# Creative COW

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{{short description|Online support community for multimedia professionals}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Creative COW
| logo = Creative Cow logo.png
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| screenshot = Creative Cow forum screenshot.png
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| screenshot_alt = Screenshot of the Creative Cow forums
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| predecessor = [Media 100 Worldwide Users Group](/source/Media_100_Worldwide_Users_Group)
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| author = Kathlyn and Ron Lindeboom
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| url = {{URL|https://creativecow.net/}}
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| launch_date = {{Start date and age|df=yes/no|2001|4|11}}<ref name="about">{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://creativecow.net/about/ |website=Creative COW |access-date=5 May 2023}}</ref>
| current_status = active
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'''Creative COW''' is a website of support [communities](/source/Online_community) for [digital video](/source/digital_video), [video editing](/source/video_editing), and [media](/source/Multimedia) production professionals in [broadcasting](/source/broadcasting), [motion graphics](/source/motion_graphics), [visual effects](/source/visual_effects) and film.

It provides over 60 online support discussion [forums](/source/Internet_forum) spanning a wide range of professional video tools and software.<ref name="forums">{{cite web |title=Creative Communities of the World Forums |url=https://creativecow.net/forums/ |website=Creative COW |access-date=10 May 2023}}</ref>

Additionally, Creative Cow offers over 1,000 [free](/source/Gratis_versus_libre) text and video tutorials,<ref>{{cite web |title=Category: Tutorials |url=https://creativecow.net/category/tutorials/ |website=Creative COW |access-date=10 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Creative COW |url=https://www.youtube.com/@creativecow |website=YouTube |access-date=10 May 2023}}</ref> has nearly two dozen different [podcast](/source/podcast)s,{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} as well as other resources for video professionals. Creative COW is funded by [advertising](/source/advertising) and [sponsorship](/source/sponsorship) from manufacturers.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

COW is a [backronym](/source/backronym) for "Communities of the World".<ref name="history">{{cite web |title=The History of Creative COW |url=https://creativecow.net/creative-cow-history/ |website=Creative COW |access-date=5 May 2023}}</ref>

== History ==
''Creative COW'' was founded in April 2001 by Kathlyn and Ron Lindeboom,<ref>{{cite web |title=Kathlyn's Welcome |url=http://www.creativecow.net/show.php?forumid=1&page=/about/kathlyns_welcome.html |website=Creative COW |access-date=5 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060418233556/http://www.creativecow.net/show.php?forumid=1&page=/about/kathlyns_welcome.html |archive-date=18 April 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> a married couple.<ref name="2014 history">{{cite web |last1=Lindeboom |first1=Kathlyn |title=A Bit of History of CreativeCOW.net |url=http://www.creativecow.net/page/history |website=Creative COW |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924102905/http://www.creativecow.net/page/history |archive-date=24 September 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The website evolved from the couple's earlier [Media 100 Worldwide Users Group](/source/Media_100_Worldwide_Users_Group) (WWUG),<ref name="history"/> which began in 1995, and was sold to Digital Media Net in January 2000.<ref name="2014 history"/>

After the sale of WWUG, the Lindebooms decided to create another website. Initially, Kathlyn Lindeboom was Creative COW's director and chief officer, while Ron shifted roles from a [developer](/source/web_developer) to operations. In late 2002, Ron took over as the company's [CEO](/source/CEO), while Kathlyn shifted to operations and [Human Resources](/source/Human_Resources).<ref name="2014 history"/><ref name="admin">{{cite web |title=COW Administrative Team |url=http://www.creativecow.net/page/administration |access-date=6 May 2023 |website=Creative COW |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126114506/http://www.creativecow.net/page/administration |archive-date=26 January 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Over the years, Creative COW grew to be one of the largest and longest-running online communities for multimedia professionals. As of 2021, 71% of the site's visitors (5.3 million annual visitors) were [Gen Z](/source/Gen_Z) and [Millennials](/source/Millennials), while 25% (1.9 million annual visitors) were mid-career professionals.<ref>{{cite AV media |date = 17 May 2021 |title = Video, Film & Audio Creative Community. Let us Help you Share your Story - CreativeCow.net |type = Webcast |language = en |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geRb81cAydU |access-date = 6 May 2023 |publisher = Shoots Video |quote =}}</ref>

In 2022, Creative COW LLC was dissolved<ref>{{cite web |title=Recent filings for CREATIVE COW LLC |url=https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ca/200918010179 |website=[OpenCorporates](/source/OpenCorporates) |access-date=5 May 2023}}</ref> and Creative COW's trademarks, assets, and intellectual property were reassigned from Ronald Lindeboom to Brielyn Clayton.<ref name="rl linkedin">{{cite web |first1= |title=Ronald Lindeboom |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronlindeboom |website=[LinkedIn](/source/LinkedIn) |access-date=5 May 2023}}</ref> The Creative COW website and forums are still in operation.<ref name="forums"/>

==''Creative COW Magazine''==
In 2006 ''Creative COW'' launched a quarterly [trade magazine](/source/trade_magazine), the ''Creative COW Magazine'',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lindeboom |first1=Ron |title=Recalling our First Five Years in Print |url=http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/recalling-our-first-five-years-in-print |website=Creative COW |access-date=6 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513232309/http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/recalling-our-first-five-years-in-print |archive-date=13 May 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> which grew in 2008 to become a bimonthly, and in 2011 was cited by a trade journal which reports on issues and trends related to the magazine printing trade, who named ''Creative COW Magazine'' as one of the [FOLIO: 40](/source/FOLIO%3A_40) for 2011.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 2011 FOLIO: 40 |url=https://www.foliomag.com/2011-folio-40/ |website=[Folio](/source/Folio_(magazine)) |access-date=5 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830044858/https://www.foliomag.com/2011-folio-40/ |archive-date=30 August 2021 |date=20 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{citation|url=http://www.freshdv.com/2005/12/creativecow-to-debut-magazine-in-time.html|title=CreativeCOW to debut magazine in time for NAB 2006|publisher=FreshDV|access-date=21 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025115414/http://www.freshdv.com/2005/12/creativecow-to-debut-magazine-in-time.html|archive-date=25 October 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mitchell |first1=Brian |title=Creative COW Magazine Bucks Print Trend With Strong First Year Sales and Circulation Growth |url=http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/366416.html |work=ecoustics.com |date=25 June 2007 |access-date=5 May 2023}}</ref>

The magazine was discontinued by 2013.<ref>{{cite web |title=HP Special Edition: New Dimensions in Productivity Issue : Creative COW Magazine |url=http://magazine.creativecow.net/issue/hp-special-edition-new-dimensions-in-productivity |website=Creative COW |access-date=5 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910002004/http://magazine.creativecow.net/issue/hp-special-edition-new-dimensions-in-productivity |archive-date=10 September 2014 |date=31 January 2013}}</ref><ref name="rl linkedin"/>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.creativecow.net/}}

Category:New media art
Category:Websites about digital media
Category:American educational websites
Category:Community websites
Category:Internet forums
Category:Question-and-answer websites
Category:Design magazines
Category:Bimonthly magazines published in the United States
Category:Business magazines published in the United States
Category:Quarterly magazines published in the United States
Category:Organizations established in 2001
Category:Magazines established in 2006
Category:Magazines about the media
Category:Defunct computer magazines
Category:Magazines disestablished in 2013

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Creative COW](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_COW) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_COW?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.