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Chatroulette Map: A Little Less Anonymous
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by Jordan Yerman | March 11, 2010 at 12:29 pm
28156 views | 12 Recommendations | 5 comments
Chatroulette Map Knows Where You Are
A project called Chatroulette Map tracks the IP address users of Chatroulette, pinning their locations on a Google Map.
Photos
The colored numbers correspond to users in a given location. As you click through to zoom in on the map, the numbers break down to individual users, whose IP addresses correspoind to a general location.
Chatroulette Screenshots
Included with each user location is a screenshot. Chatroulette Map can be found here, but be advised that, since this is Chatroulette we're talking about, some of the screenshots may be NSFW. You have been duly warned.
Conversely, if you're the one doing NSFW stuff on Chatroulette, strangers may end up knowing from what general locale you're NSFWing. Keep that in mind if you're considering doing anything that may make a stranger want to run into the bathroom and rince his or her eyeballs in lukewarm water.
Predictably, usage is heavy in locations where people have cheaper and easier access to high speed Internet: Lots of activity in New York, Chicago and London; none in Burkina Faso. Nineteen connections correspond to Tunisia, but no further accurate location was possible.
The site relies on the fact that Chatroulette connects users directly to each other (assumedly in an effort to save bandwidth) and in doing so exposes IP addresses.
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Jordan Yerman
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (5)
at 09:12 on March 12th, 2010
Wouldn't this also give the pervs access to the pretty girl they just chatted with? This map works both ways.
at 17:33 on March 12th, 2010
The IP only gives you a very broad area (say a city) you could never use it to pinpoint an exact location.
at 11:34 on March 18th, 2010
In my experience, Chatroulette seems to be full of men exposing themselves - something which is especially concerning considering children use the site and there's no features in place to protect them. There are other sites identical to chatroulette, such as SpintheCam.com which has features in place where you can block/report any innapropriate content - I also find it's a lot faster loading than chatroulette (I know chatroulette has had problems with its servers recently too).
at 07:45 on March 25th, 2010
A lot of blogs seem to have been suggesting that this solves the problem of anonymity and therefore makes Chatroulette safer, but as Alex A points out, the site only gives a broad area.Chatroulette will never be safe for children - it is not designed for them. But other sites can use the idea and the technology to build safe versions. Then there may be some genuine educational value.Blog post on Chatroulette: blog.opencc.co.uk/?p=608
at 10:34 on March 31st, 2010
It's funny how Omegle is a spin-off of anicechat.net and ChatRoulette a spin-off of Omegle. I think anicechat.net deserves some respect, as it was the first. Create a facebook group and spread the truth, anyone?