Buffalo Webcam.com 7-12-05

First Webcams...Invaison of Privacy or Cutting Edge Public Relations?

Talking with a local restauranteur...he confided to me that he liked the idea of having a "Live" webcam in his dining rooms and bar area, but when one of his regular patrons found out about this possible new cam agenda, he told the owner he would never frequent the establishment again...as long as the cams were live.


I told the restauranteur that first of all, someone would literally have to stick his or her face directly in the cam to actually be recognized. Secondly, when Firstwebcam puts a cam inside a restaurant, it always gives patrons an optional route to their table or the bar. Third, we don't hide our cams. On the contrary, we expose them and positive publicity has always followed. Finally, restaurants are public places, and shouldn't have their policies dictated by people who, obviously, have something to hide. The internet is a powerful and economical way of reaching out to the entire globe to show your ambiance and likewise, popularity.


The Cove Restaurant and Marina, in Deerfield Beach, Florida was one such place and a valued client of Firstwebcam, until Hurricane Ivan blew their roof off this past October. They had pioneered, along with FirstWebcam, a "Live" view in their main dining room, not to mention a shot of the Hillsboro Bridge that drew an amazing million page views in one week during the aforementioned hurricane. Perhaps what was more amazing, was that their cams never ceased to operate, even after the storm had passed. Later this summer they will again be broadcasting from their famous location on the Intracoastal Waterway. And, while they had their concerns over these privacy issues, they were always aware that their popularity had ultimately increased, not only in south Florida, but all over the world.