--- source_url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_COW?utm_source=openai" title: Creative COW - Wikipedia mirrored_at: 2026-09-01T01:01:43.978Z host: en.wikipedia.org cited_in_42a: true mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_COW__q__utm_source_openai" --- > **Original source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_COW?utm_source=openai From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Creative COW Predecessor [Media 100 Worldwide Users Group](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_100_Worldwide_Users_Group?action=edit&redlink=1 "Media 100 Worldwide Users Group (page does not exist)") Created by Kathlyn and Ron Lindeboom URL [creativecow.net](https://creativecow.net/) Launched 11 April 2001; 25 years ago[\[1\]](#cite_note-about-1) Current status active **Creative COW** is a website of support [communities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_community "Online community") for [digital video](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_video "Digital video"), [video editing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_editing "Video editing"), and [media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia "Multimedia") production professionals in [broadcasting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcasting "Broadcasting"), [motion graphics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_graphics "Motion graphics"), [visual effects](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_effects "Visual effects") and film. It provides over 60 online support discussion [forums](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forum "Internet forum") spanning a wide range of professional video tools and software.[\[2\]](#cite_note-forums-2) Additionally, Creative Cow offers over 1,000 [free](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gratis_versus_libre "Gratis versus libre") text and video tutorials,[\[3\]](#cite_note-3)[\[4\]](#cite_note-4) has nearly two dozen different [podcasts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast "Podcast"),\[_[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed "Wikipedia:Citation needed")_\] as well as other resources for video professionals. Creative COW is funded by [advertising](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising "Advertising") and [sponsorship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponsorship "Sponsorship") from manufacturers.\[_[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed "Wikipedia:Citation needed")_\] COW is a [backronym](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backronym "Backronym") for "Communities of the World".[\[5\]](#cite_note-history-5) _Creative COW_ was founded in April 2001 by Kathlyn and Ron Lindeboom,[\[6\]](#cite_note-6) a married couple.[\[7\]](#cite_note-2014_history-7) The website evolved from the couple's earlier [Media 100 Worldwide Users Group](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_100_Worldwide_Users_Group?action=edit&redlink=1 "Media 100 Worldwide Users Group (page does not exist)") (WWUG),[\[5\]](#cite_note-history-5) which began in 1995, and was sold to Digital Media Net in January 2000.[\[7\]](#cite_note-2014_history-7) 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](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_developer "Web developer") to operations. In late 2002, Ron took over as the company's [CEO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CEO "CEO"), while Kathlyn shifted to operations and [Human Resources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Resources "Human Resources").[\[7\]](#cite_note-2014_history-7)[\[8\]](#cite_note-admin-8) 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](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gen_Z "Gen Z") and [Millennials](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials "Millennials"), while 25% (1.9 million annual visitors) were mid-career professionals.[\[9\]](#cite_note-9) In 2022, Creative COW LLC was dissolved[\[10\]](#cite_note-10) and Creative COW's trademarks, assets, and intellectual property were reassigned from Ronald Lindeboom to Brielyn Clayton.[\[11\]](#cite_note-rl_linkedin-11) The Creative COW website and forums are still in operation.[\[2\]](#cite_note-forums-2) ## _Creative COW Magazine_ \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Creative_COW&action=edit§ion=2 "Edit section: Creative COW Magazine")\] In 2006 _Creative COW_ launched a quarterly [trade magazine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_magazine "Trade magazine"), the _Creative COW Magazine_,[\[12\]](#cite_note-12) 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](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FOLIO:_40?action=edit&redlink=1 "FOLIO: 40 (page does not exist)") for 2011.[\[13\]](#cite_note-13)[\[14\]](#cite_note-14)[\[15\]](#cite_note-15) The magazine was discontinued by 2013.[\[16\]](#cite_note-16)[\[11\]](#cite_note-rl_linkedin-11) 1. [↑](#cite_ref-about_1-0) ["About Us"](https://creativecow.net/about/). _Creative COW_. Retrieved May 5, 2023. 2. [1](#cite_ref-forums_2-0) [2](#cite_ref-forums_2-1) ["Creative Communities of the World Forums"](https://creativecow.net/forums/). _Creative COW_. Retrieved May 10, 2023. 3. [↑](#cite_ref-3) ["Category: Tutorials"](https://creativecow.net/category/tutorials/). _Creative COW_. Retrieved May 10, 2023. 4. [↑](#cite_ref-4) ["Creative COW"](https://www.youtube.com/@creativecow). _YouTube_. Retrieved May 10, 2023. 5. [1](#cite_ref-history_5-0) [2](#cite_ref-history_5-1) ["The History of Creative COW"](https://creativecow.net/creative-cow-history/). _Creative COW_. Retrieved May 5, 2023. 6. [↑](#cite_ref-6) ["Kathlyn's Welcome"](https://web.archive.org/web/20060418233556/http://www.creativecow.net/show.php?forumid=1&page=/about/kathlyns_welcome.html). _Creative COW_. Archived from [the original](http://www.creativecow.net/show.php?forumid=1&page=/about/kathlyns_welcome.html) on April 18, 2006. Retrieved May 5, 2023. 7. [1](#cite_ref-2014_history_7-0) [2](#cite_ref-2014_history_7-1) [3](#cite_ref-2014_history_7-2) Lindeboom, Kathlyn. ["A Bit of History of CreativeCOW.net"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140924102905/http://www.creativecow.net/page/history). _Creative COW_. Archived from [the original](http://www.creativecow.net/page/history) on September 24, 2014. 8. [↑](#cite_ref-admin_8-0) ["COW Administrative Team"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130126114506/http://www.creativecow.net/page/administration). _Creative COW_. Archived from [the original](http://www.creativecow.net/page/administration) on January 26, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2023. 9. [↑](#cite_ref-9) [_Video, Film & Audio Creative Community. Let us Help you Share your Story - CreativeCow.net_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geRb81cAydU) (Webcast). Shoots Video. May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2023. 10. [↑](#cite_ref-10) ["Recent filings for CREATIVE COW LLC"](https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ca/200918010179). _[OpenCorporates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenCorporates "OpenCorporates")_. Retrieved May 5, 2023. 11. [1](#cite_ref-rl_linkedin_11-0) [2](#cite_ref-rl_linkedin_11-1) ["Ronald Lindeboom"](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronlindeboom). _[LinkedIn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LinkedIn "LinkedIn")_. Retrieved May 5, 2023. 12. [↑](#cite_ref-12) Lindeboom, Ron. ["Recalling our First Five Years in Print"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110513232309/http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/recalling-our-first-five-years-in-print). _Creative COW_. Archived from [the original](http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/recalling-our-first-five-years-in-print) on May 13, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2023. 13. [↑](#cite_ref-13) ["The 2011 FOLIO: 40"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210830044858/https://www.foliomag.com/2011-folio-40/). _[Folio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folio_\(magazine\) "Folio (magazine)")_. April 20, 2011. Archived from [the original](https://www.foliomag.com/2011-folio-40/) on August 30, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2023. 14. [↑](#cite_ref-14) [_CreativeCOW to debut magazine in time for NAB 2006_](https://web.archive.org/web/20111025115414/http://www.freshdv.com/2005/12/creativecow-to-debut-magazine-in-time.html), FreshDV, archived from [the original](http://www.freshdv.com/2005/12/creativecow-to-debut-magazine-in-time.html) on October 25, 2011, retrieved December 21, 2010 15. [↑](#cite_ref-15) Mitchell, Brian (June 25, 2007). ["Creative COW Magazine Bucks Print Trend With Strong First Year Sales and Circulation Growth"](http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/366416.html). _ecoustics.com_. Retrieved May 5, 2023. 16. [↑](#cite_ref-16) ["HP Special Edition: New Dimensions in Productivity Issue : Creative COW Magazine"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140910002004/http://magazine.creativecow.net/issue/hp-special-edition-new-dimensions-in-productivity). _Creative COW_. January 31, 2013. Archived from [the original](http://magazine.creativecow.net/issue/hp-special-edition-new-dimensions-in-productivity) on September 10, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2023. - [Official website](http://www.creativecow.net/)