Simply by entering in their college e-mail addresses and passwords, students can instantly connect with each other from across the globe through Randomdorm.com — a new video-chat website.
Randomdorm builds on the popular site Chatroulette.com, said Josh Weinstein, a Princeton graduate and founder of Randomdorm and Goodcrush.com.
Randomdorm differs from Chatroulette in that it is exclusively for college students, so that not just anyone can get on, Weinstein said.
Also, by ensuring that the sole users of Randomdorm are college students and by actively monitoring the site, Weinstein hopes to avoid the inappropriate content that is prevalent on Chatroulette.
Students can benefit from the site by using it to exchange study habits or even to practice foreign-language skills with international students, he said. Activity on the website is highest from 8 p.m. to midnight and comes from universities as far away as Australia and New Zealand.
“Our tagline is ‘connecting student bodies,’” he added. “We thought that separate video chat would be really compelling to students.”
Students had good things to say about Randomdorm.
“I know Josh Weinstein very well and my experience with Randomdorm is very positive”, said Princeton Senior Matthew de Jonge said.
Even people who have just looked around the site were impressed.
“It’s better than Chatroulette because it’s focused on a particular audience,” said Solomon Abiola, a Princeton sophomore.
Some Penn students were skeptical. “It might not stay as exclusive as it is now. It has the potential to become something else,” College sophomore Cressida Mahung said.
Others feel like there may still be an inappropriate use of the site.
“I feel that the lack of accountability would encourage misuse of the site, something not remedied by limiting use only to college students,” College senior Jordan Coello said.
Still others, like College sophomore Jacob Plotnick, don’t see the point of Randomdorm. “No one really goes on sites like Chatroulettte to meet people. It’s just an amusing site,” he said.
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