hey. asl?
Like many folks around the blagoblag, I was amused and intrigued by the concept of Omegle when it first made its debut. For the uninitiated, Omegle is a web site that lets you start a text-based (or, now, video-based) conversation with a complete stranger. When you’re done, somebody hangs up and you get another stranger. That’s it.
Such a simple application of existing technology, yet the idea is exciting and empowering.
In the time since Omegle went live, however, it has become obvious that society just isn’t ready for such power. If you set out to have a meaningful conversation with a truly random stranger on the site, odds are you’ll have a pretty low percentage of good conversational partners come along. As it turns out, a lot people come to a random person generator with very specific desires.
You’re now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
Stranger: hi
Stranger: asl?
You: 21/m/USA
Your conversational partner has disconnected.
Enter ASLville. Instead of giving you someone completely random, I’ve introduced a few filters to help make sure both people are getting just what they want. No more 10-second conversations.
ASLville was built entirely in JavaScript, with the help of Socket.IO and Node.JS. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!
