Omegle
Encyclopedia
Omegle is an online chat
website that allows users to communicate with strangers without registering
. The service randomly pairs users up into one-on-one chat sessions where they chat anonymously using the handles "You" and "Stranger". The site was created by 18-year-old Leif K-Brooks of Brattleboro, Vermont
, and was launched on March 25, 2009.
The name "Omegle" is an alteration of the word omega
. The blue part of the logo contains an omega (Ω) turned diagonally. On March 14, 2010, Omegle introduced a video conferencing feature in addition to text chatting.
Less than a month after its March 2009 launch, Omegle garnered around 150,000 page views a day.
The use of the mandatory chatnames "You" and "Stranger", the "Talk to Strangers!" slogan of the site, and prompts such as "Your conversational partner has disconnected" at the end of a chat appeared to fuel the popularity of the site.
The kind of chat that Omegle popularized is called anonymous chat, stranger chat, or 1-on-1 chat. Comparisons have been made to early-1990s AOL
. The site now provides an Omegle mobile application that lets users chat with strangers from an Android, iPhone, iPod Touch, or Palm webOS device.
The site uses anti-spam software, known as reCAPTCHA
, which periodically challenges users in order to prevent spam
messages being sent by automated bots.
Omegle now features the add-on, "Spy Mode", which connects three strangers. One stranger asks a question for the other two to answer or discuss with one another. The stranger who asks the question, however, cannot participate in the discussion; they play the part of a third-party observer. Spy Mode is still in beta, which leads users to believe there may be some adjustments made to it. Currently, the script on the page of Spy Mode can be abused, which has resulted in some users displaying offensive and obscene pictures and videos.
Recently, Omegle has added a feature letting users connect through Facebook Connect, in order to meet strangers with common interests. The feature accomplishes this by observing which pages the users have "liked" on Facebook
. When the feature is enabled, strangers are still connected to completely random strangers and not always those who share common interests, which is generally the result of the search for those with similar likes timing out.
Online chat
Online chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet, that offers an instantaneous transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver, hence the delay for visual access to the sent message shall not hamper the flow of communications in any of the directions...
website that allows users to communicate with strangers without registering
Registered user
A registered user is one who uses a program or a website and provides his/her credentials, effectively proving his/her identity.-Technical differences:...
. The service randomly pairs users up into one-on-one chat sessions where they chat anonymously using the handles "You" and "Stranger". The site was created by 18-year-old Leif K-Brooks of Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...
, and was launched on March 25, 2009.
The name "Omegle" is an alteration of the word omega
Omega
Omega is the 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system, it has a value of 800. The word literally means "great O" , as opposed to omicron, which means "little O"...
. The blue part of the logo contains an omega (Ω) turned diagonally. On March 14, 2010, Omegle introduced a video conferencing feature in addition to text chatting.
Less than a month after its March 2009 launch, Omegle garnered around 150,000 page views a day.
The use of the mandatory chatnames "You" and "Stranger", the "Talk to Strangers!" slogan of the site, and prompts such as "Your conversational partner has disconnected" at the end of a chat appeared to fuel the popularity of the site.
The kind of chat that Omegle popularized is called anonymous chat, stranger chat, or 1-on-1 chat. Comparisons have been made to early-1990s AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
. The site now provides an Omegle mobile application that lets users chat with strangers from an Android, iPhone, iPod Touch, or Palm webOS device.
The site uses anti-spam software, known as reCAPTCHA
ReCAPTCHA
reCAPTCHA is a system originally developed at Carnegie Mellon University's main Pittsburgh campus. It uses CAPTCHA to help digitize the text of books while protecting websites from bots attempting to access restricted areas. On September 16, 2009, Google acquired reCAPTCHA. reCAPTCHA is currently...
, which periodically challenges users in order to prevent spam
Spam (electronic)
Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately...
messages being sent by automated bots.
Omegle now features the add-on, "Spy Mode", which connects three strangers. One stranger asks a question for the other two to answer or discuss with one another. The stranger who asks the question, however, cannot participate in the discussion; they play the part of a third-party observer. Spy Mode is still in beta, which leads users to believe there may be some adjustments made to it. Currently, the script on the page of Spy Mode can be abused, which has resulted in some users displaying offensive and obscene pictures and videos.
Recently, Omegle has added a feature letting users connect through Facebook Connect, in order to meet strangers with common interests. The feature accomplishes this by observing which pages the users have "liked" on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. When the feature is enabled, strangers are still connected to completely random strangers and not always those who share common interests, which is generally the result of the search for those with similar likes timing out.
Controversy
There are no restrictions on age or any other user characteristic. The site never censors contributions through a profanity filter, and a user may encounter nudity or sexual content on camera. K-Brooks has acknowledged the questionable content of the site, at one time expressing "disappointment" at the way in which the site has been used.See also
- Online chatOnline chatOnline chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet, that offers an instantaneous transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver, hence the delay for visual access to the sent message shall not hamper the flow of communications in any of the directions...
- Web chatWeb chatA web chat is a system that allows users to communicate in real time using easily accessible web interfaces. It is a type of internet online chat distinguished by its simplicity and accessibility to users who do not wish to take the time to install and learn to use specialized chat software. This...
- ChatrouletteChatrouletteChatroulette is a website that pairs strangers from around the world together for webcam-based conversations. Visitors to the website begin an online chat with another visitor who is chosen at random...
, a similar site - Chat roomChat roomThe term chat room, or chatroom, is primarily used by mass media to describe any form of synchronous conferencing, occasionally even asynchronous conferencing...
- TinychatTinychatTinychat is an internet chat service that allows users to communicate via instant messaging, voice and video chat. It offers thousands of chat rooms and the ability for users to create their own virtual chat room on any topic or category. Tinychat is a web based system that works on Linux, Windows...
- Woo MediaWoo MediaWoo Media was an online chat and video social network which offered a variety of interactive sites that provided live social entertainment through a computer or mobile device....