Whirly I forgot to mention I have a webcam. It's so much fun. When I talk to my relatives in remote locations, we can see and hear each other and best of all, it's without the additional cost of telephone calls.
I am always cautious about privacy though, and even though it seems like you are controlling when it is on or off, mine always has a little green light above the camera, probably to show that there is power, but I'm a suspicious sort, so I cut off the toe of a sock and keep it over the top like a lid, unless I'm using it. Call me cautious, but if I'm roaming around, well, less than fully dressed, I'm not risking that camera being on without me knowing.
Actually, as I've used it more, I find that whereas I was quite self-conscious in the beginning, and watched the screen which showed myself to see that I didn't look like a total moron, there's a tendancy now to forget about it, which can be tricky. It's amazing what people do while sitting at their computers, without thinking about being seen - just a word of warning for new users.
Of course on this forum, you've probably all been using such things for decades and wonder where I've been hiding to be so excited about all these gadgets these days.
Have fun Whirly.