Introduction to Omegle

Book excerpt: Omegle is an online chat website that was created in 2009 by Leif K-Brooks. The website's tagline is "Talk to Strangers!" It allows users to have anonymous and random one-on-one conversations with strangers from all over the world. The website's popularity skyrocketed, and in 2010, it underwent a major redesign to make it more user-friendly. Omegle can be accessed through a web browser and requires no registration to use. The website pairs users randomly with each other and offers two conversation modes: text and video. The text mode allows users to communicate through messages, whereas, video mode enables users to see and talk to each other through a live webcam feed. Omegle has been controversial as it has been used for cyberbullying and inappropriate behavior. Despite the risks, Omegle still receives millions of users every month, and many find it a convenient way to meet new people.