What a person with a webcam can do?

I've shown a couple of other instances here, but this is probably a much more creative example. Out of San Francisco:

Today, we tell you how it all went wrong, from a flurry of death threats to being targeted by cyberbullies. But just when it looked like the thugs had bullied Jackson into taking down his site, the community rallied behind the concept of neighborhood cameras. In fact, the interest may be stronger than ever.

There are lots of lessons here. For starters, Jackson has learned about privacy on the Internet: There isn't any.

Second, neighborhood cameras work - for better or worse, they focus attention on life on the street.

And third, did you ever wonder why it is so difficult to get people to step up and try to make things better in troubled neighborhoods? It's because there are always some self-appointed guardians of the status quo who make it as difficult as possible.

One week ago, adamsblock.com was a cool new Web site that was picking up additional viewers every day. It consisted of two cameras on Taylor Street that aired 24-hour views of the street. A microphone picked up street sounds, and a chat board allowed regulars to talk about what they were seeing. They counted buses, raced each other to post the numbers written on taxis, and developed a little culture of their own.

The site was a hit not only with viewers from all over the world, but with neighborhood groups. They realized that when they saw crimes occur, they could immediately report them to the police, and that's just what they did.

"I assumed the community would be against it," Jackson said Friday. "But the community embraced it."

It's a great story. Read the whole thing!

Via Uptown Update!