Chatroulette: The Newest Dating Website?

by HANNAH LAWRENCE · March 29, 2010

    Brace yourself. Chatroulette might not be just for flashing golden retrievers anymore. It might actually be in the process of edging out the websites that take online dating seriously. It's a bold claim, we know. But it seems to be happening.-

    Case in point, Girl (we don't know her name): Girl went on Chatroulette for the first time a while ago and stumbled upon adorable, funny, Guy (no name here, either). Guy and Girl totally hit it off, but due to a faulty internet connection the pseudo-date was cut and the pair didn't get a chance to exchange AIM screennames.

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    Okay, friend. I know your blog is totally not for this at all. But I’m gonna ask you a big favor. First time on Chat Roulette tonight, met this guy. Gorgeous, sweet, smart, we talked for a long time, and I was literally JUST about to ask him for his AIM when my goddamn internet died and I got disconnected. However, before this happened, I had mentioned your blog. You’re my only hope of ever finding him again! So if you do find it in your heart to post this— Patrick Dempsey engineer guy, please email me: radiobroadcast@mac.com Thank you so much.

    If we've got you weeping already, have no fear! Girl pulled a resourceful and sent a screenshot (above) of her conversation to ChatrouLOLZ, a Tumblr blog that collects pictures of fascinating or amusing encounters such as this one. So now the task has fallen upon us, the finding-love-on-the-internet skeptics, to turn this "missed connection" into a wedding announcement in the Times.  You know what to do.

    What's interesting is the way this one encounter on Chatroulette undermines the real online dating websites. e-Harmony emphasizes the intense screening process that goes into successfully finding a life partner online by using its patented "Compatibility Matching System." It pre-screens people based on your personal preferences so you only get matched to people you're deeply compatible with (according to a computer, probably). But in walks Chatroulette, the newbie known for randos showing their schlongs, and fosters a love connection from an auto match algorithm instead of the annoying "do you consider yourself an extrovert?" questions. How can that be? Is the universe about to catastrophically shift?

    It doesn't matter. If it can happen once, it can happen again. We say, cancel your Seder plans and spend the night on Chatroulette. Your future children could be at stake.

    [images via chatroulolz, mediatumblr]