For those who do use web cams to talk to family

[Irene]

I read the IF discussion about webcams and I still want one ;) I just think it would be really nice to talk to the family and they could have more enjoyment seeing the kids every week instead of once a year if that :shrug

So, how does it work? is it one a website? someone mentioned that it can get hacked into and people can watch us... :shrug How can I make sure something like this stays safe... do I just plug it in and unplug it every week when we talk to them? does the webcam itself have and off and on switch? can someone explain this all to me?

the descriptions that I read online are just descriptions of the camera, but I am not really understanding how the person sees you or if everyone has access to this or what? Im so ignorant on the technology :blush

[mamaKristin]

My mom bought us one when we moved. It just hooks up to our computer through a USB port - that's it, no outlet plug. You can use MSN messenger with it. Well, in theory you could, if your computer would let you download the right version :banghead mine won't on our laptop, and Messenger isn't working on our big computer.

[expatmom]

We've used it with Yahoo messenger. You invite a person to view your webcam. We have used it with our parents. It is fun, but also annoying at times. The pictures are a bit delayed & don't stream fluidly.

We don't leave ours on all the time. Actually, we sort of lost interest in it & haven't used it in months.

[KatM]

I think where some problems have occurred it is cases where people leave their yahoo or msn messenger open and online. If you chat a lot, other people on your user list can see whether or not you have your camera connected. I am planning to get a web cam someday, but only to use it with a short list of close family and friends.

There was an interview on the Today show about a teen who frequented chat rooms, and was targeted by a pedophile. The pedophile got him to use his webcam, and sent him money to undress and do certain acts in front of the webcam. I think this would be a great risk for tweens and teens who frequent the internet.

PCWorld magazine recently had an article that said that chat programs like msn and yahoo (which are required to use with the webcam) are not as secure against viruses or spyware as email and other internet interfaces. So only turn them on when you need them, do not let them stay on and run idle.