As I read about Flash Media Server, you can "allow users to broadcast their own
video from a webcam live to other users"

That is exactly what I'm looking to do for my web site.

My question is..... If I were to purchase this program, does it explain
straightforwardly in the manuals how to do this, or is there a high learning
curve to achieving this? I'm not looking for someone to do all the work and
code for me - tho that would be nice :-) - but rather, Just please point me
in the right direction because I have no clue where to start. Thank you very
much.

-Benjamin Gotsens

No. FMS is not an "out of the box" solution. You'll need some experience with
Flash (client side flash), but how much you'll need to know depends on the
application you plan to build.

Adobe provides a set of communication components and sample applications, and
it's fairly easy to drag and drop your way to a simple webcam application. It
won't be very flexible, and it certainly won't be secure, but it will get you
started.

You'll also need to understand how to install and configure server software,
or hire someone to do that part for you. Just so it's said, you can't install
FMS on a shared hosting account, so you'll need your own server.

As far as learning curve goes, I suppose it depends on your background. If
you already have an understanding of actionscript and client/server
communication, then the learning curve isn't horribly steep. If you don't have
a background in Flash (client side flash), you might want to cover some of
those basics before diving into FMS. Unlike other streaming servers, there is
no default player that just pops open on the client side when a stream is
requested (like Windows Media or Real)... you need to build the client
application (.swf) yourself.

calmchess333, Thank you for your answer, there is some great relevant info
there that I'm trying to digest now...

JayCharles, thank you also for your response. I am one class away from a B.S.
in Computer Science and have an exciting idea for a website.... Unfortunately I
have no experience in Flash. Assuming my sole interest in Flash is live webcam
broadcasting.... could you recommend a starting point for me to learn? There
are copious amounts of info out there, but I'm having trouble pinning down a
starting point that involves relevant info. I would much appreciate your
input, or anyone else that can help me with this.

Thank you,
Benjamin Gotsens

I tend to be a book learner, and when I was first starting out with Flash I
found the Friends of Ed ( http://www.friendsofed.com ) books to be quite
comprehensive and easy to follow. They have a few beginner level Flash books
that might help to get you started with client side flash.

For the fundamentals of Flash Media server, I suggest "Programming Flash
Communication Server" ( http://www.flash-communications.net ). Although it was
written for FCS 1.5, everything in the book applies to FMS 2.0