To be fair the "scene" itself was probably not much different just much more hushed up and hidden away in that you had to know where to go or what to look for. With less "cute" printed nappies, possibly more cloth used and with probably more emphasis on the "baby" aspect (at least from the adult media side) than today.

This is very true. Back in the mid 90s when the community developed online, there was a heavy emphasis on infantilism and the ABDL side. I remember very clearly when I first started seeing the term "Little" which encompasses all ages, being used. It was a much later concept. It wasn't until the early 00s I think that I started seeing people really talking about middles or older littles. We hadn't developed the terms to talk about the concepts yet. All of the / relationship designations, DD/lg, MD/lb and combinations thereof are much newer as well.

There definitely weren't ABDL specific diapers then. I think I saw the first ABDL printed diapers coming out around the early 00s. It was mid 00s that the first US options were readily available.

 

[casperwolf]

Remember thinking the green depends were so awesome

 

[Belarin]

This is very true. Back in the mid 90s when the community developed online, there was a heavy emphasis on infantilism and the ABDL side. I remember very clearly when I first started seeing the term "Little" which encompasses all ages, being used. It was a much later concept. It wasn't until the early 00s I think that I started seeing people really talking about middles or older littles. We hadn't developed the terms to talk about the concepts yet. All of the / relationship designations, DD/lg, MD/lb and combinations thereof are much newer as well.

Exactly, although ageplay itself has been around far longer (probably even longer than ABDL itself since even cloth nappies are relatively new compared with the world of fetishes) the terms and definitions for it are fairly new. The whole little, middle, CG, DD/LG (etc.) terms have developed over more recent years as the world has become a lot more open to "unique" sexualities and a greater understanding of sexual/gender/individual identities.

Often on here people bring up the topic of wishing ABDL was more mainstream, Well lets be honest here it pretty much is mainstream, if you asked 1000 people on the streets if they have heard about adult babies you'll probably get around 65% yes, while 100 years ago you'd get 95% confused looks and "what on earth are you talking about".

Though while more people have heard about it now doesn't mean there is acceptance (which is what members usually mean when they say mainstream) it is definitely much more widely known about which for ageplay as well is what has allowed those terms to come into being and evolve.

 

[casperwolf]

Exactly, although ageplay itself has been around far longer (probably even longer than ABDL itself since even cloth nappies are relatively new compared with the world of fetishes) the terms and definitions for it are fairly new. The whole little, middle, CG, DD/LG (etc.) terms have developed over more recent years as the world has become a lot more open to "unique" sexualities and a greater understanding of sexual/gender/individual identities.

Often on here people bring up the topic of wishing ABDL was more mainstream, Well lets be honest here it pretty much is mainstream, if you asked 1000 people on the streets if they have heard about adult babies you'll probably get around 65% yes, while 100 years ago you'd get 95% confused looks and "what on earth are you talking about".

Though while more people have heard about it now doesn't mean there is acceptance (which is what members usually mean when they say mainstream) it is definitely much more widely known about which for ageplay as well is what has allowed those terms to come into being and evolve.

 

[casperwolf]

Thank you, while acceptance might never be what people want it to be, you never know though, at least new players don't have to feel like many of us did...alone! Hopefully it's will make the challenge to find partners in life easier for those who play..

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

I had to crochet a new connection to teh_interwebz, every time. Dang that Al Gore for inventing it!

 

[KCA]

I never entered the community, as such. For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to be a baby in nappies again but didn't know why. Not knowing anyone else with the same feelings could be isolating. When the internet came along, like others I discovered DPF and alt.sex.fetish.diapers. These weren't very helpful to me as they were heavily focused on the sexual side of things, which wasn't me at all. But knowing that there were other people who wanted to wear nappies at least made me feel less isolated.

Many years and many more websites later...I'm still don't know why I am this way (sorry, I don't subscribe to the pop psychology of trauma and dissociative identity disorder). Perhaps it doesn't matter why I'm this way? But it still good to know that there are many people out there with the same feelings as me.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

When the internet came along, like others I discovered DPF and alt.sex.fetish.diapers. These weren't very helpful to me as they were heavily focused on the sexual side of things, which wasn't me at all.

You said it! Sex wasn't--and isn't--my biggest drive, whether in diapers or not. Getting 'tickled' wasn't the big--or only--thing in my life. With others, it may be, but not me. Others can drip over it, chase it single-mindedly...no, there's a world, a life to explore. I explore with the curious mind of a baby...see it, feel it, learn it. And in the discreet times, wearing a diaper, wearing baby clothes, using binkies & bottles, cuddling Bonnie & playing greatly help soothe me, comfort me, validate me. I don't see how sex can help me there...and how it does for others to the point of obsession. Muggles are weird.

 

[warmfeeling]

This day and age, when the first entering the lifestyle, being unsure and confused. There are so many good resources like this website for people to be thankful for.
Back for myself, and I'm sure there are many others this wasn't the case.
I know for myself I'm not a reader. But I look for answers through books. I went to book stores for some sort of knowledge and understanding of what was happening. Read and found out it was called infantilism, It was a very scary time, at the time, wished it would go away but yet didn't.
If anybody else wants to share what it was like back then..
Please pardon my bad typing skills...

Very true, I thought for many years that I was the only man in the world that had a BIG thing for nappies, one thing I can thank the internet for, I have a nappy family out there wowoooooo

 

[Drifter]

For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to be a baby in nappies again but didn't know why.

It's interesting though why people Start. We all have memories, of our triggers, what makes us wanna seek a diaper.

The best, most likely explanation by far that I have seen in 70 years is that it is an imprinted phenomenon, just like heterosexuality, homosexuality, and nearly all the things we call fetishes, sexual or nonsexual. Imprinting in humans is believed to take place before the age of 8, but, like all things concerning the mind, we can't be absolutely certain of anything.

 

[mistykitty]

I can't truly remember about my abdl before the internet I think this was during the time I still had to hide it at the time. I almost discussed my thoughts with one of my cousins whom I knew I could trust but it didn't feel right to. The first time I truly discussed my liking diapers with anyone was online when google+ was still around in a private chat with them. Then a few months after that is when I found adisc. If people weren't so judgy I might've explored this side of me sooner instead of hiding it until I found support sites like this one (I'm not counting the few occasions I grabbed from one my brother's supply since he was still young because I didn't know what it was yet).

 

[goodniteswearer89]

I can’t really remember much of my abdl life before the internet but I do remember when i was younger having a thing for wanting to see girls pee and then I can remember finding some of my younger siblings diapers and putting one on and then having to hide it. I can remember getting caught a few times and getting in trouble and thinking I was weird for liking diapers. It wasn’t until my teenage years we got the internet and I was up late one summer night and found out there was others out there like me who liked to wear diapers. I don’t remember what website I discovered this from though I just remember seeing the term infantilism.

 

[DanElmontan]

I felt like the only diaper-loving freak out there until I went off to college in the fall of 1996 and finally had access to the internet through the language lab.

I spent more time there on the DPF site than actually studying for my Spanish 102 class.

 

[Soggy247]

Buying nappies was the best part. I remember going to some great lengths to buy nappies from mobility shops across the county.