Seen: Chat Roulette

When moviegoers started going to theaters less frequently in favor of watching a videotape or DVD on a home screen, the movie-watching experience became less social. But once you connect that home screen to the internet, suddenly that device can help you become more social. I'm interested in the ways connected devices help us meet and interact with strangers; specifically I think the mobile dating arena is primed to take off, as it combines the convenience of meeting someone in a bar (meaning, it's local) with the filtration abilities of the internet (clicking a mouse or touching a screen is a much easier, and often more civil, way to get rid of would-be suitors). In light of all this, I found this video about the barebones site Chat Roulette interesting:

If I were to bootstrap a non-film-related startup, I think it would be in the "mobile meeting" space, but I don't have the infrastructure to support that kind of thing. Regardless, while this technology might be depressingly primitive today -- and depressingly populated by what Casey terms "perverts" -- where it's headed tomorrow is the (multi)million-dollar question.

[via NewTeeVee]