VChatter: A Growing, Chatroulette-Style Facebook Application for Video Chats
In case you missed the Chatroulette fad, a new Facebook application, VChatter, allows you to have a similar experience — if you’re willing to take the same sorts of exposure risks.
Beyond Chatroulette, the experience of using VChatter is similar to using Skype or any other video chat service, but on Facebook. VChatter was founded by Will Bunker, Hiltesh Parashar and Dan Owen to, according to their Facebook Page, “revolutionize” social video interactions.
Traffic has been on the rise, too. According to AppData, the app currently has about 975,100 monthly active users, and it has had between 101,000 and 83,000 daily active users during the past week.
The installation process asks for permissions like most, then takes you to a screen divided into four sections: Your friends list, your chat video, a place to chat by typing and the video of the person with whom you will chat.
Unless you have someone already waiting to chat on Facebook, you can press the “Chat Next Shuffle” button and the app will find you an app user with whom to chat. You can also invite friends both on and off Facebook to chat.
Unfortunately VChat seems to have similar pitfalls that Chatroulette did, namely some who use the app seem to have ulterior motives. On a recent Sunday half a dozen chat attempts yielded one woman and mostly men, several in various states of undress, looking for…romance?
Perhaps in an attempt to remedy this unstated use of VChatter, the app called for a VChatter Virtually Real Party last weekend to allow users to make new friends all over the world (presumably not involving self-exposure).
Ultimately, VChatter as a tool for meeting unknown people on Facebook seems like a good idea, provided other people have the same idea. After all, there’s nothing like putting a face to a name when you meet someone. But if what you’re looking for is simply to video chat, it doesn’t seem like VChatter offers much more than other video chat services.
July 12th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
It’s growing quickly because it’s breaking Facebooks developer policies. When you invite a friend to chat it posts on their wall, with the main status message text (not the attached link) asking them to come chat with you. Facebook requires that the status message be text that the user has entered themself. Seems minor, but this makes a HUGE difference in growth. I had an app that did this, grew very quickly to over 3 million daily visitors, and then was banned by facebook. VChatter looks like a good app, but I’m hoping they hold all apps to the same standards.
July 12th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
hufff
July 13th, 2010 at 7:37 am
[...] Vía | insidefacebook [...]
July 15th, 2010 at 5:24 am
Well yes they should need to change their viral feed message otherwise facebook will block them too; Also, their is no way to revert back this action.
July 15th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
@Aris, @Gabe – The video call message does not show the pre-populated text (and shows the attached link only) on vChatter.
July 17th, 2010 at 8:18 am
Hi,
Congrats to vchater team. Posting on friends wall is a little of spam but I guess it does help viral growth.
We have developed similar service: fbchatroulette.net (Facebook chatroulette). It is a little different than vChatter: fbchatroulette.net is something like Facebook, chatroulette, and foursquare. Chat with Facebook users and collect badges and flags from different countries.
Thanks!
July 19th, 2010 at 4:06 am
The video call message does not show the pre-populated text (and shows the attached link only) on vChatter…………………..
July 23rd, 2010 at 4:11 pm
hi people i download the nice video call
July 24th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
hi
August 19th, 2010 at 10:31 am
ur stupid thing wont let me call my friend so freakin fix the stupid thing
August 24th, 2010 at 3:27 am
hey!!! kristin macinas..hw are U…!!?? yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahah!!! peace..!
YNAII!!!!!!!! ano na lamang..!? hahah!!!!!!!!
September 3rd, 2010 at 5:41 pm
[...] Raises $250,000 — Facebook app VChatter raised $250,000 in seed funding this week, says VentureBeat. The video chat application is not [...]
September 22nd, 2010 at 4:01 am
tell me chat v chatter is not installed in my computer tell me how can i use this thanks wait for your quick reply
September 23rd, 2010 at 12:26 am
my chat no coming i want chat fikising
October 1st, 2010 at 1:32 pm
vchatter much love yieah, thank you for new frendz all ver wold.
me very much lik vchatter to meet peple rouinnd the worl
January 5th, 2011 at 8:27 am
vchatter much love yieah, thank you for new frendz all ver wold
February 5th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
vchater much love yieah,thankyou for new friend all ver world.me verymuch like to meet pople round the world.
February 11th, 2011 at 6:20 am
like this
February 17th, 2011 at 7:36 am
wt is URL LETE ME ABOUT AND EXPLAIN WT IS URL I WANT TO INSTALL V CHATTER ON FACE BOOK AT MY ACCOUNT OF FB PLZ HELP ME
February 20th, 2011 at 9:36 am
@Khan: The vChatter URL is http://www.facebook.com/vChatter