HamCams: A Flash in the pan???
Like everyone else, I enjoy HamCams. HamCams was started by Paul Bowman - w7mag, of Pahrump, Nevada (Probably at the behest of his good buddy and neighbor, artie - w6obb.)
It was a great idea, and still is. But I don't check the site as often as I used too. Other people report spending less time there also. Though I remember well it's first weeks when HamCams would rack up a jillion hits per night.
For one thing, it's almost impossible for those using dial-up to load the over bloated page anymore. And although I believe every HAM that wants one, should have a spot (as long as it is 'family oriented'); it's just gotten too large. Perhaps it's time to:
- Segment/Divide the page in some sort of logical way i.e. by license class, or by alphabet, or by ??? So that when you open HamCams, you'd get a 'link' list and go one level 'deeper' to get to the smaller, more manageable, pic pages.
But worse than the size/loading problem; it has become BORING!!! There are MANY pics there that haven't been changed in forever! Whatever happened to HamCams policy of DELETING pics that were over a couple of weeks old???
Yet the ONE reason I always went to HamCams is gone; the live webcam of the NYC street!
I KNOW HamCams is a totally volunteer site, and that Paul Bowman does the all the work, administration, etc. himself. (AND I personally know how THAT goes!!!). But perhaps it's time for Paul to 'appoint' some additional volunteers??? People who have the time and energy to monitor the site???
To top it all off, many sites link to HamCams (ahem, including www.3840HamFans.com ), but HamCams apparently doesn't believe in reciprocating as the only link to another site is to JimandLeahs Online Tuner (of course, Jim Southwick - n7js is also a ham)!!! But then what about Radio Bothell Online by Kent Nyberg - wm70? His online tuner page is shaping up very nicely indeed!)
With these 'lacks', one wonders how long it will be before HamCams itself will last??? Or perhaps the page will be up, and just fewer and fewer folks will visit it; after all how many times do you want to view the same old mug shots??? Otherwise HamCams may be on it's way out. Just another of arties 'flashes in the pan'.
It was a great idea, and still is. But I don't check the site as often as I used too. Other people report spending less time there also. Though I remember well it's first weeks when HamCams would rack up a jillion hits per night.
For one thing, it's almost impossible for those using dial-up to load the over bloated page anymore. And although I believe every HAM that wants one, should have a spot (as long as it is 'family oriented'); it's just gotten too large. Perhaps it's time to:
- Segment/Divide the page in some sort of logical way i.e. by license class, or by alphabet, or by ??? So that when you open HamCams, you'd get a 'link' list and go one level 'deeper' to get to the smaller, more manageable, pic pages.
But worse than the size/loading problem; it has become BORING!!! There are MANY pics there that haven't been changed in forever! Whatever happened to HamCams policy of DELETING pics that were over a couple of weeks old???
Yet the ONE reason I always went to HamCams is gone; the live webcam of the NYC street!
I KNOW HamCams is a totally volunteer site, and that Paul Bowman does the all the work, administration, etc. himself. (AND I personally know how THAT goes!!!). But perhaps it's time for Paul to 'appoint' some additional volunteers??? People who have the time and energy to monitor the site???
To top it all off, many sites link to HamCams (ahem, including www.3840HamFans.com ), but HamCams apparently doesn't believe in reciprocating as the only link to another site is to JimandLeahs Online Tuner (of course, Jim Southwick - n7js is also a ham)!!! But then what about Radio Bothell Online by Kent Nyberg - wm70? His online tuner page is shaping up very nicely indeed!)
With these 'lacks', one wonders how long it will be before HamCams itself will last??? Or perhaps the page will be up, and just fewer and fewer folks will visit it; after all how many times do you want to view the same old mug shots??? Otherwise HamCams may be on it's way out. Just another of arties 'flashes in the pan'.
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1 comment:
The main problem with Ham Cams is that it does not play fair. Some participants get bumped right up to the top like VR2HF and WQ6I. Some others that don't update their pictures are allowed to persist for months at a time like KQ6XA. Her special status kept her static picture up for nearly half a year while others were dropped after only four or five weeks. W6FE gets the same treatment. Ham Cams plays favorites and yes it is annoying.
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