email: info@camprice.com
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When I first went online way back when, I was fascinated by the bells and whistles of complicated web pages. My first modem was a speedy 9600 bps. Now I have a 56K modem, and things seem to be getting slower and slower. At least that's the way it seems to me.
As Camprice germinated from a simple idea to a real life database with a web presence, I was working my my "net philosophy." I wanted to do Camprice.com not just as a commercial site, but as something more for the collecting community. There are lots of great sites out there dealing with old cameras, and different aspects of camera collecting. The IDCC offers a forum for conversing with other collectors around the world. Camera dealers are setting up sites, and selling more and more on eBay©.
The Internet is here to stay, and despite what some people think is the negative effects it may be having on collecting, it is changing the way people act when it comes to camera collecting. Whether buying, selling, or just researching the Internet will be taking more and more of our energy, and giving us more and more information in return.
First and foremost I wanted for Camprice.com to be a user friendly place. A no hassle, welcoming sort of site. I felt it was important that the least experienced "webbie" should be able to navigate Camprice.com with confidence and ease. For this reason we try for 100% complete links. Broken links are fixed or deleted as necessary when we find them. I've been to too many sites that have out-dated links leading to dreaded <ERROR> or <FILE UNKNOWN> responses to want Camprice.com to suffer from the same lack of maintenance. If you find a dead link at Camprice.com tell us, we'll fix it or amend it as necessary, guaranteed...!
The second thing I wanted for Camprice.com was speed. Some people pay very dearly for Internet connection, especially people "overseas." They rely on getting in and out as fast as possible but still require the precious information the Internet offers. At Camprice.com we will NOT use flying cameras, spinning worlds, jumping mailboxes or screaming eagle sounds to entertain you. There are no Java scripts which your computer must download in order to view any public page. Even the "subscribers" search page is as clean and fast as possible, to the point of offering camera images in two sizes, the larger of which is available only if you want it.
Uniform readability and compatibility from browser to browser was also a very important element for the final Camprice.com site. In order to do that, we have used basic color schemes (Light yellow backgrounds and black type for most pages) and html which is compatible with both Netscape and Internet Explorer. The site was also tested on iCab, a specialty browser for Macintosh.
As Camprice.com grows, there will be pressure to make it bigger and grander and more important. I hope that we can fend off these pressures and make Camprice.com simply the best that it can be without growing in twenty directions at once. At some point the question of advertising is bound to come up, especially if Camprice.com is as successful as I suspect it will be. Commercial dealers will want to advertise here. They will want to have their flying cameras, spinning worlds, and jumping mailboxes assaulting you when you come in for a browse or log on for a search (if you're a subscriber). "After all", a friend was telling me the other day, "What is the Internet if it isn't the advertising center of the Universe?"
I truthfully cant say I've made a decision on whether to allow advertising or not. I think some advertisers have interesting or useful merchandise or services. But I can tell you that if Camprice does accept advertising, any advertising, it will have to conform to our guidelines. I'll refuse any advertising that doesn't. Period.
The last last item, and perhaps what I feel most strongly about is unsolicited email (SPAM). I hate spam. I get spam every day. I delete it and it still keeps coming. Some spammers go so far as to insist that their trash follows the rules set down by the US Congress and blah blah blah... Excuse me, spam is spam. End of statement. I will not sell, rent, give, hire, loan, distribute, offer or divulge any personal data you give to Camprice.com to anyone or any organization outside of Camprice.com administration. Further, if there is a Camprice.com mailing you will be on it, but only if you want to be. I will not put you on any Camprice.com mailing list WITHOUT YOUR EXPRESSED PERMISSION.
I promise that as long as I'm running the show, Camprice.com will be a place that is clean, clear and as fast at giving you what you want as it possibly can be.
email: info@camprice.com
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