When he first began posting links to webcams, Boulder real estate agent Dick Gilbert just did it for fun. Then he began noticing that the visitor traffic to was eclipsing the number of visits to his home page. Claire Martin, The Denver Post
Q: What was the first link you posted on your Colorado Cams page?
A: I’m pretty sure it was a webcam here in Boulder, because that’s where I work. I’m amazed at how the number of webcams has grown over the past 10 years since I started futzing with this.
Q: Do you have a favorite webcam?
A: I like the Ouray cam. It’s stunning. Although it’s been down for a couple of weeks. I think that’s because that cam is at 10,000 feet in a remote location, so I suspect getting someone to service that thing is a chore.
Q: Do you find all these links yourself?
A: I find some, and folks have been very kind in terms of saying, ‘Hey, you need to check this out,’ or sending me a link.
Q: Do you hear from your visitors?
A: Yes. I even get phone calls from some people. I think the traffic on my website is driven predominantly by the weather. People use it to see what road conditions are like. I often receive calls during storms.
Q: Really?
A: Yes. I had one the other day from a gal asking if she’d be able to go over the pass. I didn’t even know which pass she was talking about. I prominently display CDOT’s website link, but people don’t seem to see it. Most people don’t seem to realize that I don’t operate these sites. I just link to them.
Q: Do you ever see people deliberately goofing off because they know they’re on a webcam? Hamming it up for whoever’s watching?
A: I’ve had folks who send me a screen capture of themselves waving. The funny thing is that this actually has generated business for me from folks within the state and around the country. They first found my website because they were looking for Colorado webcams. It’s been a nice side benefit, and I’ve sold several hundred houses.
