"We added a BBS, when we were attacked by those code bombs and couldn't log on, so the customers and performers could stay in contact" said Jen, webmistress of LiveCamNetwork.com. "This really brought out the sense of community the chat hostesses and their visitors feel from coming to the site for months, if not years."
The webmistress, whose site is becoming increasingly popular, was aware of that "community feeling" but didn't know how strong it was.
"We've had posts on the BBS that mention the 'LCN Experience' and the sense of a 'second family'," Jen said. "LCN magazine is a chance to emphasize that bond, for the community to express itself, as any community will, given time," Jen said.
Besides featuring galleries of their most popular webcam girls, LCN Magazine also contains performer profiles, "Babe News", and sex toy updates, and plans to solicit submissions and artwork from chat visitors and performers.
"LiveCamNetwork doesn't like referring to the chat hostesses as webcam girls," said Sid Zombay, the e-zine's editor. "Because of the technology. They're using digital video cameras, which give great picture and co lour."
Zombay says the magazine will not be taking on advertising. "We want to keep it hermetic, by the site of the site and for the site, for now."
Zombay, also editor of iSN News, plans to submit the link to various sites and directories, despite the fact that the e-zine resides as a subdomain of the main site. "Obviously I'd like it to generate interest in LiveCamNetwork itself. But I like to think of the e-zine as an independent site."
2much.net, which powers LiveCamNetwork.com and a growing number of adult video chat sites, has a longer-term vision and goal for its LiveCamNetwork 1.9 platform.
"Certainly we do it to make money. We're in business like anyone else," said Mark Prince, 2much.net CEO and founder of LiveCamNetwork. "But we also do it to get our video and audio streaming standard out there on the net. The day someone comes out with live chat, with audio and video as good and secure as ours, will be the day we have to push ourselves even harder."
The state of the art of video chat on the net is behind the times, he claims. The Internet has evolved and the accessibility of DSL and Broadband connections as well. "There's no reason nowadays for sites to be running four frames per second, or j-peg push, technology," said Prince. "Even big sites and networks. They've grown comfortable and things have been working OK for them for years. They have no real reason to push themselves."
"But we're here to shake things up a little," added Zombay. "Contribute to the evolution of the dinosaurs."
