ABSTRACT
A graduate student trains a camera on his workspace and invites friends and even strangers to “drop by” his Web site and wish him well as he slaves away on his dissertation. If a visitor signals him, he will smile and wave. Another webcam enthusiast specializes in showing images of himself and others as they sleep. Still another devotee is never without her wearable camera, which broadcasts everything she does and everything that happens to her. With today’s penchant for reality in television programming, it is no surprise that webcams are popular. They perform the same function as surveillance or spy cameras, with the notable difference being the fact that the person viewed is the willing instigator and subject.
