E+SM Presents SynchLink
posted by Jennifer Palmer | June 15, 2010
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IcerocketChat Roulette is one of the flavors of the moment on the internet. It's simple: The site pairs you with a random videochat partner. You can click "next" any time, or stay with your current pairing. Chat Roulette has been described as, "The Internet. UNFILTERED." The lure is seeing something strange--or doing something so strange that you blow your chat partner's mind.
Aside from random gems of inspired performance, it seems most of Chat Roulette is trolled by naked perverts. While this can be fun, we here at Evolver HQ got to thinking about the possibility of using our own version of Chat Roulette for more constructive ends within our community. We think it could be a fun way to connect our far-flung members who wouldn't normally be able to meet. We envisioned brainstorming sessions and flirtations between like-minded and like-spirited Evolvers. Hence, the creation of SynchLink, a Chat Roulette clone created for and about the Evolver Social Movement.
Try Synch Link for yourself.
After trying SynchLink, please leave a comment on this blog post and discuss your experiences, ideas for improvement, and share stories of your meetings and random-access exchanges. The technology is in beta, so some browsers work better than others, the sound sometimes reverbs and the image sometimes disappears. Please experiment and explore, but for now there is little we can do to change the system.
Evolver Social Movement is providing this for free, but if you value the effort we make to bring you new experiences and ideas, please join up and become a contributing member (http://www.realitysandwich.com/esm/join-evolver-social-movement-esm) so we can develop more fun projects and our global community of conscious activists working together to create a better world.
(Community Note: We're leaving this at the top of the Evolver homepage for a little while so that more evolvers know about SynchLink).
Comments
online party
— Jun 11, 2010
i can see this having some potential once the bugs get ironed out, sort of like being at a crazy warehouse rave where people are talking at you, you can't hear what they're saying, someone else is gesturing something, and the lights are either really low or overwhelming and strobing... what would be even crazier is truly randomized connections rotating on an unpredictable basis. frustrating but fun. remember dr. who's Randomizer!? speaking of which i wish they'd put the new episode on itunes. i guess evolver will have to do as a poor 2nd.
haha!! Awesome
— Jun 11, 2010
I just posted a thread in my local Evolver group a few days ago seeing if anyone wanted to meet up and talk/exchange ideas, etc. I think this is a great idea and I'm really looking forward to taking part in it!
Wow!
— Jun 11, 2010
Brilliant!
I'd wanted to set up phone calls, but the coordination cost was just too high.
This really obviates all that..!
Amazing!
Glad you guys are psyched...
— Jun 11, 2010
Please give us feedback if you use it--it was not a piece of cake for our heroic tech folks to make work, and we're looking for helpful suggestions.
Hope to see you out there!!!
Peace,
jp
test
— Jun 11, 2010
I'm able to log in so far, and connect video & camera; I see myself in the corner, but I keep getting:
"15:33:35 Trying to find someone to chat with...
15:33:35 Found someone! Trying to connect...
15:33:35 This might take up to 5 seconds, so please be patient...""
Hm, ... It's taking more than 5 seconds.
But then again, it isn't 10PM yet.
similar issues
— Jun 11, 2010
I was able to connect with one person but after that I couldn't connect with anyone. It said it found someone, trying to connect, that it would take 5 seconds but would never load.
I imagine it's expected to have some bugs at first, its a great concept none the less.
synched glitches
— Jun 11, 2010
Yeah, I had basically the same experience as LionKimbro. I'm on Safari on Mac. Maybe I need to configure my system audio settings or something, but no sound. They need to add a text chat option. The video worked however.
Synched glitches
— Jun 11, 2010
Switched on input from videocam but still no sound in or out. Techie heaven...
txt cht rlly ????
— Jun 11, 2010
i saw someone else's text come in but can't find a cursor or text field or anything on my end... unless i'm as big an idiot as i probably am...
sound out is problematic still too...
It says I"m connected but I
— Jun 16, 2010
It says I"m connected but I dont see anyone and there is no text chat. Maybe its just that no one is there?
feelin' lucky?!
— Jun 11, 2010
Thank you to all those responsible for this dynamic approach to human interaction. Way to keep the innovation, intention, and public individuation happening. > we think > we link > we synch
"Go ahead Nickie. It's gonna be all right...Don't worry, in five minutes we're gonna be outa here...It's gonna be all right, Nickie, go ahead. Shoot. Shoot, Nickie." _ The Deer Hunter
See everyone it's gonna be alright. Now click on CONNECT....
great connector - with small technical issues?
— Jun 11, 2010
THANK YOU - I just ended up having a truly amazing meeting through your site!
BUT we had to talk through ooVoo in the end, since my microphone was not working with your system. Unfortunately my headset is broken, so I have to use my built in microphone (I have a Mac, laptop), which it works fine with Skype and ooVoo - I use normal headphones to avoid echo. But it was constantly broken of in Synch Link - so a new headset is on the top of my "have to get"-list now... =)
not so great yet
— Jun 11, 2010
I had the same idea (it's pretty obvious, I guess-- chatroulette with a more reliable community), so thanks for making it happen. At 11 PM (Eastern US time-- you forgot to say 10pm -2 pm where), there were only 6 people on, and the person I connected with kept calling me Billy & wanted to hear a bedtime story.
Let's try this again, though.
Who is the person putting up
— Jun 11, 2010
Who is the person putting up posters of "being in jail" thats all i could read from it lol
Money-a symbol for the efficient distribution of human energy.
sorry thats me being pranksterish & working around no audio out
— Jun 11, 2010
at least as far as I can tell ... those are all pages from a book project called the gaea shard. i know it got boring quick. not enuff light in here, & the pages are pretty dark to begin with... fersure not a professional video production!
I can't wait!
— Jun 11, 2010
I saw someone's face. I don't know who yet. I've got to finally get around to the local tech problem of properly setting up my cam and mic tomorrow. Couldn't access the text chat, but it was my first try. There may be a button I missed. I'm looking forward to the evolution of this idea, on both ends! We truly are beginning to play in the fields of the (whatchamacallit)!
text chat
— Jun 12, 2010
on my browser, there's no obvious button, just a space at the very bottom of the page. took me a minute to find it.
ok that was fairly fun in a new media sorta way.
ciao, off to see AGORA for the life of Hypatia - last librarian of Alexandria!
dropping in
— Jun 12, 2010
tip, anyone wishin' for addn'l synchfulness may wish to plug in on the Flaming lips live cover of Dark Side right now @ npr.org -- bonnaroo in the background! show yer steps. 1030pst
Checked it out
— Jun 12, 2010
last night and my 1st chat was with the insightful Florries, it was GREAT to connect with another evolver as I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible. There seemed to be technical issues at the site regarding audio, so after messing about on it I mentioned to Florries to download OOvOO @:
http://www.oovoo.com
as the picture quality is better so if any of you get stuck at chat roulette and are getting deep in conversation don't get frustrated try this other option and see if it works better for you...also having Internet Explorer 8 would work smoother...Namaste to ALL!!!! And Thanks Susan for an inspired conversation last night...Peace!!!
http://www.oovoo.com/
visit:  Visionary Psychedelic Surrealism by Myztico    www.myztico.mosaicglobe.comÂ
an inspiring meeting indeed!
— Jun 12, 2010
loved talking to you, very inspiring, interesting, etc, etc =) looking much forward to the next time -
and to meet other evolvers on the next synchlink occasion...
SynchLink's kind of like a homemade drag racer...
— Jun 12, 2010
...it doesn't always start but when it does it goes super FAST.
Hi guys!
so glad yr connecting despite (and because of--considering the creative work arounds listed here) tech probs. As anyone who's used the real Chat Roulette knows this kind of tech is not perfect--but the goal here is not perfection. It's rolling the dice and deciding to play a game together.
Please keep the comments coming.
I'll be on later! :)
xo
so its running all the time now or?
— Jun 13, 2010
Is it up and running all the time now or? I was under the impression it was just a test round the other night =)
But may I suggest, that you put up certain times when we all meet there? The system does not necessarily have to be shut down at other times, but it maybe it could be good to have some kind of a schedule to hold on to - otherwise it might become difficult to find others who are online... Maybe I am underestimating the amount of people who are interested in this, as well as the power of synchronicity, but the thought struck me quite instantly when I read this post.
Thanks again for putting this up - namaste!
Not synched, but linked
— Jun 13, 2010
Hi people,
Tryed the new tool yesterday...
Unfortunately not in ur time zone...
But actually I would love to meet my friends on evolver,
like Susan Florries and SoulTravellerfor example
I do understand why it is interesting to synchlink at random,
but it would be cool if people who want to videochat will be able to set a time and place to meet and talk...
I feel it would be cool to meet actually the people u want to meet and share interests with as well
love light and om
b
i think this will be amazing
— Jun 15, 2010
i think this will be amazing once its fully functional. i tried using it today but it said i was the only one on... and maybe i was who knos. also it didnt fit my screen there were scroll bars. any one else get that problem? other then that im super excited to use this thing. chat roulette for crazies is probably the best thing ive heard in while
video chat?
— Jun 16, 2010
Does it have to be video chat? I'd rather use this kind of service if it was traditional chat -- i.e., typing on the keyboard. I don't feel comfortable speaking with and being watched by a total stranger. But I miss the good old days of AOL chat rooms (and even MySpace blogs), when I had online pen pals. I feel like written communication would be more constructive for my purposes anyways. I'd love to be able to have a philosophical conversation with other Evolvers by chat, to ask them questions or run ideas by them for feedback.
Can I second the call for
— Jun 17, 2010
Can I second the call for traditional chat? It would be good to have the choice
