Curious: Chatroulette
by Matt B. on February 14, 2010
A friend sent me a link to Chatroulette, which is exactly what it sounds like. Two video screens – one of you, one of the other person. You hit ‘Play’ and up pops a person staring back at you, and I guess you’re supposed to talk. In my case, up popped a kid, maybe 15 or 17. I guess he didn’t like the look of me, because he quickly cycled on to the next chat. (I was relieved, because I was busy thinking I have nothing to say to this kid.) The next image was something else entirely – let’s just say that it wasn’t someone’s face, nor even their upper body. (Chatroulette’s supposed to monitor for this kind of thing, but from what I heard from the buddy who sent me the link, my experience is pretty common.)
This sort of seems like the internet that never happened – the one where we all get lost in our anonymity. (Instead, the internet seems to have become much more about small networks, niches, and communities of interest.) I guess I don’t understand this, then – what is Chatroulette for?
Curious: Chatroulette
by Matt B. on February 14, 2010
A friend sent me a link to Chatroulette, which is exactly what it sounds like. Two video screens – one of you, one of the other person. You hit ‘Play’ and up pops a person staring back at you, and I guess you’re supposed to talk. In my case, up popped a kid, maybe 15 or 17. I guess he didn’t like the look of me, because he quickly cycled on to the next chat. (I was relieved, because I was busy thinking I have nothing to say to this kid.) The next image was something else entirely – let’s just say that it wasn’t someone’s face, nor even their upper body. (Chatroulette’s supposed to monitor for this kind of thing, but from what I heard from the buddy who sent me the link, my experience is pretty common.)
This sort of seems like the internet that never happened – the one where we all get lost in our anonymity. (Instead, the internet seems to have become much more about small networks, niches, and communities of interest.) I guess I don’t understand this, then – what is Chatroulette for?