Memorial Day Holiday

Our office will be officially closed on Monday, May 26th in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.

For our international customers, here's a brief history of this U.S. holiday:

Following the end of the Civil War, many communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. These observances eventually coalesced around Decoration Day, honoring the Union dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days.

According to Professor David Blight of the Yale University History Department, the first memorial day was observed in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic race track in Charleston. The site was a former Confederate prison camp as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who had died while captive. A parade with thousands of freed blacks and Union soldiers was followed by patriotic singing and a picnic.

The name of "Memorial Day" was first used in 1882, but did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967.

The crew at CWS will be honoring this tradition and spending the day with our friends and family. Our support team will respond to an emergency if needed. If there is one, please call (888) 426-7793. If you have a non-emergency issue, let us know by sending us an email.

May your travel be safe, and your good times plentiful.

Best Wishes,
The CWS Team

Remembering September 11, 2001

Like many of you, I clearly remember the morning of September 11, 2001 . We were all busy working when we heard on the radio that the country was under attack. It was only a matter of minutes before websites like cnn.com and foxnews.com became overwhelmed with traffic and we had a hard time getting information on what was happening. We turned on the TV just in time to see the first tower fall.

I remember feeling shocked, mad, frustrated, and helpless all at the same time. We wanted to help, but didn't know how.

So, we did the only thing we knew how- we built a website.

Over the next few weeks, tens of thousands visited the website from all over the world and made comments, added victims' names, and offered support. It was truly an humbling experience for all of us. One special moment for me was when we were interviewed by the New York Times in 2002 for a story about Virtual Memorials.

Nearly 6 years later, I'm still proud of the video montage we quickly created that day. This is somewhat ironic, as I usually start to dislike something we create in a matter of a year or two. I guess this is proof that history really does remain timeless.

As of today, we have made the decision to lock the website from further comments and submissions. We feel that it is important to capture the moment in time and the thoughts and feelings surrounding it. Like all memorials, the website will remain online and viewable for decades to come.

Where were you the morning of 9/11? Do you remember it as well as I?