According to Wikipedia, Chatroutte is:
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Chatroulette /ˈtʃætruːˌlɛt/ is an online chat website that pairs random people from around the world together for webcam-based conversations. Visitors to the website begin an online chat (text, audio and video) with another visitor.
This concept pairs two strangers together in the 3rd space through online video and chat. Having only been on Chatroulette one time in my life, my experience left me feeling very dissatisfied as I was bombarded with disgusting and inappropriate behaviour; behaviour that I believe most people would not be comfortable doing in public if they were to meet me in person. The idea of the 3rd space, gives people the idea of separation which makes them to feel more comfortable behaving differently from how they normally would.
The online social experiment “No Fun” was a project that recorded the reactions of people on Chatroullete after they saw what looked like someone committing suicide. The video showed a range of reactions, from people laughing with inappropriate comments to few people believing that it was real and calling the police.
The 3rd space can make Chatroulette a space where you have the chance to see some pretty funny performances:
or meet some pretty cool people:
The reading, Cyborgs, by Steve Dixon, explains the disembodiment between technology and the self. Through this experiment, the performer is able to create the scene of a suicide. The reactions are an example of disembodiment. Had these users been subjected to this scenario in real life (face-to-face), it is doubtful that they would react so nonchalant. Due to the presence of technology and their separation by the computer, the user becomes disembodied from their normal self. It is for this reason that the users present themselves as indifferent to this personal and shocking scene.
