Step Right Up And Spin The Wheel

Those of you who keep up with the latest fashions, er, newsy tech stuff, have probably heard about chatroulette! For everyone else, here is what is going on beyond the underside of your rock.

First off, you need a webcam. Check. Then what happens is next is setup preschool simple. You get randomly matched with someone else on the site, you see each other via webcam and can text or even speak (mic not included) if you are setup with that extra piece of equipment. The only options you have as far as choosing whom you are matched with is ending the current pick & jumping to the next random one. Definitely a neat concept, you don't even get a handle, the chatting page lists yourself as "you" and your new friend as "stranger." It is cut down to the bare bones basics, and that is one of the things that makes it work.

Now for the downside. There are no buddy lists, but again, that's not what this is about. Should you strike up a connection with someone that you want to stay in touch with then trade emails, IM handles, hell even your phone numbers, just whatever. Then there is the problem that you have already guessed at, penis exhibition. You are gonna see more floppy penis than a gay bathhouse, which makes the "one click" escape to the next horror, er, interesting person a very welcome standard feature. Granted that a setup like this is gonna bring the icky perverts oozing outta the woodwork so try to avoid this site while your 4 year old is sitting on your lap.

After a couple of hours on it I realized that my prediction for the site was 100% accurate. You skip past a few floppies here and there, a lot of people axed me within 5 seconds because I wasn't sitting there in my bra (or less), most of the conversations run the same boring introduction gauntlet we became weary of years ago when required to make small talk with a stranger we don't really have any interest in speaking with in the first place, then you hit the occasional gem where conversation just clicks and before you can exchange a method of communication for later on the new glitchy program bugs out on you and you are left wondering when the hell that brick wall jumped out in front of you.

All in all, even with it's darkside it found it's nick and I hope it hangs around for the times that I want to just have some brief random chats that won't strain the fluff in me head.

(Afterthoughts)
I quickly discovered to keep a phrase saved on my clipboard for right-click/ paste convenience, "Awwwww, it's sooo tiny that it's cute! You must be proud to have a third pinky finger growing out of you leg ;)"