Kudos to the XL1 Watchdog

Watchdog Kudos

Over the past years, the Watchdog pages have enjoyed popularity well beyond what I had originally expected. During this time, I've received some very complimentary e-mail from visitors around the world, and at the risk of appearing vain, I'd like to share some of the more personally meaningful ones. In a way this sort of makes up for doing it all for free, and serves as an indication of what the Watchdog has accomplished and what people are saying about it.

This project is, more than anything else, a group effort. Most all the material comes from many different people. All I've done here is slap some code together and chucked it into a convenient corner of the web. And just look at what folks are saying about it...

This Makes it All Worthwhile

"I'm leaving in a week for Botswana... I will be the first to take one out in the field. If it weren't for your site, I would never have known about the problems with the XL1... Thanks again for the great website. If I hadn't taken a look at it, I would be heading out for a six week shoot with the risk of coming home with unusable footage. Saved from disaster..."

-- Erin 23 Jan 98

"Individuals, like myself, who find themselves in foreign lands (Japan) truly appreciate finding sites like yours. It has helped me answer many of the questions I had about the XL1."

-- Eddie 16 Feb 98

"One thing I especially appreciate is that while you are appropriately selective in what you publish, you include balanced and critical input and have not made the site into a cheerleading shrine to the XL1."

-- Richard 11 Apr 98

"Your web site has been, and continues to be, a source of vital information on the XL1. Sellers of XL1 accessories can do themselves a big favor by advertising on your web site. That’s where XL1 owners are, thanks to you... again, thanks for your efforts on behalf of all XL1 owners."

-- Andre 16 Jun 98

Hey! Where's my Commission?!

"I ran across your great web site this afternoon. Thanks for the effort you put into helping others find the way. I ordered two XL1's today after reading your site."

-- Jack 29 Jan 98

"...as an owner of an XL1 (because of what I read on your web page)..."

-- Elliot 22 Jan 98

"Thanks for all your effort... The site has been a real asset to me, especially the Reports. As a result of your timely and informative journalism, I have just bought an XL1... Thanks again for all your help and keep up the good work."

-- Karl 9 Feb 98

"I'm so grateful for your dedication and time consumed on the Watchdog site. I actually purchased the camera because of the information I received from Watchdog."

-- Garry 1 Mar 98

"I'm writing to express my appreciation for your efforts in creating the excellent XL1 Watchdog Site. You gave me the necessary third-party-sourced confidence in Canon and their XL1 to make a large investment in an XL1 and accessories. I finally bought my XL1 after reading the reviews, news, and recall updates posted on your site."

-- Mark 6 Mar 98

"Reading through your site convinced me of the XL1, and I bought one yesterday."

-- Ted 17 Apr 98

"I really like your XL1 Watchdog site. I bought the camera based on what I read in reviews, especially those by Halstead, Lowell, and yourself, and have been very pleased with the results I am getting so far."

-- James 30 May 98

"...the Watchdog has been of great assistance in my own XL1 purchase."

-- David 4 Jun 98

"The information on the Watchdog was especially helpful in making a decision to buy the XL1... thanks again for a very valuable service."

-- Tim 6 Jun 98

"Thanks for the Watchdog. Canon should pay you for it. I have just taken delivery of an XL1 largely because of it!"

-- Andrew 20 Jul 98

"...congratulations on a great (and great looking) site. Very easy to get around, lots of good stuff to read. It came in very handy when I researched the XL1 I eventually bought."

-- Paul 21 Jul 98

"Again, thanks for the site. It was a big influence on my purchase."

-- Bob 30 Jul 98

"A superbly informative site. We liked it so much we bought the camera..."

-- Andy 23 Sep 98

"Your site helped forced my decision to go with the XL1 instead of the Panasonic EZ."

-- Steven 5 Oct 98

"There was so much hype and dissonance on the newsgroups that it was almost impossible to seperate fact from fiction concerning the camera.  It was your site that finally helped me make my decision between the VX1000 and the XL1."

-- Daniel 17 Jan 99

"...if it had not been for your page I would not have purchased the XL1 when I did! No bull!"

-- Bob 25 Jan 99

"I bought my XL1 back in the summer after studying all the information your site assembled. I am a long-time still photographer... your site is helping me make the transition from still and silent to moving with sound."

-- Christy 27 Jan 99

Memorable Kibble for the Watchdog

"downloaded your audio files... Great help! Thanks!"

-- Kevin 23 Dec 97

"you have provided a real service here...amongst all the usual crap that one has to sift through."

-- Faryar 23 Dec 97

"your site for the XL1 has potential to do great good, thanks."

-- Bruce 7 Jan 98

"just wanted to compliment you on the pages...you "throw" web pages together very well indeed"

--Marc 9 Jan 98

"What a great place to find the latest and greatest about the new Canon XL1."

-- Jim 30 Jan 98

"I know the attention involved in putting up a web site, and just want to say, I am grateful for an information source beyond the corporate hype. Keep it up!"

-- Paul 4 Feb 98

"Congrats on an excellent site ... owners of these cameras really need this type of information."

-- Hal 7 Feb 98

"Surprisingly, yours was the only site on the web that ventured to give a price estimate, which I desperately needed for budgeting purposes."

-- Ken 24 Feb 98

"Thanks so much for the XL1 Watchdog site. You've done a great service to the low-budget video community with this compiled info."

-- Doug 2 Mar 98

"Thanks for putting so much time into this site. It has made my research... much easier."

-- Sky 17 Mar 98

"I just wanted to tell you that aside from the Canon site, your site had the best information I could find."

-- Michael 28 Mar 98

"Your site is very comprehensive and well appointed, Chris. The information posted here is invaluable and will be scanned often for updates. Thanks."

-- Thom 2 Apr 98

"I've just spent the last three hours reading your excellent website... and thanks to you, my decision has been made. Thanks for saving me about three days work and my company several hundred dollars in research."

-- Gareth 4 May 98

"Congratulations on a clean, attractive and informative site. Keep collecting material off the newsgroups and DV Central, which is tiresome for me to review."

-- Roger 7 Jun 98

"You're the first person I've found on the net that has written something worthwhile about the XL1."

-- Patrick 11 Jun 98

"Hey, just wanted to say, for someone who is in essence a volunteer XL1-phile, this is a phenomenal web site. Thanks."

-- Nat 22 Jun 98

"Your site is great, it's exactly what I am looking for for the XL1. Thanks for putting in all the work into the site."

-- Michael 28 Jun 98

"Your site is so informative. I couldn't have asked for better stuff. The site is easy to navigate and read through. I like that there are only a few graphics so the loading of pages is very quick."

-- Melanie 24 Aug 98

"Very grateful for your excellent web page, as I'm considering the purchase of an XL1.  It has been the cornerstone of my research."

-- Marcos 22 Sep 98

"I am thinking about getting an XL1 or VX-1000 and was pleasantly surprised to find your excellent web page. Being that there are few places to go in and test DV cameras side by side, I'm hungry for real-world, professional information. You supply it, and then some."

-- Brian 27 Sep 98

"Tons of exactly the type of information that I'm looking for."

-- Graham 23 Oct 98

"I've been a fan of the Watchdog for a while now.  We inform our customers to see your site for XL1 information and comparisons.  We've even held a long-standing link to your site on our XL1 pages."

-- Clark 6 Nov 98

"Very valuable site for me.  I had a big shoot come up very fast and no time to test the XL1 before running out the door with a brand new camera, so I'm one of those people you are referring to who's bought it, and had to cram as much learning about the functions, bugs, etc. into as short a time curve as possible."

-- Reg 26 Nov 98

"What a site, absolutely fantastic. I've had my camera for about 8 months now and am learning every day, your site is like having a hot line direct to the experts, and has saved me countless hours of trial and error. This just became the top entry on my favorite site list."

-- Mike 27 Dec 98

"Great work on the site. I've learned a lot about the XL1. If you come to Houston, give me a call. I'll buy the beer."

-- Glen 27 Jan 99

"Love your site. It is required reading for all my employees."

-- Jerry 28 Jan 99

"I've just bought an XL1, and thought I'd tell you my research started and ended at your web site"

-- Joe 5 Feb 99

Thrown together by Chris Hurd