As you have explored the different CameraWare Communities, perhaps you have decided to start your very own CameraWare Community! It’s very easy; just decide what type of Community you want, cut and paste the CameraWare applet. Invite your friends to come and you have an instant community! You can even get a chatroom and promote your site on the CameraWare Community site list.

First, you need to put a CameraWare video applet on your site. Decide what videos to show. Most Communities start by showing All CameraWare broadcasters so that there is always something interesting to watch. As your community grows or if you are starting out with a large circle of friends, you may choose to only list broadcasters chatting in your community. The CameraWare applet codes can be copied directly from http://www.cameraware.com/webmasters/webmasters.html. CameraWare has provided a Help page for webmasters at http://www.cameraware.com/faq_webmasters.html.
After you have working video on your site you can get a ChatSpace chatroom. Email chatroom@ttinet.com and make the subject line of the email "New CameraWare Chatroom" In the body of the email include the following:

Chatroom Owner's Nickname
Chatroom Owner's Password
Chatroom Name
The website address (url) of the video and chat page

To have your website added to our CameraWare Community Site List please email cwhelp@ttinet.com with the subject line: "New community site to add" . In the body of the email, please include the URL of the community page, and a brief description of your community. We will check it out, and -- as long as the CameraWare viewers and chat are free -- we will add you to our list!
Any time you need help, visit our CameraWare Tech Support room at http://www.cameraware.com/techroom.html

Once you set up the community, get ready for a variety of guests from all over the world! Generally, the more chatters a newcomer sees the more likely he/she will stay. When choosing a restaurant, people tend to choose establishments that have a lot of cars parked in front. “That place is always packed, they must have good food.” The same reasoning works for videoconferencing communities. Your guests will stay longer and be more inclined to return if there are people to watch and to talk to.

One of the most commonly asked questions by the chatters is “Where is so-and-so chatting?” Help the viewers to find your site by using one of CameraWare’s features. Invite your videobroadcasters to enter the name of your Community when they Login on the CameraWare Video Sender software. Encourage them to put the URL of your site in their clickable Viewer Text area. Not only will the broadcaster enjoy the benefits of chatting with their admirers, they are also helping to promote your site.
CameraWare has many video and chat features that guests may not be aware of. Prepare to be helpful to the newbie: he is more likely to stay longer and revisit in the future if he feels comfortable asking questions. Show off the zoom and rewind, as well as any other features you have on your site. Teach them how to create their Member Profile in chat and how to disable Private Messages (that feature is very useful for ladies and many do not know it exists) Lots of toys to play with make it more fun!

Videoconferencing can have an incredible effect on people, especially to those who are new to it. Many people experience mental, emotion and even physical excitement when videoconferencing. This exhilaration can cause some folks to act differently than they would in their real lives; some will be more charming and some will be less so. Because they are most often connecting from the privacy of their home, they are more inclined to ‘let their hair down’ and drop many social graces.  Insuring everyone’s polite behavior in a public Community will require diplomacy and diligence. One nasty comment can hurt feelings and cause an uproar, which can change the entire atmosphere in a moment. This goes for Moderators as well as guests. Make sure all the rules of your community are clearly posted and fairly enforced.

As the population of your community grows, you may need Moderators to help you entertain the delightful and quiet the less-than-delightful. Start out with some trusted friends to act as Moderators for you. Choose your Moderators wisely. Give them the tools needed to kick and ban. Teach them how, and more importantly, when to use them. Request that they refrain from getting into altercations with chatters or engage in depressing or inappropriate discussions. Often, the guests will share the same attitude as the Moderators; if the Moderators are happy and perky, the guests will be too.

Perhaps the most important ingredient is YOU. Since it is your Community, feel free to put a lot of your own personality into it. Design the videoconferencing webpage of your dreams; put as many viewing applets on as you desire. Invite all your friends and be prepared to make new friends from around the world. Decide on the rules and atmosphere; share these ideas with your Moderators. People often use the Internet for entertainment; if you are having a good time, chances are your guests will too.

Written by: Staff