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What's NEW on Camura
-
A slightly different way of posting pictures to Camura
Don't feel like showing off your private life to everyone in the world? Now you can specify who can see your posts by sending to a different address depending on how public or private you want the post to be. Learn more -
Edit post titles
See the light yellow background behind your post title when your mouse is over it? Now you can click on the title and edit it to fix mistakes! Learn more -
We've got trash cans
Deletion of post and comments is available wherever you see the little trash can icon! Comments can be deleted and undeleted as you like, but be careful deleting posts! Deleting a post also deletes all comments on that post and we cannot recover them. Learn more -
Make your picks
We have a new name for the pictures you picked to be shown in your profile. Just make a check next to the pictures your like when you see them, they will show up in your profile and you can add your own descriptions to them. Learn more
Help Table of Contents
Browsing the Site
- Sidebar
- Search
- Recent Comments
- Random Post
Managing Your Posts and Account
- The Basics
- Sign-up for an Account
- Login
- Logout
- Posts and Comments
- Post Photo to Camura
- Edit Post Privacy Level
- Edit Post Caption
- Delete My Post
- Delete My Comment
Browsing Camura.com
Posts Tab
Click on the "posts" tab at the top left side of the main view to see the latest pictures from all Camura users. When someone sends us an image, it posts immediately to the front page of Camura, so you know what everybody is doing, as they are doing it. We have more than one hundred users actively sending in pictures every day, and we have over 55,000 images in our archive dating back to October, 2005.
At the top of the posts page, you will see a number of navigation controls. There are outer arrows for jumping to the front or back of the archive, as well as the inner arrows for stepping one page (ten posts) forwards or backwards. The total number of posts is listed along with what number you are currently looking at, number one being the latest and the large number the earliest. You can specify the number you are currently at (just click it and type a new number) and jump to that point in the stream. The easiest way to jump to a place in the stream is to use the calendar widget, located just to the right of the navigation arrow. Click the tiny calendar icon to use the control, and click the '?' on it for help if you need it. Simply pick the date you want to see and you'll be taken directly to pictures from that day!
All images are scaled up or down to fit on the page. Each post is listed with information about which user posted the image, what time it was sent in, and how many times it has been commented on. You may click the image to enter your own comment. You may also click the user's name to view their profile.
Comments Tab
Click on the tab entitled "comments" to see the latest comments left on images by the users of Camura. Images are shown in chronological order at the most recent comment. This is a good way to catch up on all of the ongoing conversations our users are having. You can navigate back through the pages with the arrows at the top just like the Posts Tab.
Stats Tab (Login required)
Click the "stats" tab in order to see statistics on Camura users and their posts. We track stats for the most posts from a user over a period of time, and for most comments on a single post over a period of time (today, the past week, the past month, and all-time).
Users Tab
Click the "users" tab to see a list of all of our registered users. When users take the time to share more information about themselves, we are all able to see that information through their profile entries. Users may also pick a personal collection of Camura posts in their profiles and add their own caption to them.
Users are listed with the most recently updated profile first. In order to view a user's profile, simply click on their profile picture on this page. You can also add the user to your friends list with a single click when you are logged in.
Friends Tab
This view is only available to logged in user. Clicking on the "friends" tab will show you a stream just like clicking on "posts" but with posts only from users on your friends list. This is a good way to make sure you see what your friends are doing without dealing with the "noise" of strangers' posts.
Search
The Simple Search control on the left side of the page is just that: simple. Type in whatever you are looking for and click "Search!" to find everything that matches. Someone named Petunia? Type "petunia" into Simple Search. Pictures with the word "respect" in the title? Type "respect". The simple search returns matches in public user profiles, the captions of posts, and even the content of the comments left on posts by other users. This makes an easy way to catch up with friends who already use the site. It's also good for a quick laugh (try typing "tad" into Simple Search...)
Recent Comments Sidebar
The Recent Comments control on the left sidebar gives you a glimpse at the commenting activity going on right now across the site. You can change the view to show just the last comment left, or up to the last 5 comments so you can tell where the excitement currently is. Clicking an image on the sidebar will pull up that image's comments window so you can read the conversation thus far, and leave your own comments if you wish.
Random Post Sidebar
The Random Post control on the left sidebar will show you a random image from the far corners of our extensive image collection here at Camura. Click the arrows to get a new random image. Click until you find an interesting picture, then click on it to view its details and read its comments or add your own. It is a great way to strike out and find things on the site that you never knew were there, or would never think to look for. You might find other interesting Camura users this way, as well!
Creating and Using Your Camura Account
Sign-up for a Camura Account
Click the "signup" tab in the upper right corner of the page to become a member of Camura.com. You only need an email address to register and gain access to your own Friends List and start creating your own Profile! You will need to select a username and password when you sign up, as well.
Login with Your Camura Account
Click on the the "login" tab in the upper right of the page. Once registered, you'll come here to enter your username and password in order to get to the member's only sections of the site, such as Friends Lists, Profiles, and faster, easier commenting.
Logout of My Camura Account
Click the "logout" tab in the upper right corner of the page when you are viewing the site from a public computer for security purposes. Whenever you log in from a computer that is used by many people, you should explicitly logout of the site to avoid potentially allowing strangers access to your personal assets and settings on Camura.com.
View and Edit My Profile
When you click on the "my camura" tab, you will see your profile page as other people will see it. Your profile defines who you on Camura.com. It includes your personal information, such as your name, your geographical location, and your phone carrier. You are by no means required to have a profile that is accurate, you are not even required to have one at all! You can also simply use it to keep a scrapbook of your favorite Camura images by adding them to your My Picks as you come across them.
You can edit your profile by clicking the "Edit" link next to "My Profile". The top section of the profile editor is the personal information section, and it consists of a series of basic questions for you to fill in answers to as you please. Several of the fields are self explanatory, such as Name and Location.
If you would like to select a profile picture, you will need to find the
picture you want on the site to get its address. In Firefox and Internet
Explorer, you can get the location by right-clicking the link (
) icon next to the post and selecting "Copy Link Location". You can then paste that link in the text box below your
profile picture when editing your profile.
Home Page is for users with an external website they would like other users to see, enter it with "http://" in front of it and it will be turned into a link automatically.
IM Name is for users of an instant messenger service, like MSN Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger or Google Talk. If you would like to share one of these usernames here you may replace "IM Name" with the name of the service, and enter your username on that service in the box to the right.
Phone Model is the manufacturer and name of your cell phone. Some examples are "Motorola Razr", "Nokia N73", etc. Phone Carrier is the company you pay a monthly bill to for phone service, such as Cingular, Verizon, Sprint, or T-Mobile.
There is a Save Changes button at the top of the profile editor. When you click this button, all changes you have made to your profile will become other users on the site immediately.
My Picks
"My Picks" is a section in your profile page that showcases pictures that you
like on Camura. Whenever you are logged in and looking at posts, you will have
the option to add any post to your profile by clicking on the square with an
empty check (
) next to the post caption. The selected picture is inserted at
the end of your "My Picks" list on your profile page. When browsing, posts
marked with the checked square (
) are posts that are in your "My Picks".
When you edit your profile, you can also add a description to pictures by
typing in the text field to the left of the pictures in the My Picks section.
You can also leave them blank if you just want to collect pictures
indiscriminately. To remove a picture from "My Picks", simply click on the red
button (
) at the top right corner of the picture. Don't forget to click
the Save Changes button before you head off to enjoy the rest of the site!
Friends List
From the "my camura" menu tab, select the "Friends" option to create or edit
your Friends List. If you haven't yet added anyone to your Friends List, it
will show only your own name. The easiest way to add friends is to log in and
click that user's name wherever their posts or comments appear.
"Add to Friends List" buttons appear in the listing under the Profiles Tab and
for each individual user on their profiles. If you already know the name of a
user you wish to add, you can type it in the search box and click "Search".
All usernames matching the letters you entered anywhere in their name will be
returned, and you can add them by simply clicking on the plus sign (
) under
their name. Removing users from your Friends List is also done by finding them
in the listing to the left and clicking on the minus (
) sign under their name.
Account Setting
This is the section where you edit the details of your account, such as your login information and the email address you have registered Camura.com. Simply change the information you would like to be different and click "Save Changes". You only have to enter your password if you are trying to change your password.
Managing Your Posts and Comments
Post Photo to Camura
The process of posting pictures to Camura is different for each phone, and
sometimes for each carrier. In general, you need to send the picture as an
"MMS message" or as an "E-mail" to:
phlog (at) camura [dot] com - The public stream, where your posts will be visible to everyone.
phlog+users (at) camura [dot] com - Your posts will be visible only to registered users who are logged in.
phlog+friends {at} camura <dot> com - Your posts will be visible only to people on your Friends List, when they are logged in.
phlog+private {at} camura <dot> com - Your posts will be visible only to you, when you are logged in.
See Edit the Privacy Level of Your Post for more information about privacy for your posts.
Edit the Privacy Level of Your Post
Privacy control settings allow you to control who can view your posts on Camura.
By default, your posts are visible to everyone on the Internet. You can change
the privacy level of your posts at anytime during the time you are logged in.
Whenever you see a privacy icon like this with a drop-down menu next to your post, simply click
on the button and select the desired privacy level. The image will update to
reflect the new privacy level for that post.
Edit the Caption of Your Post
When logged in, you can edit the caption of your posts simply by clicking on the caption text. After the click, the text will become an editable text field. When you are done editing, be sure to click the "Save" button to save the changes. Clicking on the "Cancel" button will discard the changes.
Delete Posts
You can delete any photo you have posted by clicking on the trash can icon next to the photo. The trash can icon is visible only when you are logged in to your account. When a post is deleted, the comments are deleted with the post. Once a post is deleted, neither the post nor the comments associated with it can be recovered. You can resend the picture to create a new post, if you like.
Delete Comments
You can delete any comments you have made at any time while you are logged in.
To delete a comment, click on the trash can icon (
) to the right of your comment. Please note that
deleted comments do not go away entirely; they leave "tombstones" to indicate
that a post was there but has been deleted. To restore a comment that you have
deleted, click the open trash can icon (
) to the right of the deleted comment.
About Us
About Camura.com
Camura.com is a loose social network centered around sharing pictures with friends and the world in a decentralized broadcast style. Users send pictures to the website via their camera-enabled cellular phones, and our software serves the images up live to the site with information about the person who sent it, what time it was sent, and providing various tools for leaving feedback on the images, such as voting and commenting.
For social circles, Camura makes it easy to keep up with what everyone is doing, whether it is this second across town, or this second in another city. You can find places to go to join the fun nearby, or just watch the fun live at some activity you can't quite get to. The site makes it easier than ever to keep in touch, you just take pictures of your life as it is happening and log on to the site a few times a week to manage the images you've taken as well as look at the images all of your friends have sent. Most users find other interesting users pretty quickly and it is surprisingly easy to form virtual friendships based on the ease with which you can view each other's lives.
Lots of features and functions are planned for Camura, largely hinging on the schedules and desires of its creators. Many of the usual suspects are in the works, such as tagging and voting, which make the wealth of content here (over 55,000 images so far) far easier to search and display. There are also a number of advanced features not yet seen on the web/mobile landscape, including some new messaging tricks and the potential for some emergent, viral business models.
