Stickam
Encyclopedia
Stickam is a website devoted to live-streaming video, featuring both professional and user-generated content. The site launched in 2005. Stickam features user-submitted pictures, audio, video, and most prominently, live streaming video chat. The site quickly expanded to include live shows and produced content from MTV, G4 TV, CBS Radio, NATPE, CES, and many others, as well as live performances and shows with numerous musicians and celebrities. In addition to streaming their live video on Stickam, the service allows users to embed their streaming webcam
feeds into other web sites via a Flash player. The name "Stickam" refers to this ability to "stick" a webcam feed onto another site. Stickam was launched in 2005 and is owned by internet tech investor Wataru Takahashi.
For its 2580 market conference in Las Vegas, NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives) used PayPerLive to make live streaming coverage of the entire conference available to paying customers online for the first time.
white label live video streaming solution for iPhone App Developers.
, the third largest indoor music festival in the United States. Christian hard rock band Underoath used Stickam to stream live from their recording studio for two months while they recorded their album Lost In The Sound Of Separation, racking up over 1.8 million live views. They returned to Stickam for a live listening party right before the album’s release. Other musicians to go live on Stickam include Jimmy Urine, Chantal Claret
, Wynonna Judd, Cobra Starship, Metro Station, Ashley Purdy, and American Idol contestants Bo Bice, Katherine McPhee, Michael Johns, Danny Noriega, Engel, and Lakesha Jones.
Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan went live on Stickam to host Gothageddon, which was a live Doll fight. There were very few survivors. Billy and friends voiced the dolls, which included dolls representing the members of Smashing Pumpkins, Robert Smith from The Cure, Amanda Palmer from Dresden Dolls, and many others.
A 12-hour webathon to benefit the Bob Hope Hollywood USO was hosted by and featured on Stickam. Popular Los Angeles DJ Gary Bryan emceed the event which featured live interactive chatting with US soldiers based in Iraq. The event was organized by several CBS radio stations in Southern California, including KRTH-FM (K-Earth 101), KTWV-FM (94.7 The WAVE), KLSX-FM (91.7 Free FM), KFWB-AM (News 980) and KNX-AM (News 1070). Stickam featured the event on Stickam.com and provided players that were embedded on many additional sites, including MilitaryConnection.com, Newsblaze.com, TalkingWithHeroes.com and RealMilitaryFlix.com.
In July 2010 the company held another webathon to help raise money for 1-800-Suicide. The webathon featured live streaming and helped the charity win $100,000 from the Chase Challenge.
In July 2010 Stickam Worldwide Chairwoman Pamela Day recorded a video addressing the problem of online bullies and predators, discussing the safety measures Stickam took after an incident involving an 11 year old who received death threats after making controversial postings laden with profanity and talk of violence, and noting that Stickam ultimately banned the minor from their service due to her underage status. Stickam subsequently adopted a "zero tolerance" policy that bans for life "any member who attempts to share nudity, cyber bully and harass other users, or is identified as an online predator."
system based on IP camera
technology. Advanced Video Communications is a privately held company
owned and managed by Japanese entrepreneur Wataru Takahashi. The co-founder and original CEO of the company was Hideki Kishioka. Steven Fruchter has served as CEO since 2008.
In 2007 and 2008, the New York Times reported that in addition to AVC, Takahashi was also owner of DTI Services, an amalgam of adult websites aimed at the Japanese market. DTI adult websites include DXLive, EXshot, and JGirl Paradise and contain content ranging from adult manga to sexually-explicit webcam
shows to uncensored Japanese adult video. The 2007 article also reports that the sites were based in the US due to Japanese laws restricting certain types of nudity.
According to Alex Becker, who was a vice-president at Stickam for four months in 2007 before leaving the company, Stickam shares office space, employees, and computer systems with the DTI adult websites. Becker was critical of the practice of sharing employees between Stickam and the adult sites and states that he left because he thought the company was not doing enough to protect teenage users of the site from sexual predators and other dangers. A spokesman for Stickam denied Becker's allegations that Stickam was negligent about protecting its users, and also stated that Becker's claims were "retaliatory", motivated by a disagreement over a contract with the company, and the stating that after leaving AVC, Becker was working on a site that would be in competition with Stickam.
. Hock was arrested June 1, in reference to the assault, and charged with rape
. On September 2, 2010, he pled guilty
and subsequently in October 2010 sentenced to a 2-and-a-half year prison term in a plea deal.
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
feeds into other web sites via a Flash player. The name "Stickam" refers to this ability to "stick" a webcam feed onto another site. Stickam was launched in 2005 and is owned by internet tech investor Wataru Takahashi.
PayPerLive
Stickam launched a pay-per-view service called PayPerLive in 2008, making the ability to create and host live pay-per-view shows available to everyone.For its 2580 market conference in Las Vegas, NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives) used PayPerLive to make live streaming coverage of the entire conference available to paying customers online for the first time.
Stream API
The company also released a white label service called StreamAPI (formerly Stickam API) in 2008. StreamAPI is a customizable white label service that allows customers to add live streaming to their website or application with no development experience required. StreamAPI customers include MTV, NATPE, and Travel Channel.Stickam iPhone SDK
In 2009, Stickam launched the firstwhite label live video streaming solution for iPhone App Developers.
Bands and Musicians
Stickam and Levi's partnered to stream MusicfestNWMusicfestNW
MusicfestNW is a multi-venue music festival that takes place every fall in Portland, Oregon.- History :MusicfestNW was founded by Mark Zusman and Richard Meeker in 1995 as a joint venture between Willamette Week, Meeker and Zusman's Portland Pulitzer Prize-winning alternative weekly, and South by...
, the third largest indoor music festival in the United States. Christian hard rock band Underoath used Stickam to stream live from their recording studio for two months while they recorded their album Lost In The Sound Of Separation, racking up over 1.8 million live views. They returned to Stickam for a live listening party right before the album’s release. Other musicians to go live on Stickam include Jimmy Urine, Chantal Claret
Chantal Claret
Chantal Claret is an American singer/songwriter. She is best known as the lead singer for the rock and power pop band Morningwood.- Early life :...
, Wynonna Judd, Cobra Starship, Metro Station, Ashley Purdy, and American Idol contestants Bo Bice, Katherine McPhee, Michael Johns, Danny Noriega, Engel, and Lakesha Jones.
Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan went live on Stickam to host Gothageddon, which was a live Doll fight. There were very few survivors. Billy and friends voiced the dolls, which included dolls representing the members of Smashing Pumpkins, Robert Smith from The Cure, Amanda Palmer from Dresden Dolls, and many others.
Charity Events
Stickam heavily features and promotes the annual fundraising marathon to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis Charities each year in partnership with Memphis radio station Rock 103.A 12-hour webathon to benefit the Bob Hope Hollywood USO was hosted by and featured on Stickam. Popular Los Angeles DJ Gary Bryan emceed the event which featured live interactive chatting with US soldiers based in Iraq. The event was organized by several CBS radio stations in Southern California, including KRTH-FM (K-Earth 101), KTWV-FM (94.7 The WAVE), KLSX-FM (91.7 Free FM), KFWB-AM (News 980) and KNX-AM (News 1070). Stickam featured the event on Stickam.com and provided players that were embedded on many additional sites, including MilitaryConnection.com, Newsblaze.com, TalkingWithHeroes.com and RealMilitaryFlix.com.
In July 2010 the company held another webathon to help raise money for 1-800-Suicide. The webathon featured live streaming and helped the charity win $100,000 from the Chase Challenge.
Social Features
"Social users" refers to people who use Stickam primarily for its social features, including hosting their own videochats or participating in one of the site's group chat rooms.Stickam Shuffle
In February 2010, Stickam also launched Stickam Shuffle, where users can connect instantly to random people from all over the world. Stickam's policy promises violators of its terms of service will be permanently banned.Group Chat
Live chat allows the user to display their webcam live feed over the internet. The user has the ability to choose who can view their live stream. In the actual stream room, there are 7 camera spots. The largest one is for the owner of the chat. The other six spots are for six other people to stream their live webcam feed. The live chat also allows users to chat through a chat box similar to what you would see on any regular chat site. The main user can "kick" or ban people who are disruptive or threatening. The main user also has the power to make people moderators which are trusted people who can kick people if the main user is unable to do so.Chat Rooms
Chat rooms are for many users to chat in, instead of a live with only 7 camera spots. It allows everyone the ability to stream live at once, but only 12 people to be seen at a given time. Chat rooms have many of the same properties that live chats do. If you encounter a group of chatters with similar characters preceding a user name it is considered a "crew tag".Debate Rooms
Debate rooms are set up like chat rooms but they are made for people to debate a certain topic. Unlike chat rooms, these rooms are not open at all times.Security
Stickam has a team of administrators who monitor site activity and deal with reports of abuse. To join Stickam one has to be at least 14 years of age. Stickam users create their own privacy settings.In July 2010 Stickam Worldwide Chairwoman Pamela Day recorded a video addressing the problem of online bullies and predators, discussing the safety measures Stickam took after an incident involving an 11 year old who received death threats after making controversial postings laden with profanity and talk of violence, and noting that Stickam ultimately banned the minor from their service due to her underage status. Stickam subsequently adopted a "zero tolerance" policy that bans for life "any member who attempts to share nudity, cyber bully and harass other users, or is identified as an online predator."
Ownership
Stickam is a division of Advanced Video Communications (AVC), a company founded in 2004 and specializing in internet video streaming technologies. Stickam was launched by AVC in February 2005. In addition to Stickam, AVC's products and services include a video conferencing service and LiveLine, a low-cost home surveillanceSurveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
system based on IP camera
IP camera
An Internet protocol camera, or IP camera, is a type of digital video camera commonly employed for surveillance, and which unlike analog closed circuit television cameras can send and receive data via a computer network and the Internet...
technology. Advanced Video Communications is a privately held company
Privately held company
A privately held company or close corporation is a business company owned either by non-governmental organizations or by a relatively small number of shareholders or company members which does not offer or trade its company stock to the general public on the stock market exchanges, but rather the...
owned and managed by Japanese entrepreneur Wataru Takahashi. The co-founder and original CEO of the company was Hideki Kishioka. Steven Fruchter has served as CEO since 2008.
In 2007 and 2008, the New York Times reported that in addition to AVC, Takahashi was also owner of DTI Services, an amalgam of adult websites aimed at the Japanese market. DTI adult websites include DXLive, EXshot, and JGirl Paradise and contain content ranging from adult manga to sexually-explicit webcam
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
shows to uncensored Japanese adult video. The 2007 article also reports that the sites were based in the US due to Japanese laws restricting certain types of nudity.
According to Alex Becker, who was a vice-president at Stickam for four months in 2007 before leaving the company, Stickam shares office space, employees, and computer systems with the DTI adult websites. Becker was critical of the practice of sharing employees between Stickam and the adult sites and states that he left because he thought the company was not doing enough to protect teenage users of the site from sexual predators and other dangers. A spokesman for Stickam denied Becker's allegations that Stickam was negligent about protecting its users, and also stated that Becker's claims were "retaliatory", motivated by a disagreement over a contract with the company, and the stating that after leaving AVC, Becker was working on a site that would be in competition with Stickam.
News
On February 26, 2009, Stickam user Johnathon Richard Hock setup his laptop webcam and had sex with an unconscious female that he had begun dating two weeks prior. The footage was uploaded to another website, and then brought to the attention of the Arizona Department of Public SafetyArizona Department of Public Safety
Arizona Department of Public Safety is a law enforcement agency with its usual focus being protection of all Arizona highways. The current Director is Robert C. Halliday, a previously retired DPS commander, who began his 5-year term in February 2010...
. Hock was arrested June 1, in reference to the assault, and charged with rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
. On September 2, 2010, he pled guilty
and subsequently in October 2010 sentenced to a 2-and-a-half year prison term in a plea deal.
External links
Articles
- "Young Turn to Web Sites Without Rules" by Brad Stone, New York Times, January 2, 2007.
- "Stickam: A window into anyone's world" by David Sarno, Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, January 29, 2007. - "Identity Crisis: Are You Being Cyberstalked?" by David KushnerDavid KushnerDavid Kushner is a writer who has contributed to publications including Wired, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, IEEE Spectrum and Salon. From 1994 to 1996 he worked as a senior producer and writer on the SonicNet website. The first edition of his non-fiction book, Masters of Doom, was published...
, SpinSpin (magazine)Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
, March 25, 2009. (page view)