they should have called it 4chat

I was introduced today to an interesting concept called Omegle.com, which pairs you up with a total stranger in a private chat room, in which both of you are anonymous. It's like the 4chan of chat, only far less disturbing, and with at least 90% less tentacle porn.

I don't think I'll be frequenting this site, as it seems to me to be likely inhabited primarily by kids and predators, but I did have some amusing encounters in the few minutes I spent tooling around there.

Here's the entirety of my first anonymous chat with a stranger:

Obviously, this stranger is not down with today's modern vernacular.

My second attempt reminded me of this for some reason:

And that was the end of that.

And coming up next, we have... oh geez...


Eventually, I did have some semblance of a conversation, although only in the most liberal use of the word:

Hell yeah! I like that enthusiasm! Sadly, though, it did not last:

LOL, that's beautiful. I can just picture this Stranger hanging his head in dejection as he delivers that pitiful "ooh.." and signs off. A classic hangup if I ever saw one. What really gets me is that he left immediately upon discovering I'm not a Lady Gaga fan, and to him, that was a perfectly reasonable response. Just like how the Men Without Hats felt it perfectly reasonable to refuse friendship with anybody who doesn't dance.

All in all, I recommend Omegle for a quick jaunt when you're bored, but nothing more. Being anonymous and random, it's ideal breeding grounds for trolls, and you'll probably spend half your time being bothered by them, as well as being asked "a/s/l?", which is internet shorthand for "I am not someone you want to waste your time talking to."

Do give it a shot if you feel so inclined, though, and let me know about any humorous incidents that occur as a result.