Not long ago, if you wanted to see what the weather was like in Paris, you had to go there. Seeing street life on a busy London intersection, or taking in the canals of Venice, likewise meant relying on an airline ticket or at least a trip to the local library and some imagination.
Nowadays, your mouse can take you to all these places and more. Live web cams (also known as "webcams" or "worldcams") are operating in thousands of locations the world over, giving people remarkable access to the day to day lives of their fellow earthlings across the globe.
These views can excite curiosity, inspire me to visit places I would not otherwise have considered, or even help me relive memories and reconnect to distant places I've visited and enjoyed.
