FogCam [ a ] is the longest-running webcam in the world, barring maintenance breaks and camera replacements. First set up by by two students Jeff Schwartz and Dan Wong, it captures the scenery of the San Francisco State University and uploads it to a dedicated website. It was nearly shut down in as the creators said they faced difficulties in maintaining the webcam.
Following public outcry, the university agreed to take over ownership and continue its maintenance. Previous locations include a student health center with a view of the road Tapia Drive, the Cafe Rosso line as a nod to the Trojan Room Coffee Pot webcam , and the ground floor of the humanities building, and the library, facing Holloway Avenue. When camera replacements are made, the university opts for a dated model to stay true to its origins. However, the software has not been modified since its inception.
After graduation, Wong was hired for the Academic Technologies department and continued to maintain the webcam. After 25 years, Fogcam is shutting down forever at the end of August. The Internet has changed a lot since , but Fogcam will always have a special place in its history. In August , the creators announced the webcam would cease operating, citing a lack of scenic spots and support from the university.
They explained "the university tolerates us, but they don't really endorse us and so we have to find secure locations on our own. On August 28, Schwartz agreed to transfer the webcam's ownership to the university.
When SFGate journalist Amanda Bartlett visited FogCam in September 20, , it was stationed on the second floor of a conference room within the business building. She described it as a Logitech camera being held up by a "flexible plastic tripod ". NPR described FogCam as one of the oldest websites still operational. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version.
