As an FYI to everyone - I just sent the following message out to every major resort and tourism enterprise on Bonaire:

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Greetings fellow members of the Bonaire Tourism Community!

I am writing to you because the Bonaire WebCams face an uncertain fate, and there's a very real chance they may soon cease to exist.

As you may be aware, Linda and I are moving out of our rented waterfront home in Hato, away from Small Wall, to our own house inland in Belnem.

As we will no longer be located at the water's edge, it leaves the question as to what to do with the Bonaire ReefCam, and more generally, with the Bonaire WebCams as a whole.

The Bonaire WebCams are world-famous, and have achieved cult-status.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of Bonaire visitors (and locals) visit the WebCams each week in a form of pilgrimage, to share images of themselves with the thousands of people each day who view the WebCams via the Bonaire WebCams Web site.

We have received countless comments from new Bonaire visitors that they discovered Bonaire through the WebCams site. In short, the Bonaire WebCams have become an important part of Bonaire tourism in the four years they have been active.

However, we (Dan Senie, my partner in the Bonaire WebCams effort, and I) have operated the Bonaire WebCams at a significant annual loss, with the cost coming indirectly out of our pockets. New land cameras runs several hundred dollars. Replacement ReefCams, made out with a Titanium housing and connected to shore with a Kevlar coated cable are many thousands of dollars, the WebCam capture server on Bonaire has custom hardware and software and full time (slow) Internet connection, our Bonaire WebCams Web server in the U.S. requires a high speed connection (over 512Kbps at all times), etc. The list of costs could go on.

Membership fees on the Bonaire WebCams site have offset some of our on-going expenses, but we have absorbed the rest of the costs ourselves. However we cannot afford to continue doing that any more.

Now, faced with our upcoming move in a few weeks, and the subsequently required move of the WebCams, leaves us at a critical juncture.

To be blunt, if we do not find a new home for the WebCams, and a partner to help cover the on-going expense of continuing to run the WebCams and WebCams Web site, the Bonaire WebCams will cease to be, and Bonaire will lose a phenomenal marketing benefit and resource.

And the many thousands of people a day who get their daily Bonaire fix from watching fish and divers on the ReefCam, sunsets and waves on the BeachCams, and enviable tourists posing with diverse signs on the StreetCam will be left with a dark screen, and may well start looking at the Cayman Turtle Farm WebCams or WebCams in some sort other non-Bonaire destination.

Over the last several months Dan and I have approached a number of resorts we felt had the right facilities to be able to properly support the WebCams with a partnership offer to buy into the WebCams and thus own half the project for US$20,000, which included the cost of moving the WebCams (no easy effort) and would cover operating costs for at most a couple of years. In each case after some (or even no) deliberation, our plan was rejected by the highest levels of management at these resorts (off-island in most cases), even when on-island support was high. And almost universally, we were also told that if we simply wanted to place the WebCams at the resort at no expense to the resort, they were sure that could be worked out.

However, as already stated, we can no longer afford to continue to pay for the WebCams out of our own pockets. And, we feel very strongly that in order for a resort to support the WebCams properly and give them the attention they need on-property, the resort needs to have some sort of financial stake in the WebCams.

Recently, we were approached by a company in the U.S. which would invest in the WebCams, both in an effort to help reduce the cost of having the WebCams on-site at a resort, as well as get exclusively rights to market advertising on the WebCams site. Due to that promised investment offer Dan and I have been able to structure what we believe is a more affordable deal for a resort to take the WebCams on-property.

That leaves us with our last gasp effort at finding a home on Bonaire for all four of the Bonaire WebCams. If this fails, the WebCams will go away.

To not burden those of you with no further interest in this topic, we have put the details of the deal needed to keep the Bonaire WebCams running at:

http://www.caribbeanwebcams.com/SaveTheWebCams.html

Unless we find a resort willing with work with us, the WebCams go dark on Sunday, June 20, 2004. They certainly can go "bright" again a few weeks later if someone is willing to partner with us to keep the WebCams going. But if not, they will stay dark.

Please feel free to pass this e-mail on far and wide. We certainly will be doing so ourselves. For example, this e-mail is being CC'd to Extra, the Bonaire Reporter, and MegaFM, among others. We will also be posting it on BonaireTalk. All in the hopes of finding someone willing to help save the WebCams. We really don't want to see the WebCams die, but we also really cannot continue to operate them at a significant financial loss.

Should we not find a partner by mid-June, we are contemplating offering the Bonaire WebCams Web site and the WebCams system separately on eBay. Perhaps some "angel" with deep pockets will be willing to absorb the costs of running the WebCams and keep them on Bonaire, or perhaps another resort at a different island destination will see the benefit of a wildly popular Web site and WebCams system.

In any case, should the Bonaire WebCams go away permanently, we will contact all current Bonaire WebCams members to arrange for a pro-rated refund of the then outstanding portion of their membership fees.

If you have interest in the WebCams under the terms mentioned above, please let us know by sending e-mail to info@caribbeanwebcams.com.

Thanks for your time, and for those who received this e-mail and find it irrelevant, please accept my personal apologies for filling your mailbox with material you're not interested in.

Jake Richter
COO, Caribbean WebCams

Oooooooo...day-m!

Jake, thanks for posting the update...btw, no need to refund any of my money for membership if you end up going that route...it has MORE than paid for itself

I'm keeping my fingers crossed SOME resort on the island will indeed be able to convince those "off island" that this is a no-brainer investment for the resort...heck, the sheer numbers of reservations will spike once the cams are moved! So frustrating!

I certainly hope some help comes through and no refund is expected here either.
Good luck and thanks for my daily Bon fix for the last few months.

Jake, if it were'nt for the WebCams Joe and I would not have rerouted from our annual Aruba gig over to Bonaire. We ended up purchasing a timeshare at the Divi our fist week on the island and have been returning since. We enjoy the heck out of Bonaire, her people and all she has to offer and we do spread our money around generously, as well, when we are on Bonaire. That is a tacky point to make, but, unfortunately it is very relevant here.

I hope someone will come forth very quickly responding to your/our plea to run with the Cams setup and structure. It will be a shame and a loss for Bonaire and everything it represents to lose the Bonaire WebCams and BT, too.

Cynde said it first....no need to refund any monies to our household "if" things do not turn out as we hope....we are forever in your and Dan's debt for being able to experience, enjoy and share the Web Cams and all of the knowledge, joy and information they have provided.

It is much, much more than just a few cameras pointing to the water or the front gate. Much, much more. The WebCams are an invaluable asset to Bonaire and I sure as hell (edit me, please!) hope someone opens their eyes quickly and enables this amazing phenomena to continue educating us and new and prospective visitors for a very, very, very long time to come.

If there is anything else any of us can do to spread the word, you just say it. We will do it.

Joe and I will be on Bonaire on June 20....I hope it will be a day of celebration and not "mourning".

WAKE UP businesspeople of Bonaire....this is a jewel and must be saved immediately!!! You can't imagine the exposure (all good/positive) you will receive being a sponsor/partner in this venture....you could't buy better advertising and "word of mouth" business if you tried.

Time is of the essence.....open your eyes and jump in there now!! Thank you. Carole Baker

Jake and Linda,
We just read your message concerning the future of the Bonaire WebCams with sadness. I guess we all just take for granted that the web cams would always be there! We forget that it takes someone to keep it operational and up and running along with capital expenditures. We wish we had the money to invest to keep it up and running which brings me to my next suggestion...I am sure the BonaireTalk community would rally to the need in order to continue their WebCam "fix". The BonaireTalk Community has rallied for umpteen different causes. This would definitely be a great cause as the WebCams are the heart of the BonaireTalk Community. Just a thought...

Thx 4 the update Jake.
I do hope some party will step forward! I think a lot of people underestimate the exposure Bonaire and the location of the webcams get through the webcams.
There are a lot of people out there who discovered Bonaire through the cams and all those people bring their money with them. If I would manage a resort I would jump on this opportunity 2 get this amount of exposure 4 my business.
Maybe another approach would be a party who benefits directly from the cam visitors (Karel's Beach Bar, Coconut Crash @ the Plaza, etc. come 2 mind).
I cannot believe the $5000 are a problem 4 the large resorts (I think they spend a lot more on advertising each year).
Please keep us posted and if we can do anything...

Thank-you for updating. The webcams have done so much for so many, I have my o/w, have met many wonderful people and many have done so much for us and Quinn.

Having the webcams at a resort would be great advertising/business etc for them.

I definately do not need a refund. As Cynde said, the membership has more that paid for itself. If there is anyway we can help too, let us know.

This will be such an incredible sad thing when it comes to the point where the cams do get black forever ... I really can't understand not a single resort-management does see this state-of-the-art advertisement opportunity. This thing will pay itself back in no time ...

Maybe you should've attached some webpage statistics on that mail Jake .. to convice them ..

Anyway .. I still have a good feeling something this good cannot just pass by, and has to be saved .. and will be ..

As said before .. if you need a hand, we'll be around until June 18th Jake ..

THUMBS UP !!

Some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

The web cams and BT are a ready community for some enlightened business owners. It appears that the cost is less than a couple of trips to U.S or Europe dive shows. And with a lot less hassle.

I really hope you can make a sale and continue this service. I wish I was there to help you make the sale.

I could not be more depressed about this. This is like a best friend telling you he has terminal cancer. I guess I knew this was coming but it does not make it any easier.

The joy and the pleasure I have received over the years from a simple set of cameras is amazing. My world will shrink significantly when the cameras go blank.

I'm with John on this, they know the price of everything and the value of nothing. This community would be a gold mine for any resort who is smart enough to see this value.

One other thing, Jake, you really need to leave that concrete block behind. It's bad enough what's happening to us, you can't evict Charlotte. She is our mascot and star.

Oh, I forgot to mention, Jake keep the money. Given the pleasure I have received from the Web Cams, I figure I still owe you some money (but given my present financial state will you take an IOU).

I read this thread with great sadness and tears in my eyes. The web cams have kept me connected to my paradise until I can get there the next time. They have brought smiles to my face in times of sadness. I feel these cams would pay for themselves in a very short time with increased customers at their resort just because the cams are there. Personally, I would love to see them at the Divi where there is an abundance of fish life all around the cement pier. As everyone else has said, it's impact on tourism is huge!!! I am sure if the cams no longer exist,there will be a significant loss in new tourism to Bonaire.
Jake and Dan, thanks so much for your dedication to the cams and the whole BT community!!!
No refund is wanted here if no one steps up to the plate and this great loss comes to be.

I echo all the previous sentiments. The cams and board have brightened so many days for me. Made me smile (and many times laugh) when I was having a bad day. I turned to the cams (esp. the north beach) for quiet reflection when my mother died a couple weeks ago. I'm even taking an open water course next month with hopes of getting to Bonaire within a year.

Thanks to everyone who has made this community a possibility - Jake, Dan, Linda and the rest of the BT family. If the time does come where we have to say good-bye to the cams, please do not refund me either. The money spent was nothing compared to the joy received.

Hmmm, I 4got 2 mention: no refund needed over here either! If no party steps forward, please have an Amstel from me 2 honor the cams...

ps buddies, Jake explained earlier that the cams are not the same as BT, so even if the cams have 2 go, we still will have BT to mourn 2gether.

Thanks for all your nice comments folks. Hopefully the resorts and tourism authorities on Bonaire will see them and get a better understanding of how the WebCams (or the potential lack thereof) impact Bonaire.

Jake

Jake - thanks for the update. I am with everyone else - keep the money - I do not need a refund.

I am reading this with great sadness and feel that a big part of my world will go away if the cams disappear!!!

Jake, Dan and Linda - thanks for making this happen so far and I am hoping a resort will see the light and not let the cams go dark.

I do not know how to express myself in englisch about "going black of the cams", I think I also do not have the words in Dutch. But near by it are the words of Darlene Ellis.
If you are not on Bonaire but in the place where you live, there is always a paradise to look at and to make plans for trips to that paradise. Resorts, be smart and place the Cams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a crime this would be. The Cams, along with BT, are a fantastic way for all of us around the world to stay in touch with our favorite dive/vacation destination....even when we can't be there in person. The Cams are such a huge draw for both real life & internet visitors, I can't image a resort on the island wouldn't see the value in the investment. Take a portion of your marketing/advertising budget and invest in the cams, it'll be worth it!

Jake, you've worked so hard to keep this going, and I have literally incorporated this site into my life. The first time we went to Bonaire, I planned our vacation from the information received on BonaireTalk. Everything was accurate, and we had a spectacular time. Now I check it for updates, and for news for our next trip. It is so sad the tourist industry doesn't realize that sometimes a little money/energy spent results in a bigger return. You have to be able to see the forest, in spite of the trees, so to speak. I surely hope this site continues, and that you get what YOU need out of the situation, as you've given so much to all of us.

This is TERRIBLE!!!! But fully understandable from the cost to Jake point of view. On my very recent visit to Bonaire most everybody I met visiting there was also involved with BT. The business community will truelly be effected if they don't step up to the plate.

Maybe this is why the dive masters at the Divi thought the cam was no longer in operation. We straightened them out on this misconception, and visited Small Wall :-) Jake good luck, I am sure we all wish we could dig deep in our pockets and find the $. If the darkness does come to be, keep my $ as well.

Mary,

Just to be clear. In the event that the WebCams go dark permanently, that would have no impact on the continued availability of BonaireTalk to you or anyone else.

Mind you, this particular discussion area may end up moved to the end of the topic list, and ultimately closed to new posts, as it would no longer be relevant, but BonaireTalk would continue to exist, both because Linda and I have made a commitment to continue to provide the resources necessary to keep it operating for the foreseeable future (i.e. years), and because the burden of moderating BT is being shared by and with our great co-moderators, Cynde and Martin.

Hope that clarifies things a bit.

If anyone has ideas or suggestions which would help convince a local resort that it would be a good idea to take on the WebCams under the plan we have developed, please post it here. We don't want to see the WebCams go dark either.

Jake

I sent the following email to the Divi Resorts. I suggest we all send a similar request to our favorite Bonaire resort and/or dive operation.

I am very glad to hear the BT would continue. And although my interest is actually in the BT not the cams, I do believe the cams are the initial draw to the site....

my email to the Divi .....
Please consider supporting the Bonaire Web Cams http://www.caribbeanwebcams.com/SaveTheWebCams.html . I have been to Bonaire 5 times in 9 years, our most recent visit just this month. We spend our money at the hotel, the Chibi Restaurant, and dive 3 boat dives a day with the dive operation and in the casino as well. Investment in the Web Cams would be a significant marketing tool. During our visit this month we met a number of people visitng the island and all were very vocal about the web cam being a major reason why they chose to come to Bonaire. The web site is a source of information regarding just about anything you can think of on Bonaire. There have been a tremendous amount of postings in which people discuss and recommend the various resorts, restaurants, and dive operations. These people would clearly be vocally appreciative of any business who supports the cams, and would in many many cases choose to spend their $ at such a business as well.

If you have already made a decision to not do this, I ask that you research further and reconsider.

I am coming back to Bonaire in January and hope that the Divi's support of the web cams gives me reason to once again come back to the Divi.


Denise Kacavas

Thanks for the clarification, Jake. But I would still greatly miss checking out the cams, especially in the winter in Michigan, and because both Craig and I were on it. I know you spend a lot of time maintaining them, and it's been to everyone's benefit to see what's happening in paradise. Hope that someone in Bonaire wises up and sees what a valuable asset it could be for their business

Carole hit on something that I forgot...I didn't even know that Bonaire existed until I found the cams! I read about them in a dive mag, and decided to take a look, and see what this "Bonaire" place was all about! It was watching them addictively that got me to Bonaire the first time, and what continually draws me back...

Again, Bonaire Resorts, if you are reading this, you have no idea how many "lurkers" are out there and never post...thousands...and everyone always wants to know "where the cams are" so they can visit them when on Boniare...so you not only would have increased patronage to your resort, you would have more folks stopping by to buy an amstel and get their face on the internet...

HEY LURKERS...now is the time to come out of the dark and post how you feel about the cams!!!!

I think it's a great idea to send emails EN MASSE to the large resorts, or the resort of your choice. I will send one to Buddy and one to Divi, I suggest everyone do the same. Maybe even cc it to the Tourism Board??? Let's get on it guys.... we need to pull together and do something for Jake. I could never ever repay Jake and Linda for all their hospitality and friendship. But I will try.

There seems to be ground swell of support here. Several of us are discussing a preliminary plan/program to keep this situation viable, even if the cams have to go dark for a short interval (we hope not). I would like to personally hear from Cynde, Cecil and/or anyone else that may wish commit a bit of time, and be more involved with the process as it evolves.
Nothing will be undertaken without Jake, Linda and Dan's blessing. You can reach me at brians.eee@comcast.net.

Thank you for your support.

Here are a few email addresses.

Divi: comments@diviresorts.com

Buddy Dive: reservations@buddydive.com

Capt. Dons: Jack@habitatbonaire.com

Tourism Board: info@tourismbonaire.com



These are just a few suggestions, but send your emails to all of them. If anyone has a better email address than what I have posted, please correct me. I just did a quick search on yahoo and came up with these. Get to work people!

Brian YGM

Kelly, thanks for the email addresses

More email addresses:
Harbour Village info@harbourvillage.com
Plaza reservations@plazaresortbonaire.com or info@plazavillas.com
Sand Dollar info@sanddollarbonaire.com

2 Lurkers right here signing on. My wife and I have watched the webcams for many months. We are making our second trip to Bonaire in July and staying at the Sand$. The webcams definitely led us to BT and keeps us coming back almost daily. Our July trip is on the same dates our local dive shop is running a charter flight/trip to Belize. One reason we decided to do our own trip to Bonaire is the many memories of our first trip the webcams kept fresh in our minds. One reason we decided to try Sand$ was the reviews provided on BT. Some lucky resort is going to make the call to host the cams and to us and many they will be the first resort we think of when we think of Bonaire.

Dan and Janet - WELCOME to BT and thanks for signing on and expressing your views!!! I know that there are many other lurkers who are out there that feel the same way!!! Hopefully they will also sign on and post their opinion!!!!

I like Cynde - never heard of Bonaire until I was sent to look at the web cams. I visited the island last year for the 1st time due mostly to the cams!!! I am going back again this year - again due in most part to the cams and the BT community that has built up around the cams!!!

When are you going in July? I will be at the Sand$ July 11 - 25!!!

Dan and Janet...WELCOME!!! Have a great trip! We stayed at the Sand$ our first trip in 2001, and loved the place. Got a chance to do a giant stride off the new dock a couple of times this last summer to dive Bari reef...one of my favorite all-time Bonaire dives!

Thanks for "coming out of the woodwork" to support the cams

A couple of weeks ago Patty and I made our 4th trip and met Jake and Linda for the first time and told them how we found Bonaire through the webcams, came back 3 more times and now own a lot on the island, to someday build our dream house there. All from the hard work of a few people, so Jake et al please know every email you answer, every moment you moderate a forum, is worth it. You never know when that question you answer on a thread will lead to a vacation, return trip, etc.

The people in my office go on the webcams daily, and I refer the site to everyone I know, especially in winter. If there's anything I can do to help keep them up, let me know. How about putting the cameras on my new lot? It will take me at least 30 years to save to build on it anyway! ;-)

Let us know what can be done to help.

Carl and Patty

Brian~ Count me in as a helper if you need someone. I'll see what I can do when the time comes.

I simply cannot believe that a prudent government and/or business establishment(s) wouldn't see how beneficial the webcams could be (and have been) to the tourism industry on Bonaire. The cams have been such a great tool promoting Bonaire as a place to visit.

Where is their business sense? "Opportunity" is knocking on someone's door! I just wish it were mine!

We've been visiting Bonaire since 1997, long before the cams came into being. In fact, we met Jake & Linda during their very first week as residents on the island, having just moved from the States. What a chance meeting that was...down in the locker area at Capt. Don's! I've personally seen the difference the webcams have made over the years, but more importantly, Jake & Linda have been extremely crucial to changing and improving Bonaire's tourism industry. YES, you heard me right! It's not just the little fishies you go to see that are crucial to Bonaire's tourism industry. Without Jake & Linda's "ambassador-type" can-do attitude, where would we be?

It's late and I'm rambling. Good-night!

Jake....In support of the web cams I just updated my membership for the next year......I have faith, and if the worst comes to pass....I do not want ANY money back!

LaDonna

LaDonna - the power of positive thinking - I'm with you, I just renewed my membership as well. Jake, I will not accept a refund of these fees if darkness is indeed our fate.

Thanks for the very detailed update, Jake. And thanks for the links Kelly and Mary...this is a very much needed campaign! I'm on board with everyone else in declining a refund of my recently paid membership which has certainly been worth every penny!

Oh, and Jake, I don't want a refund either!

Another lurker here, just adding my 2 pennies. I haven't even been to Bonaire yet (first trip next July), but my first knowledge of the island was a link to the webcams.

I know that I would make a point of supporting any establishments that stepped up to continue the existence of the webcams.

Yes, we'll save the cams.
I can't do a lot, but I am sendind an email to all the french language diving magazines explaining what's happening and asking some help via a feature article for their readers.

Hi Jake,
It's been 2 years since we saw you last, and I'm just sick that you are having difficulties funding the webcams. Whenever I tell anyone about Bonaire, I link them straight to those cameras. A few friends have been planning trips to Bonaire since seeing those views. We too were convinced that Bonaire was our place to learn how to Scuba when we saw your site 4 years ago.

Suggestion #1
Have you talked with Babs at Dive Inn? http://www.diveinnbonaire.com
Her shop is located right in town, directly across the road from the Chachacha Beach. She might be located in a prime place to host the webcams.

Suggestion #2
Also, have you talked to Independent Hotel operators such as Brigitte & Richard at Casa Oleander? http://www.cocopalmgarden.org
They are located about 200 meters from Bachelor's Beach in Belnam.
They told me once that they and other independent operators were looking for ways to promote their lodging in a way that could effectively compete against those large resorts.

Suggestion #3
Who hosts the infobonaire.com website besides you? They link directly to your webcams in the dive map part of the site. Perhaps the island government itself or the tourism group could underwrite the costs of the webcams. It's such a great tourism advertisement, it might be in their interest to retain such a widely known marketing tool.

I wish we could be in town and see you when you come to Dallas this weekend. Let me know if these ideas were any good.

Michelle Swedlow

Hi Michelle,

Thanks for the suggestions - let me address them:

1) The notice at the start of this topic was sent to Babs, along with all other dive operators and waterfront resort operators on Bonaire. Haven't heard from her at this point (I have heard from two other entities so far, but just initial probes at this point).

2) Certainly, moving inland would open up the range of candidates, but then we'd also lose the ReefCam (need to be on the water for that) and the BeachCams (need to be on/near a beach for them). In fact, if the ReefCam weren't involved, the Sorobon area (e.g. Jibe City) would be an excellent spot. But, the ReefCam is part & parcel (and arguably the cornerstone) of the Bonaire WebCams.

3) Linda's & my company on Bonaire, NetTech N.V., own the InfoBonaire site, and we operate parts of it in cooperation with the Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB). TCB has also been informed of our plight, but as a government agency, is limited financially in what it can do, especially as the Bonaire government is (and has been for years) virtually bankrupt.

Sorry I'll be missing you while I'm in Dallas this coming weekend!

And thanks again for your suggestions!

Jake

Hello Everyone!

Jake, thanks for keeping us up-to-date on the webcams.

I have the same feelings with all previous sentiments. Even though I am a newcomer, the cams and board have kept up my spirits. I have cried and laughed and thought of what a nice group of people are here. Have recommended the website to many and have talked about it many times.

I have to say thank you/muchas gracias to everyone and specially Jake, Linda and Dan for making this possible. I wish I could help in some way but I am here if you need me and I'll do whatever is possible.

Have a great weekend! Elvira

Wouldn't it be nice if moving the webcam could be incorporated into making the town pier more secure for the new security regulations?

A couple of ideas for what they're worth:

When public tv or charities need money, they take pledges to 'keep PBS on the air' for example. The webcams have thousands of supporters out there, maybe not financially yet. If there are 5,000 visitors/contributors/lurkers, how about taking pledges and contributions to keep it on the air? From the proposal it looks like $5,100 per year will keep the webcams on the air. Certainly we can get that amount together? And if the money were taken care of, wouldn't a resort or restaurant be crazy not to take the cams? Pledges of $10 here, $20 there, etc. could save the cams.

As for my other idea, surely a restaurant could also benefit from the exposure for at least the street cam - people showing up to do the cam and then stay for a meal - like City Cafe or Karel's, who get a lot of business from Bonaire Talk anyway?

Hopefully these ideas make some sense.

I too come to the webcam site almost daily. I first found it a few years ago and it was the ONLY reason I tried Bonaire for a vacation. We have plans to go back this year again and we spend thousands of dollars every time we go to an island. I have also passed the site on to several friends and a few of them have been down as well because of it. This truly is a HUGELY powerful tool that ANY resort would quickly turn a profit on with increased revenues. Whichever resort decides to pick this up (and you know one will) will need to adjust for the sudden jump in reservations.

Seb - Nice thought, except the Bonaire government doesn't even have the money available to secure the piers via traditional means (or will have to pull off some miracles in any case to be in compliance).

Carl - certainly that sort of fundraising could work very well if someone were able to make the time to coordinate it. Any volunteers? :-)

If such fundraising was successful (it would also probably need to involve multi-year commitments so we could avoid having to repeat this exercise next year again), the real challenge after that is which resort to let have the WebCams on property? It seems to me that a resort which is not willing to invest in some way in the WebCams should also not be a beneficiary of the charity of others. That's like getting something (huge) for nothing (i.e. no commitment). That's just not right, IMHO. However, their might be a way to select a resort otherwise (or perhaps the resort would still make an investment, albeit smaller, bolstered by the donations). We'd love to see more ideas on how to make this work, if you have them.

We had not considered waterfront entertainment facilities, although that certainly could be a target - excellent suggestion! I don't know, however, how many of these places have a real clue about the WebCams and what they might bring in terms of awareness, PR, and business. Is anyone out there reading this good friends with owners of any such businesses (we know most of the peripherally, but as we're not exactly an impartial party, they likely would not listen to us...)?

Eric - I agree. However convincing folks here on Bonaire of the potential of "unknowns", especially when the "mysterious Internet" is involved, has been and obviously still is an uphill proposition. It's something Linda and I have been dealing with almost since we moved to Bonaire, and we are still stunned with disbelief at times (like now) :-)

Jake

I'll donate $100.00 a year (I know, not much but hey)...I don't have the time to organize a pledge drive, but I'm willing to commit

I also agree with Jake, if we do organize something like this, then whoever gets the cams will have to be willing to kick in a few (well, more than a few) to get the cams housed at their resort

Thanks for the positive response Jake - I certainly can offer some time to help the cause, but what would it involve?

People are hesitant to send money to people they don't know, so I don't think I'm a likely candidate. The obvious choice would be checks sent to you in Bonaire. Then it would come down to $5,100 to keep them up for the first year, so we could coordinate the effort better next year, or $15,300 for the 3 years.

If anyone has ideas, I can coordinate items for different levels (you know how for $20 PBS gives you a t-shirt, $50 gets you a Yanni CD, $100 a tote bag and videotape, etc.) We can figure out the framework later, if this is a good idea.

Now, maybe it's an idea too not to cash the checks unless the goal is reached? That would eliminate the hassle of refund checks.

I don't have an answer on who should get the privilege of the webcams if they don't contribute a dime.

But let me know if the donations might work. I am ready to make the first pledge. :-)

Carl

Cynde - thanks! Let's all hope some business on Bonaire comes through for the whole amount and that individual donations won't be needed (or could be applied to adding new cameras at places like the windsurf area at Sorobon!)

Carl - The entity that owns the WebCams is a U.S. partnership, Caribbean WebCams LLC (see http://www.caribbeanwebcams.com). I'm really not sure though, how to structure something like a donor program. Any accountants and/or professional fund raisers out there?

If there's some sort of donor reward program, that would need to be integrated into the amount to be raised. We certainly still have WebCam t-shirts (and BonaireTalk ones too) available in limited quantities which could be used as a "thank-you"... That would not incur any additional cost as they have already been printed.

However, shouldn't we first figure out how to determine where the Cams would go should most of the money be raised via donations instead of a contribution by the target business on Bonaire?

I don't know if it makes sense to raise money without a specific goal in mind. Although, your thought of not depositing donations until such time as the fate of the WebCams is determined might help reduce the importance of that issue.

Jake (feeling pretty overwhelmed at the moment )

Jake, would emails to the resorts stating that some are willing to contribute to the costs if they house the cams a good idea? Just wonder if that would get their attention if they didn't think they would have to foot the entire bill...

You, Linda, Dan and Faith have provided so many folks with kindness, caring and giving, and the webcams are certainly part of so many of our lives, and if we can do anything to help keep them alive, it is only a small way in which we can repay you for all you have given to the BT community (and how much tourism you have brought to Bonaire!)

Cynde - you're a sweetheart.

It might not be a bad idea for folks to contact those managers at resorts that they have a good relationship with to see if that would work, and perhaps find out what their threshold is. Although they would not be footing the entire bill in any event - keep in mind we have already received a donation commitment from a U.S. business, which in turn is reducing the annual cost of operation of the WebCams to the $5100 level. Without that commitment/donation/investment (whatever its called), the cost would be appreciably higher.

I guess the question is "How low is low enough to still have a resort feel responsibility and commitment to the WebCams?". Certainly, if a resort does take on the WebCams for virtually nothing, one disincentive for them to ignore the WebCams and WebCammers would be mass outrage and bad publicity on-line. But we'd rather not see it ever get to that point... Hence the need to make sure a benefitting Bonaire business makes some sort of non-insignificant financial commitment - more to gain, but also more to lose.

I think I'm rambling now... Sorry. Been a long week of conference sessions, meetings, and travel...

Jake

Well heck, if they'd let you put it at Sorobon, you could charge folks to look at the cam and it would pay for itself ;)
It would be a slightly different client base though....

Seb...[grin]

Of course, I was thinking the Plaza and their beach when the KLM flight attendants are in. You could lose your G rating, hubba, hubba.

Now we're brainstorming; overwhelmed but brainstorming. :-) Another idea is a pay-to-play fee. For a nominal annual fee, say $20, members get the webcams with a username and password. The math is easy for either donations or paid members - at the $20 level, 250 donors/members are needed. At the $50 level, 100 donors/members are needed. At the $100 level, 50. IMHO, I think we should decide on the location and raise the $5100 for the next year, and I am happy to coordinate the program for next year, if asked. With thousands of contributors/lurkers, can we find 250 people to give $20? I hope so...:-)

Carl

Carl,

Can you elaborate a bit on what you mean by "get the WebCams with a username and password"? How does this differ from the current membership program on the Bonaire WebCams site?

Jake

I think Carl means Tanstaaffl Jake, as in no more free lunch, you want to watch, you pay up. Maybe archives only for members, and only presently displayed picture free to view.
Is the 5k figure Carl is bandying about a realistic assessment of annual operating cost?

What about dive magazines or OEMs for sponsors? It could be the Scubapro Webcam or the Scuba Diving Webcam on the #1 dive destination, Bonaire. A first year of user support might attract the attention of a corporate client, since meltdown is now around the corner.

Wow, I spend a few days with the new grandbaby and miss a VERY important topic. Count on me to email Jack at Capt. Don's (and other resorts) and provide any and all support to keep the cams. When the time comes, I will also make (and give) a pledge. BT'ers to the rescue!

Yes, Seb, you're right... it sounds a bit harsh, but depends on your perspective I suppose. Call it incentive to join, incentive to donate, no more free lunch, etc. Just another idea. In many of the more successful fundraising efforts in the States, a gift is offered for the contribution - I continually get t shirts, mugs, etc from the humane society, even though I ask for no gifts on the donation form I return. That 'gift' could be in the form of access to certain parts of the webcams, a promotional item, discount coupon for a restaurant or services on the island, etc. Heck, I'd love to get a subscription to Bonaire Reporter for a $50 or $75 contribution!

Carl

The problem with "pay to view" the cams would be the "prosepective"/future Bonaire traveler...they aren't going to pay up front to look at cam pics to determine if they want to visit Bonaire. Just IMHO, however.

The membership fee to access the archives should be continued, if possible, with possibly even raising the ante' somewhat, if necessary.

I have faith....we will find a way to save the cams! Keep those calls and emails flying everywhere that counts! Go BT Team!! Carole

Jake, Joe and I will be on Bonaire June 20, as will several others...."if" dooms day is forced upon us with the cams shutting down (even if only temporarily) could we organize a group to be at the cams for the finale'??? Just a thought.....I have a feeling we will all be there anyway if this does occur, but the timing would be the key to a "group hug" scenario. Carole

Carole,

Absolutely! Although I am guardedly optimistic we'll be able to avoid that fate/need. Nothing remotely concrete, but a couple more inquiries.

Just keep doing whatever y'all are doing!

Jake

Fabulous! We'll all keep our fingers and toes crossed. I'm about to bombard some more places right now with emails. They will succumb to us just to stop the bombardment! Sort of like what we did with Cultimara years back with our "No Plastic Bags" campaign of emails! They soon realized the power of BT! LOL.

I hope we will not have to be waving "fairwell to thee" to anyone on June 20, but we will be ready to jump in front of the cams just in case.

If necessary, Jake, just let us know what time to be at the front gate area.....with tears in our eyes, broken hearts but smiles on our faces, somehow!

Is that "moving day" for you, too? If Joe's shoulder isn't too bad (might need rotator cuff surgery shortly) while we are there we'd love to help you out if you need another vehicle or some hands. Just say the word. Ayo. Carole

Carole....Is jumping in front of the cams sorta like sitting in front of the bulldozers?

I guess you could liken it to that! LOL. I think we all need a group hug in front of the cams on June 20....either way it goes for us. We will lay our bodies down in front of the moving van and won't permit the cams to be unplugged! LOL. Carole

June 20th is:

1) Yana's Birthday

2) Father's Day

3) The anniversary of when we came to live on Bonaire (will be 7 years that day)

4) The day I strip down and pack most of the computer equipment in my house in order to move it starting that week. Hence the last day of the WebCams from their current location.

The big move of big furniture commences June 23rd.

Jake

And thanks for the offer to help move - if you have nothing better to do on June 23rd or so, let us know. We support our "movers" with beer and pizza (at the very least) ;-)

Jake

Jake, wow...Yana's b-day (10, right?)...Father's day (thanks for the reminder)...and your Bonaire anniversary...brings tears to my eyes...I think we all best really get on this "moving the cams" thing and get a resort to COMMIT!!!! I'm going to send another round of emails!

She'll be 9 - a tweener - eek!

Thanks for all your support everyone!

Jake

9...they do grow up fast

You and Linda have supported a LOT of us through a LOT of things, and have provided a place to go and dream and relax...it's the least we can do...

Sounds like a plan for the 23rd, Jake. We will have a truck for this trip so it might hold a little more than the RAV 4 of last.

June 20...we will be there by hook or by crook, too!

Seven years....wow! Congrats.

And nine years old...wow...a young lady, already!!!

And Father's Day, to boot...big day, June 20th! Carole

I sent out nine more emails to the resorts today....keep them flowing! Carole

I think Cynde deserves a round of applause for making the first pledge of $100. I will match that with our $200 (Patty and myself $100 each).
We owe our discovery of paradise to Jake and the cams.

Carl

Wow .. this thread has certainly gone wild ..
Good to see so much commitment ..
I've been thinking and thinking as well, but didn't get any further than Carl's idea (i.e. funding it with us al together ..). But as said before, I really think it needs to be free initially for attracting people. Xtra services could be payable (as things are working right now).

Anyway .. other than that I had a quick thought about adding $5 to the Bonaire Marinepark Tag which could be used on the cams .. it is after all a big tourist attracter for the island and I bet that about 80% that's diving on the island knows/watches the cams or is unaware of them but will be afterwards .. and by this you confront every diver coming to the island ..

But then there's some kind of pressure involved, which maybe isn't wanted ..

Heck ..I read there's like 65.000 tourist's a year on the island. Let's assume 30.000 are divers .. US$1/pp would cover it in one year for the next 5/6 yrs .. then even the bandwidht could be raised a bit :-)
With this figures, US$0,25 (25 cts) per diver would do .. I cannot imagine a diver that won't agree with this ..

Understandably this would take a while to get the first amount of money in ..
The other thing is, is recieving money via the BMP a proper way .. I don't know if it's governmental ..

Anyway .. just my 2 cts ..
I'll keep up thinking and working the brain ..

God .. why ain't I a rich fellow ..

I (and Joel) will be more than happy to pledge $$ to keep cams going.

I think the pledge drive is an excellent idea. Eva and I are in for $100 each.
As there is some action afoot in the background with some potential sponsors I would like to toss out some goals to help tip the balance.
If we could raise $3000 in pledges, the new sponsor would be looking at $2100 plus the infrastructure cost. Sounds like infrastructure is a cabinet, some AC, some power and a hot 24/7/365 internet connection.

Jake...if you could shoot me the tech specs on the equipment load for the cabinet ie to house 1 or 2 tower servers, small montior, external modem(s) size, switches, hubs, UPS size, I could probably come up with some sort of self-cooled housing apparatus.

What does everyone think of a thread with nothing but pledges...no chatter....for the prospective new sponsor to look it.

Cynde gets a golden peanut for being first to pledge and Carl gets the same for suggesting the idea

Wally and Eva-

100% agreed - and thanks for the kudos. I agree - let's show a sponsor the amounts of our collective dedication...

Carl

We should let you or Cynde create and kick off the "No Talk Just Pledge" thread.

Also, if Jake is willing, we could just mail our pledge checks to him made out to ???? whatever he thinks. When it happens, the checks are cashed and if the effort fails (which it will not) Jake runs the checks through the shredder.

Pledge first and figure out the details over the next few days.

Wally,

I dropped Dan a note to send you info on both the current and preferred future cabinet configuration.

As far as sending any checks, let's wait a little bit and see what else materializes. However giving a on-line commitment (I'm using that word instead of "pledge" because Cecil started the "WebCams Pledge" over in the other thread) is a great idea!

Jake

The hardest part is finding a new home for the cams!

Those of us who want to contribute could own stock in the cams??? And voting rights???

Joe and I are ready whichever way it must be handled....we're "in" 100% and more. Commitment from us is automatic. Great suggestions, guys. We WILL survive!! Carole and Joe

Olaf,

Tagging on a donation to the Marine Park tag fees is a great idea, but... The "but" is that the marine park fee is set by government, and they can't even agree to expand the fee to cover other Marine Park users, such as snorkelers, wind surfers or fishermen, never mind increasing the fee.

And unless attitudes have changed among local businesses while I wasn't looking, most would not solicit donations for or even cooperate on supporting something like the Bonaire WebCams if the benefits went to a different business on Bonaire (and I can't say I would disagree with that - they are businesses after all, and need to look out for their own interests first, not the interests of a competitor).

That leaves the following several options for the continued existence of the BWCs:

1) A single resort, dive operation, or waterfront business takes them on themselves and covers all financial commitments themselves;

2) A coalition of businesses which would all stand to benefit from the WebCams together (e.g. a resort with an independent dive shop where both support the WebCams financially); and

3) Either of the two options above in combination with additional financial support from the BWC viewer community.

As I've indicated before, I think #3 is the most complicated of the options, but we'll see within a week or so if it's the only viable option or not.

Carl - We're still not sure about the "Gift in Kind" for an independent financial contribution to the effort. I got your e-mail with the suggestion you had, and Linda and I have discussed it, but haven't reached a conclusion - we need to do some more research on something we could provide along the lines you suggested, but it will take a while even if we decide to do it. We'll keep you posted (and if we figure out a way to do it, and it becomes necessary per option 3 above, we'll also clue in everyone else here as to what the heck we're talking about :-) ).

Jake

OK, per Wally's idea, I've started a "No Talk Just Commit: Save the Cams!" thread

For those of you that have been committed on this thread, could you please "re-commit" on the new one (I know, I had to use those play on words, as we are all a little nuts around here:-))

Working on the basic cabinet Jake. I will build the new webcam equipment home out of non-linear Pvc foam cored fiberglass panels and will adapt a dorm refrigerator coil/condensor for self-contained cool dry operations.

Trust me on this....when boatbuilders fabricate....we do not take short cuts.

Did you know that the loads on the bottom of a sport fishing boat running 40 knots in 6 ft seas is roughly 10 times the loads on the space shuttle bottom at re-entry. And they can afford all the good engineers!!

This sounds great, Wally...what a terrific contribution to the "cause"! Thanks! Carole

We have a small theater here in Morristown, NJ which was built back in the 1930's I believe...it was run into the ground with neglect, etc. A few years back a group of folks from this area bought the theater and raised monies via contributions and had the place refurbished back to its original glory and now it is a showcase for top name artists. Joe and I pledge to them every single season and we enjoy the heck out of the events they now have, too. It felt great to watch the rebirth of this glorious old movie theatre blossom into a showcase for the Arts. It is still a non-profit operation and the ticket sales do not cover all of their expenses to operate the theatre, thus our continuous support of this wonderful place....The Community Theatre. Only holds 1100 seats and it is fabulous for concerts and stage events of all sorts. It was slated for demolition when we all came to its rescue.

I feel the same way about the Cams.....they can be saved as was our little theater. I am willing to support both with an open heart, and wallet, if that's what it takes! Carole

Way to go Carol.....this is this month of weekends project. In between watching the races. Sextagonal gazebo with fire pit. Will use a cast iron syrup kettle for the dome above the smoke hole.

Looks, great! You are definitely handy to have around the house. Good luck on the project and have fun using it a lot. Carole

Wasn't that a great NASCAR race today??!! Love good ones. Way to go, Jimmie Johnson!! Leading 501 miles out of 600 is quite an accomplishment. Great race. Too bad the Indie race had rain all day...hate to see a race end that way. Carole

Jake ..

I know .. benefitting from such a thing as the BMP isn't going to work, surely not shortly (and most likely not ever) ..
But it just showed me how much money gets involved with everyone paying up 25cts ..

I guess brute force or blackmail isn't the way we would like to arrange things either, do we .. :-)

Then we'll just have to see what will happen in the near future to see which one of the options you just gave it will be ..

Still really don't understand no resort picks this thing up ..

Olaf, NONE of us understand the lack of interest from the resorts...do we have to beat them over the head with a stick?

Wally, very cool sexathingi! I love your 'wheelbarrow'...LOL...hey, I may shoot you an email. We are going to sell our boat and upgrade to a fiberglass I finally convinced Michael that we could use a "fun" boat hee hee! So Merlot, our 1956 wooden baby will be up for sale soon (after 5 1/2 years, it's bitter sweet for sure). We looked at a few yesterday, Maxum (sp), Regal and a SeaRay. The guy said the 2004 Maxum's have such a bulbous bow (making more room inside) it is almost impossible to get into the slip because the hull flattens out so soon and the stern just goes all over the place...(sorry, off topic folks)

Maybe Michael Gaynor would allow the street cam to be set up inside with the camera pointing out through the window on a temporary basis until a permanent home could be found. Most BT people stop by Chat n' Browse and/or Lover's Ice Cream at least once during a visit to Bonaire.

Sounds like a great idea, to me, too! I know Michael would love to be posing with lots of folks who come by for cell phones and gifts and just to gab a bit! Carole

We can't split the Cams up Linnea. We've had a number of offers for just taking the StreetCam (not paying any costs though). The way our technology works, at present everything connects through a single server.

Jake

I was thinking that Michael could host the street cam until all of the cameras found a permanent home as a "family".

Linnea, that is just not an option.

Running the cameras costs money. Moving the cameras costs money. And we cannot afford temporary moves.

And to be perfectly blunt, why should anyone benefit from the people and business traffic any of the Bonaire WebCams generate when they are not going to invest in the WebCams? This is akin to suggesting we put the cameras up at a resort that is not willing to pay for the privilege of having them there, but is perfectly willing to leach off of us if we would just simply give them to the resort instead. That is just not going to happen, as we have already indicated.

The Bonaire WebCams are not itinerant technology to be housed in a succession of temporary foster homes, in the hope that someone will take pity on them and adopt them out of the goodness of their hearts. There will be no little orphan StreetCam.

The Bonaire WebCams need a permanent home at a place which honestly cares enough for them and the business they will generate to be willing to invest in their future from the get go, not as an afterthought.

Sorry if my response seems just a bit angry, but you really hit a nerve. We have had several "generous" "sure, we'll host the WebCams if it won't cost us anything" offers. And none of those places will get them, for the aforementioned reasons.

I should mention Michael has never spoken to us about the future of the WebCams, so his shop is not one of the places I'm referring to, but then again, he doesn't have the permanent facilities (like being waterfront) necessary to house the Bonaire ReefCam, which is arguably the most popular camera (StreetCam being a close second).

Jake

I thought about this overnight since it hit me badly too for lots of reasons. But probably the most compelling is that if we temped out the StreetCam, I believe it would be the death knell of the ReefCam and the BeachCams. All pressure to find a suitable home would be removed. As time lengthened and no home was found, the usual apathy would take over again. Some talk but no action. The ReefCam and BeachCams would never be resurrected. No more fish, divers, sunsets and sailboats. No more checking in on a snowy winter’s day to refresh yourself with the turquoise waters under the sun.

I am sure Linnea's thought was well intentioned, and you, Jake and Linda, are absolutely correct. Any business that wants to take advantage of the cams as a marketing tool by hosting the web cams already recognizes what this can do for their business and needs to make a financial committment as well. The pay back on their investment is obvious. Linda, your comments regarding the death knell hit my heart hard, especially the reference to checking in on a snowy winter's day - reality here in Maine.... Denise

Wow.... once again, I step away from the webcams for a few busy weeks of work and everything comes crashing down. I sincerely hope someone on the island will consider buying in as a partner to the cams. The webcam page has been my computer's default home page since very shortly after they went online.

Personal feelings aside, I think I reiterate everything that has been said before that the webcams are one of the single most popular advertising tools for Bonaire tourism. It would be a shame to lose such a great resource.

Michael

Jake -

Any update on progress? What do you think is an acceptable contribution from a local business to combine with commitments?

Carl

Nothing remote firm yet Carl. Another inquiry but nothing more than that. Folks claim they are reviewing their situations. We've heard a lot of that over the last few months. Maybe this time, with this newer set of interested parties, it will be different.

Jake

Jake .. I just sincerely hope things will work out very very soon this final round ..
Hope someone awakenens just in-time, just because it's now a serious thing the cams might be gone soon. They were there before .. somehow 'free' for them. but now this may well be the end ..
Hope someone sees it that way ..

Off for Bon now ..

I got back to Bonaire a day early (yesterday instead of today). First phone call was from an interested party wanting to meet tomorrow. So... Let's see what happens...

Jake

Got all my fingers and toes crossed.....

Jake, good luck with the meeting tomorrow and like Igor I've got all fingers and toes crossed.

go get 'em Jake - as a financial person, this seems like a no-brainer to me. The incremental business that the cams would generate should more than offset the annual operating costs. This should be a very easy justification to a resort. $6500 divided by $200/night = 33 nights < 5 weeks - not a stretch to think you might get 5 additional guests who want to say they stayed at the "Home of the Reef Cam"...

Go get 'em, pardner!!! Good luck. Keep us posted....I hope it's the Divi! LOL. Carole

PS Here's to hoping it will be a champagne celebration in front of the cams on June 20th......

Sign us up for a 100 dollars a year...money well spent....

More e-mails sent. As a business owner, this is just such a win-win situation. All vibes for a successful outcome and a new home for this national treasure.

Hi Jake, any thing to report as to an update on status ? ? ?
Denise