I found a link to this new web service today called Omegle that hooks you up randomly with a stranger so you can have a conversation. That’s all there is to it!
I tried it out immediately and had a short polite talk about ‘being on the planet earth’ (which is one of my favorite conversation starters). But @jaredrules had an encounter with a ’stranger’ that blows mine outta the water.
ENJOY
You: Hello
Stranger: hi
You: How are you doing?
Stranger: what’s going on?
Stranger: i’m pretty good
Stranger: how about you?
You: Eh, I’m just killing time til I can figure out what to do with myself
Stranger: well this seems like an ok way to do that
You: yeah, could do a lot worse
Stranger: figure out what to do with yourself in what sense?
You: just for today
Stranger: you could go for a walk
You: Yeah, thats not a bad idea
Stranger: is it nice weather?
You: I did a lot of walking today though
You: no it’s raining
Stranger: ah
You: I don’t have a car
You: so I walk a lot
Stranger: anything good on tv?
Stranger: i don’t have a car either
Stranger: and i walk a lot as well
You: Don’t have TV currently :-)
Stranger: nice
Stranger: me neither
Stranger: are you me?
You: Whoa
You: That would blow my mind
Stranger: wouldn’t that be weird?
Stranger: totally
Stranger: our mind, i suppose
You: That’s a question I would ask!
Stranger: now you’re freaking me out
Stranger: what’s your favorite color?
You: Green, you?
Stranger: no way
You: you’re lying
Stranger: not at all
Stranger: i wish you could see how not lying i really am
You: Maybe you’re me from the future?
You: or the past?
Stranger: that would be cool
Stranger: but in that scenario, i would know what you should be doing with yourself right now
Stranger: unless i’m you from the past
You: oh right?
You: But I would remember this conversation…
Stranger: that’s true too
Stranger: unless, while you were walking,
Stranger: you hit your head and had amnesia
You: oooh
You: and I probably wouldn’t remember doing that
Stranger: exactly
You: man…
Stranger: i think that’s probably what happened
Stranger: to one of us
You: do you have hoverboards in your time?
Stranger: nope
You: damn, me neither
Stranger: unfortunately
Stranger: yeah things here are pretty boring
Stranger: no flying cars either
You: no jetpacks or anything!
Stranger: nope
You: whatta ripoff
Stranger: maybe you should be inventing those things
Stranger: instead of killing time here
Stranger: ever thought of that?
You: If I could invent a hoverboard, I already would have
Stranger: unless you were on the cusp of the invention, then hit your head and had amnesia
You: noooooo!
Stranger: i’m not saying it actually happened
Stranger: but it could have
You: and we’d never know
Stranger: so perhaps what you should do, is go for a walk
Stranger: like, where you would normally walk
Stranger: see if you have deja-vu
Stranger: and maybe jet packs and hoverboards will be forthcoming!
You: If I invented a hoverboard or a jetpack I would be my own hero
Stranger: and mine too
You: well you are me
Stranger: exactly
You: totally
Stranger: so that was a bit redundant
You: redundancy is good sometimes I feel
Stranger: in what context?
You: it reinforces knowledge
Stranger: sure
Stranger: learning by rote
You: I’m beginning to wonder if Omegle is actually a huge test in Artificial Inteligence
Stranger: and building muscle memory
Stranger: that could be
You: it just hooks people up to what they are told are “strangers”
Stranger: that’s true
Stranger: but i know i’m a real person
You: but it’s actually a super computer attempting human conversation
You: that’s what a computer would want me to think!
Stranger: it’s not doing too badly, i have to say
Stranger: it’s got me fooled
You: that’s how good you are!
Stranger: so what could you ask that would prove it wasn’t a computer on the other end?
Stranger: is there anything?
You: maybe ask a paradoxical question and see if you get “error: does not compute” as a response
You: like
Stranger: right
Stranger: well, i’m sorry if i haven’t helped you figure out what to do with yourself
Stranger: but i have helped you kill time
You: that is true
You: and I thank you for that
Stranger: so this you-robot is good for something
Stranger: and thank you!
Stranger: i’m going to go make supper and perhaps a walk afterwards, now that you’ve inspired me
You: I am totally gonna send this conversation to a friend of mine
Stranger: do it
You: Supper is such a good word
Stranger: even better is supper club
Stranger: i would say: don’t you agree? but I know you do
Stranger: because we are one
You: it’s true
You: alright, later Me
Stranger: later
Stranger: see you in another dimension
YOWZA!
Jared is great conversationalist — that was a fascinating conversation.
that was a really awesome convo.
(did that picture at the bottom come from COTA? do you know what i’m talking about? if not, then forget i asked the question.)
What’s COTA Gwen? Forrest spotted it while we were breaking down one of the Magma Festival shows at the Fremont Abbey. I am still trying to figure out how it’s used!!!
ah, yes COTA is a church that meets at the Fremont Abbey- Church of the Apostles. So that makes sense. Before I moved to the East Coast both the Abbey and COTA were home for me for a long time.
The God label is for the mic where you narrate stuff (for instance, guided meditations), from the back of the room. Altar was for the mic at the altar, and the laptop is for electronic beats (they often had quite excellent music for their services) and/ or if they would just play something through itunes.
COTA was a crazy special church for many years, I haven’t been for the last year and a half so I can’t vouch for it now, but if you are into expressive spirituality that is rooted to the ancientness of a faith like christianity, but which (understanding the nuance that truth is held within all religions) doesn’t require everybody to believe the same things, then this was always a welcoming place to come and explore your heart. It was a really ambient place to sit and ponder big concepts, with interactive stations throughout the room to move freely from during portions of the service, and also the community was extremely cool. such a diverse group. to be able to do all that soul-searching openly along side other individuals- whether friends or strangers- doing the same was very special, something i’ve never found anywhere else.
but anyway, like i said, i haven’t been in quite a while, and it was always changing based on the group of people who were there from one week to the next, so it might be different now. it holds a very special place in my heart though.