Love It: Chatroulette

First there were the AOL chat rooms, the pioneer of forums for online creepers and the occasional renegade tween to unite nationwide. Then MySpace came along and ratcheted it up a notch, giving a face to the cyber freak in the form of the emo bathroom mirror photoshoot. And even for the high-brow college crowd, Facebook arrived to provide the perfect venue for creeping clandestinely—without compromising class. But no site has exploded onto the social networking scene quite as absurdly and gloriously as Chatroulette.

Apparently created by a 17-year-old Russian techie bored of his Moscow friends and looking for some foreign excitement, the Internet’s undeniably creepiest creation yet began with nothing but high hopes and good intentions. The premise is bizarre, yet strangely endearing. You simply type in those magical letters, click “Start,” and find yourself suddenly transported to a face-to-face webcam encounter with anyone from lonely middle-aged men to drunken New Zealand rugby players.

And although critics of Chatroulette have viciously attacked it for being voyeuristic and perverted, they fail to see past its suspicious exterior and into its passionate, pure heart. A quick click of the “Next” button breezes you right past the disturbing and on to the hilarious or heartfelt. I promise, there is something on Chatroulette for everyone. Whether you are looking to engage in meaningful conversation with a potential soul mate or you just want to peruse the comically diverse array of rouletters, I guarantee drinking in the warm and welcoming environment of rouletting will soon replace ripping shots solo as the new staple of your Saturday night pregame.

And if you are one of those people responsible for Chatroulette’s tainted reputation because of your flavor for tomfoolery, be forewarned: you’d be surprised whom you stumble upon. Ex-high school hook ups, siblings, even professors—nothing would shock me (I’m lookin’ at you, Drew Faust).  Trash it all you want, but don’t worry; I’ll still raise my glass to you when I find you Friday night at 2 a.m. spinning that virtual wheel.