Time flies when you’re having fun is the saying that comes to mind when I describe how it feels to have reached the first anniversary of Curious Chaser. September 20 is the day when this website was officially “turned on” after I had spent several months beforehand preparing for what the website has now become. I am proud of the articles I have written, but I am even more proud of everyone who has joined me to become a part of this website through the several interactive features on offer here, which has created a supportive community for those of us who are on the bug chasing path and wanting to learn more about bug chasing.
As I have mentioned previously, I have had bug chasing thoughts entering my mind for over 15 years and initially, I just kept pushing these thoughts aside, thinking they were temporary and would eventually go away. They kind of did at first, but they never went too far away, as these thoughts would always return, so I would keep following the same pattern of just ignoring them and waiting for them to disappear. It was kind of like a yo-yo effect, where my mind would become fixated on bug chasing, which I would think about briefly, then I would forget about it. This thought process went on for more than 10 years, where the gaps in between these thoughts were quite long at first, but over time, the gaps shortened, to the point where the thoughts are pretty much constantly with me.
When I made the decision to start learning more about bug chasing, I became confused and bewildered when I tried to find articles online that would be helpful to someone who wanted to learn more about bug chasing with the aim of helping them understand themselves better. I found a higher number of unhelpful articles than articles that were useful. The articles were either scientific and designed for healthcare professionals, so they were written from a medical standpoint and the other perspective came from the media who often tried to create controversy through their writing style, which created stigma and made anyone who had a bug chasing identity feel isolated and as though they had something else wrong with them.
Being unable to find resources that were helpful to anyone who identifies as a bug chaser or who thinks they might be a bug chaser is what inspired me to create this website. I figured that if I come across information pertaining to bug chasing that is helpful to me, it might be helpful to others as well, because we are not alone, although many of us remain silent about who we are because of the way many people judge us. Having access to information that is written specifically for those of us who want to learn more about bug chasing to try to understand ourselves is extremely important, which is why I am very proud of this website and those of you who have become a part of it.
Since this website was launched, I have published 48 articles and I have created several interactive features, where everyone can get involved. The first interactive feature was the original bug chasing survey, which received 295 responses in 3 months. This survey will now be held annually and the current survey includes both bug chasing and gift giving sections. Everyone has the ability to leave comments on any of the articles I publish, which is a great way to help shape the articles by giving them an extra dimension through contributions that may include different perspectives. The biggest interactive feature involves the forums, where registered members can participate in 8 different forums that are exclusively related to bug chasing or gift giving, with 76 topics and 698 posts posted in the past 5 months.
What makes Curious Chaser an important place for bug chasers is the ability for us to all learn and share information and experiences. Some of the website sections are accessible only to registered members, due to the need to create a safe space that enables an open discussion about bug chasing and gift giving and it’s easy to become a registered member if you aren’t already one and access is completely free. It’s also possible to join the mailing list in addition to this, so you can be notified of new articles the second they are published. The main menu bar at the top of each page includes additional options for logged in members, including access to the forums, members directory, user profile page, along with the ability to send private messages to other registered members.
The creation of this website has not been without its technical issues, as I have rapidly had to learn new things, because I’m not a website developer and I do not work in the information technology field. Some of the issues that have plagued this website were the result of having extremely high security settings, which still remain, but they were previously so tight, that registered members were being locked out. I have resolved this now and I also needed to upgrade my web hosting package to cope with the growing number of members and interactive features, plus I have switched to more sophisticated forum software, as the original one was basic and struggled to function reliably.
Curious Chaser is fully funded by myself to keep the website free for everyone. There are numerous ongoing expenses involved with running this website, from web hosting to annual software licenses. I also don’t feature any website advertising, which is extremely rare for a website, but my goal is to provide information that is objective, which means all distractions have been removed so you can focus solely on the subject matter at hand, which is bug chasing and gift giving. I have received several offers of financial assistance, which I am grateful for, but I have kindly declined. If you want to show your support, all I ask is for you to contribute by interacting in the forums, commenting on articles if you have something you would like to add, or just spend time here, which doesn’t cost you a cent, just some of your time.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for being here and for making Curious Chaser a better place for those of us who need a resource such as this. I will continue researching topics and publishing articles that are relevant and I will also endeavour to keep the existing articles updated, so they remain relevant, no matter when you read them. If you are struggling with your emotions or trying to figure yourself out, just know that you are not alone and there are many of us around the world in a similar situation as yourself. If you need professional assistance, please seek this from a qualified person, as the articles published here are general in nature, so having a one-on-one discussion with a professional who knows your circumstances is extremely important.
Featured Photo: Wout Vanacker on Unsplash.
Article ID: CC048
Version Control: 1.0 – September 20, 2022: Original article published.
I’m glad this website exists. I’m hoping that this ensue grows and people can learn enough about bug chasing to where it’s more normalized and not a taboo thing. I feel like there’s things that people need to understand that bug chasing doesn’t mean automatically throwing your life way. Is a way of being and a form of authentic expression
Thank you for your kind words about this website. I also hope bug chasing becomes a subject where we feel more open to having a discussion with likeminded people, because as you rightly point out, bug chasing does not mean throwing your life away. As it has been found through the previous survey and from what others have said, there’s a number of reasons why someone feels connected to bug chasing. I appreciate what you have said and I agree with your points, so I will continue writing articles that help us understand our identities better and create a place where those of us interested in bug chasing feel safe discussing our feelings, so we can continue to learn and be ourselves.
Thanks for having this site. I know it’s a lot of hard work you put in here.
It makes me feel like I’m not alone, I have told only one friend about my desires of bugchasing, and your articles always gives me the perception of belogning to a group that feels the same as I do.
Thank you again and greetings from Argentina.
You’re welcome Lis and I’m happy to hear that the articles are making you feel better about things. It’s really important for us to know that we are not alone, as there’s a significant number of other people around the world who also have bug chasing desires. Quite often we have to stay quiet about our true identity in fear of being judged, which is why having this website and the forums is so important, because it’s where we can ask questions and share information and experiences with others who share the same feelings. This helps us better understand ourselves and know that we are part of a community, where there are others just like us all around the world. Thanks again for your kind comments and I wish you all the best.
Thank you Jason for running this amazing website. A wonderful combination of informative and extremely horny! I hadn’t really appreciated all the work with security etc. Sounds a pain. Thanks for doing it it for a of us it really is appreciated. Cheers jez
You’re welcome Jez and thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate what you have said. There’s a lot involved behind the scenes with keeping the website updated and security is very important to me. I think I’ve finally found the right balance so everything functions nicely and the new forum software works better than the previous version, which is helping to keep the interactive aspects of the website operating smoothly.
This website is awesome and a massive thank you from me as well! The articles are great and I’m finding the forum really helpful as well. I posted a question there and received some great responses. I spend a fair amount of time at another forum and groups, but this website has the best information.
Thanks Ayden, I’m glad you’re finding this website useful. There’s a lot of great people participating in the forums sharing their knowledge and experiences, which makes this website better for everyone.
Thank you so much Jason for all of your hard work the past year and clearly for much time even before that! I cannot tell you how helpful this site has been for me to clarify my thoughts and firm my resolve. I also value the experience of communicating with other chasers and with gifters and with those who are just curious and non-judgmental.
It’s my pleasure Tom and thank you for being here and for your support in the forums and your private messages, I really appreciate it. I’m glad you are finding this website useful and it sure is great being able to communicate with other chasers and gifters at a place where judgement does not exist. I hope you continue to enjoy the updates in the future and thanks again for everything.
Thank you Jason for creating this website. It is good to have a place to talk about bugchasing
You’re welcome Alfred. I believe it’s really important for us to have a place where we can talk openly about bug chasing at a place where we are not judged for being honest about who we are.
Thank you for all your hard work!
You’re welcome Eric and thank you for your kind words. 🙂
Thank you for all your hard work putting this site together, Jason. It is very much appreciated by me and many others, there being scant other sites and places to share our mutual interest in this still, for many, taboo subject. I don’t know if I would have had the resolve to begin my recent journey if not for the understanding and compassion and encouragement of you and the other members, so thank you again !
You are very welcome Van and I’m happy to hear you are finding the articles useful. Bug chasing is still very much underground and many of us need to remain secretive about our interest in bug chasing to avoid being judged by others who don’t understand us. Many people will never understand us and sometimes we struggle with this issue ourselves, which is why it’s important to have a resource for those of us who are trying to understand why we think and feel this way. I look forward to publishing more articles and resources in the future. Thank you for your contributions in the forums and for sharing more about your journey and I wish you the best of luck with this.
Jason, I think i can honestly say that I wouldn’t have had the confidence to embark on this chase without the encouragement of you and the other members here. So, in your own way, Jason, you will have pozzed me. Thanks for that 🙂
Thank you for the additional kind words Van. I’m really happy to hear that this website has given you clarity and has helped you confirm which steps you want to take next. This is a big decision to make and I am happy to have helped you understand things better with the pros and cons that are involved, but full credit must be given to you for making this decision and for taking the next step. I also want to thank you for sharing more about your journey here and for also becoming an active part of the forums, I really appreciate this and I’m sure others do as well. 🙂