Pandash [ a Panoptical Dashboard ]

I would be remiss to report on the state of live webcam streaming without occasionally and energetically acknowledging Camfrog. According to the wayback machine, Camfrog has been online since Oct 2003. Their worldwide user base includes kids, adults and a thriving community of hearing impaired. They offer both hosted rooms and sell a pro server version to host your own room. The rooms vary in topic and subject matter such as geography, language, age and interest. If you are a pot-smoking dweeb with a penchant for tats and wanking, a room waits for you. As of this post they have 4820 chat rooms with 71085 users online. Hands down this is the best video chat application I have used.

Camfrog is not a Web 2.0 app but instead requires a small download of about 5 mb. You get to view one chat person’s window with free version. For a one-time $49.95 fee you get to open up to 100 windows in addition to other benefits like sorting and searching for users. I have a hefty broadband connection and semi-fast machine and can get about 65 windows without to much degradation in movements.

I have seen rooms with up to 1000 users and while the chat typing moves fast, you have options to block users and bots to slow it down. No webcam needed to watch or chat either 1 to 1 or 1 to many in a chat room. Add video conferencing to your website.
You can add robots to greet users, posts ads or hold trivia games.

One of the features I like is the hierarchical structure in which colors denote a pecking order of sorts. Red - owner, green - operator, blue- friend. Each have more user rights then black. Bold are pro version users.

So if you have a virtual yearning for new friends, stuck on intimacy issues, are homebound for a spell and/or are lurking for a safe-sex experience, Camfrog might be your cup-o-tease.