Exploring the disturbing webcam service that connects you with strangers
First came Facebook, which connects you with close friends and school mates you don't really talk to anymore. Then came Twitter where you could 'follow' and be followed by complete strangers.
So it was perhaps inevitable that the ever evolving internet would push the social boundaries one step further, resulting in Chat Roulette.
Chat Roulette is a service that puts you face to face with a random stranger via your webcam. You then have the choice of either chatting to them or disconnecting and being matched with another user from around the globe.
Parents will likely be horrified by the idea their children can connect face to face with strangers and be put at risk of grooming. Despite a disclaimer on the front page that states you have to be 16 years of age to enter, there is no way of enforcing this.
The website also claims obscene material will not be tolerated but countless users have reported being exposed to shots of men performing obscene acts in front of the screen.
It is not clear who set up the website, which first appeared in November last year. A message sent to their general email went unanswered.
What is obvious is that the service is growing in popularity, with cases of Jo Public finding themselves face to face with celebrities such as The Jonas Brothers, Kelly Osbourne and Ashton Kutcher.
One New Zealand actor called TJ Miller, even flew out two girls from Liverpool to the set of the new Yogi Bear film after meeting them through the website.
I decided to try out the service for myself and see what the fuss was about...
Taking a gamble
Armed with a friend and a large mug of tea I logged on and nervously entered the chat room.
Our first match was with a teenage girl, who hid her face under long lank brown hair. Trying to be friendly we introduced ourselves but it was soon clear it was going to be an awkward encounter.
It felt like being stuck in a lift with someone when you can't think what to say. After a few monosyllabic answers she leaned forward and disconnected.
You can't help but feel snubbed the first time this happens but it is a common occurrence. Users are ruthless on Chat Roulette and are quick to move on if they don't like the look of their online partner.
Still reeling from our first experience we were next confronted with a large red sign that asked 'Want to see me naked?'
'NO!!' we quickly typed. 'I'm gunna show you anyway' came the reply. Needless to say we rapidly shut down the window.
We were then confronted by a bearded man in his thirties lazing on his sofa. He said he was from Paris but the system froze before we could chat further.
After a few more false starts we met Pablo - a 36-year-old who said he was an ATM engineer from Chile. His English wasn't good and we resorted to a Spanish dictionary to communicate. He said it was 25C where he was, we replied it was raining in the UK. After that we were stuck.
Our last link-up of the evening was with two carpenters in their twenties who said they lived in Jylland in Denmark. Both were drinking beer and smoking pot. Again the conversation was mundane - it turns out it's snowing in Scandinavia.
After an hour we closed down the system, somewhat drained by the effort of making small-talk with people we had never met before.
The experience of being beamed into a stranger's bedroom feels intrusive and unsettling and has worrying implications for teenagers who are more used to sharing personal information on the web.
Some commentators say the website is a throwback to the heady early days of the web and the first experimental chatrooms. For my part I hope we have learned to be more cynical and less trusting since then. I certainly doubt I will log on again.
First came Facebook, which connects you with close friends and school mates you don't really talk to anymore. Then came Twitter where you could 'follow' and be followed by complete strangers.
So it was perhaps inevitable that the ever evolving internet would push the social boundaries one step further, resulting in Chat Roulette.
Chat Roulette is a service that puts you face to face with a random stranger via your webcam. You then have the choice of either chatting to them or disconnecting and being matched with another user from around the globe.
One Chat Roulette user found himself face to face with boy band The Jonas Brothers
Parents will likely be horrified by the idea their children can connect face to face with strangers and be put at risk of grooming. Despite a disclaimer on the front page that states you have to be 16 years of age to enter, there is no way of enforcing this.
The website also claims obscene material will not be tolerated but countless users have reported being exposed to shots of men performing obscene acts in front of the screen.
It is not clear who set up the website, which first appeared in November last year. A message sent to their general email went unanswered.
What is obvious is that the service is growing in popularity, with cases of Jo Public finding themselves face to face with celebrities such as The Jonas Brothers, Kelly Osbourne and Ashton Kutcher.
One New Zealand actor called TJ Miller, even flew out two girls from Liverpool to the set of the new Yogi Bear film after meeting them through the website.
I decided to try out the service for myself and see what the fuss was about...
Taking a gamble
Chat Roulette could be a gamble too far for internet users
Armed with a friend and a large mug of tea I logged on and nervously entered the chat room.
Our first match was with a teenage girl, who hid her face under long lank brown hair. Trying to be friendly we introduced ourselves but it was soon clear it was going to be an awkward encounter.
It felt like being stuck in a lift with someone when you can't think what to say. After a few monosyllabic answers she leaned forward and disconnected.
You can't help but feel snubbed the first time this happens but it is a common occurrence. Users are ruthless on Chat Roulette and are quick to move on if they don't like the look of their online partner.
Still reeling from our first experience we were next confronted with a large red sign that asked 'Want to see me naked?'
'NO!!' we quickly typed. 'I'm gunna show you anyway' came the reply. Needless to say we rapidly shut down the window.
We were then confronted by a bearded man in his thirties lazing on his sofa. He said he was from Paris but the system froze before we could chat further.
After a few more false starts we met Pablo - a 36-year-old who said he was an ATM engineer from Chile. His English wasn't good and we resorted to a Spanish dictionary to communicate. He said it was 25C where he was, we replied it was raining in the UK. After that we were stuck.
Our last link-up of the evening was with two carpenters in their twenties who said they lived in Jylland in Denmark. Both were drinking beer and smoking pot. Again the conversation was mundane - it turns out it's snowing in Scandinavia.
After an hour we closed down the system, somewhat drained by the effort of making small-talk with people we had never met before.
The experience of being beamed into a stranger's bedroom feels intrusive and unsettling and has worrying implications for teenagers who are more used to sharing personal information on the web.
Some commentators say the website is a throwback to the heady early days of the web and the first experimental chatrooms. For my part I hope we have learned to be more cynical and less trusting since then. I certainly doubt I will log on again.
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