Almost instantaneously ChatRoulette.com has become the new internet craze. The website allows users who have a webcam installed on their computer to anonymously “meet” or chat with a random stranger with a single click of a button. ADHEREL
If you don’t like who you see (usually guys) or worse, what you see, there is a “next” button that “spins” again giving you another random person from somewhere in the world.
Word of warning, while no one is allowed to partake unless they are over 16, there is no policing, no censorship and no quality control that I can tell. It’s like twitter with video. A virtual free-for-all for the world to see, though most of it you don’t want to see!
A random spin may turn up a celebrity like Ashton Kutcher or Jessica Alba, but your next click could turn up a pervert using the site for all the wrong reasons – not to meet and interact with new people from around the globe and across different cultures.
And it can be addictive. Much like going to a confessional you anonymously speak of your deepest secrets and sins and then with a simple click move to the next person with no ramifications (although using video capture software you can easily record what you see and then post it on youtube!).
What’s interesting is that I get the feeling the site which was launched in November in Moscow by teenager Andrey Ternovskiy, is going to explode. Already the growth is on par with Twitter in its early stages and once more controls and options like tagging or social friending are in place, the future is really limitless (and very scary).
Imagine having a profile drilldown filter to select just Indians or women or singles guys or even chefs in New York. The options are endless as long as the site can somehow keep the pervs and the spammers at bay. Otherwise it will just turn into a porn site.
Here’s a video I just saw done by Casey Neistat to give you some insight on what you can expect with chatroulette (when you are done watching go buy stock in webcam companies!):
chat roulette from Casey Neistat on Vimeo.
also worth a look:
http://lolchats.tumblr.com
Sites like SpeedDate offer the ability to have random chats filtered by criteria that are important to you – like gender and location!
in regards to “though most of it you don’t want to see!” it’s true, the moments of hilarity are interspersed with the shocking and downright disturbing.
A fun way to play the voyeur without the risk is to check out one of the sites like http://chatrouletteimages.com that feature “best of” images
I think one of my favorite is the look on this girls face: http://chatrouletteimages.com/requests/cant-lookaway/
For some good CLEAN Chatroulette exhibitionism, visit http://showmeyourarmpit.blogspot.com/
Chatroulette give new version of online chat with ability to add webcams that put you face-to-face with thousand of strangers from around the world.
There is this site I visited last night that got me ‘spin’. SpinTheCam.com looks like a replica of Chat roulette but with great features and rooms together with VIP, Gay and dating sections.
I was bewildered when they said they are offering $1000 prize for best youtube or screenshot from the site
just was shown a facebook app with chatroulette features – facebook chat roulette
“a pervert using the site for all the wrong reasons”
That’s the right reason…