Editing Webcam (section)

=== Entering the mainstream (late 1990s)===
[[File:ISights (cropped).jpg|alt=Cylindrical metal camera mounted on a laptop|thumb|[[iSight]] webcam, released in 2003]]
One of the most widely reported-on webcam sites was [[JenniCam]], created in 1996, which allowed Internet users to observe the life of its namesake constantly, in the same vein as the reality TV series ''[[Big Brother (TV series)|Big Brother]]'', launched four years later.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/international/story/0,,1115262,00.html "Plug pulled on live website seen by millions"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819104528/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2004/jan/03/usnews.internationalnews |date=2022-08-19 }} by Oliver Burkeman in ''The Guardian'', January 3, 2004</ref> Other cameras are mounted overlooking bridges, public squares, and other public places, their output made available on a public web page in accordance with the original concept of a "webcam". Aggregator websites have also been created, providing thousands of live video streams or up-to-date still pictures, allowing users to find live video streams based on location or other criteria.

In the late 1990s, [[Microsoft NetMeeting]] was the only videoconferencing software on PC in widespread use, making use of webcams.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-05-24-9905240145-story.html|title=Video-Conference Program Allows More Private Face-To-Face Time|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=24 May 1999 |access-date=2021-07-03|archive-date=2022-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421193845/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-05-24-9905240145-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the following years, [[instant messaging]] clients started adding webcam support: [[Yahoo Messenger]] introduced this with version 5.5 in 2002, allowing video calling in 20 frames per second using a webcam.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240047061/Yahoo-instant-messenger-unveils-broadband-Webcam|title=Yahoo! Instant messenger unveils broadband Webcam|access-date=2021-07-03|archive-date=2021-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709183222/https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240047061/Yahoo-instant-messenger-unveils-broadband-Webcam|url-status=live}}</ref> [[MSN Messenger]] gained this in version 5.0 in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240049915/MSN-Messenger-gains-webcam-functionality|title=MSN Messenger gains webcam functionality|access-date=2021-07-03|archive-date=2021-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184853/https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240049915/MSN-Messenger-gains-webcam-functionality|url-status=live}}</ref>