Found this in the “Comments” section of thezeus’s link (thanks!).
Chatroulette piano improv:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32vpgNiAH60[/youtube]
SIATD v2,
Doesn’t the human brain perform many complicated processes simultaneously in mere seconds? It has to take in different kinds of sensory information at once–what you’re seeing, hearing, smelling, etc.–and then at the same time, or fractions of a second later, it categorizes, compares…forms opinions, makes judgments. Yes I think this is all pretty automatic. That is not to say these processes can’t be influenced or recognized or changed, but I think we are often unaware of everything that’s going on in our own brains. Judgments can be made deliberately as well, but that is not what we’re discussing.
This is not what I want to be true about human beings, but what I believe is true–based on my experiences and to the best of my knowledge. Furthermore, if what I’m saying is correct, why does that mean that I must necessarily shirk my responsibility in what I think of other people? Human beings have limits. We do not completely control the world, and we do not even fully control ourselves. If you believe in free-will, then we are free, yes, but within limits. As far as I know, this is simply the truth. Recognizing limits is not to be confused with making excuses. What have I said that sounds to you like I am making excuses for why people should take less responsibility for our actions?
This is precisely where I want to talk about distinguishing between different kinds and qualities of judgments. I think we form judgments both consciously (deliberately) and unconsciously (without being directly aware of forming them) and I think part of the value of self-reflection is to discover what you yourself are thinking (because as I said we are not always aware of what’s going on in our own mind/brain) and use the insight to become a better person. I think that when one (you, me, everyone…you always seem to be confused about what group I am addressing though I would imagine you could infer well-enough without me adding in a bajillion qualifications) meets another person for the first time, judgments about character, personality, etc. form at the same time or just after the brain takes in information about the person. Depending on the quality (genuine v insincere v guarded v open v reserved) and quantity (length of time) of interaction, one will form either more or less developed judgments about another person.
So, when seeing a person’s face flash on the screen in Chatroulette, one probably does not have time to form a very comprehensive judgment, but I still believe that one does form a judgment of some kind. Imagine the image that flashes is of a person is wearing all black with several prominent piercings, dyed hair, and black lipstick. Do you think you are merely absorbing information? You do not think you are also forming opinions/judgments of some nature as well? So called “snap judgments” are not always simple and immutable. They can be complex and are not set in stone.
This is a good example. You said that this woman “didn’t say anything that particularly struck [you] one way or another.” I bet you thought something about her even if it wasn’t clear to you at the time. I mean, was she likeable or not? That’s a judgment. Of course, you probably never could have known she was a pornographic actress, and snap judgments probably aren’t going to be very complicated, but the point is that we make them (so I believe). From an evolutionary biologist’s standpoint, animals of any kind, if they are to survive, probably have to be able to at least tell the difference between friend and foe, and form quick judgments that may help determine who to trust or who to suspect.
I feel like my response is a little scattered, but I hope you can understand how I view this whole “snap judgment” business.
Given that we are living in a conformist society, I still don’t see what is wrong with it. In a non-conformist society, it would totally make sense to hate it. But since we both agree we aren’t talking about that kind of society (if such a society were to exist), I’m not sure what you are going on about.
Well, if it keeps the kids off the streets 
…oh, and I like my penis’ attached to a mature man 
I’ve only watched half of it so far and it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.
Yeah, Anthem, I thought it was pretty great too. People will make fun of and denigrate Chatroulette because of the perverts and the fact that it’s ultimately inferior to face-to-face interaction, but in my view the spirit of CR is creativity and enjoying the company of people random people.
So i gave it a shot and found it to be interesting and annoying, but mostly annoying. I think Chat Roulette gets appeal because of its extreme nature. It’s called “chat roulette” , personally i associate that with the idea of Russian roulette rather than the casino game. Every once in a while (or frequently) you’re going to get something crazy. Maybe good crazy like a free-styling piano artist, but sometimes bad crazy like a penis…
The only two funny one’s I’ve had (and it wasn’t even on chat roulette) was a guy in a mask dancing around as some drunk guy yell “What the fuck!, you’re not a hot girl!” and then disconnect.
Omegle.com seems to be a better site… It promotes a good conversation and has text or video…
Personally i don’t really like the sites… they do nothing for me, usually people are expecting something rather than coming there with something to share. It’s tiring…
I haven’t used Chatroulette since the day I started this thread, and I don’t know if I will go back again, but I just thought it was a neat experience and that those with whom I did engage left a bigger impression on me than the dicks and uninteresting people.
I guess I just like CR as a social experiment. Why do people (and why do I) choose to talk to random strangers? What do people (and what do I) look for in other people? Why does this person want/not want to talk to me? Why do I want/not want to talk to this person? What is the point of me using CR? Can CR be useful to me?
I experimented with the way I used CR. First, I was curious and expectant and more passive. Then I tried to make conversation with just about every non-dick that I met. Then I got pretty bored of trying to make conversation and started to be silly to make people laugh and to amuse myself. I also tried to come up with some simple games that would be fun to play with people–and I found that most people appreciated this because I was sharing something different and engaging them. I’m sure that if I were to continue using CR I would find new and better ways to use it. I think it’s possible that in using CR one can learn things transferable to every-day interaction.
I like how it exposes normal people to the fucked up memes of the internet.
So do teenage pregnancy and PCP.
How about a young hard cock attached to a mature man who knows what he’s doing with it? Would that not be the optimum?
Sadly, there are no such men on chat roulette.
It is quite easy to overtax the human brain’s capacity to take in information.
As I suggested, given the definition of ‘judgment’ it cannot be the result of an automatic process, assuming that such a process even takes place.
Actually, it is. Given the choice between a deliberate judgment and the eternal reliance on superficial snap judgment I say it is better for humans to choose the first wherever possible. As such, a website like chat roulette which encourages the latter is a morally ‘bad’ thing in my eyes. That’s been my argument all along.
If the process by which a judgment is made is automatic then people have no responsibility for it. That just follows.
I essentially agree, which is partly why I think website such as chat roulette which discourage patient reflection and self-criticism are morally ‘bad’ things.
I am not confused, you are claiming something about all people which is manifestly untrue for at least some people, hence your use of language is unclear.
Encouraged to not devote any time more than is strictly necessary, most people come up with pretty inaccurate and obstructive judgments about others. Chat roulette encourages this.
I am not denying that this is the case for a lot of people. What I’m saying is that it is the case for a lot of people BECAUSE of websites like Chat roulette, and other cultural items and rituals which do much the same thing. People do not inherently leap to prejudices. They are encouraged to do so.
As such, it isn’t an inevitable, natural process they are going through. It isn’t an unavoidable part of human nature to behave in this way.
On the contrary, I thought virtually nothing of her. I did not form any judgment about her in any meaningful sense of that term.
Dunno.
Indeed, but it is one that I haven’t made, however much you might like to think otherwise because thinking otherwise supports your desired conclusion.
The point is that some people make them, but not all people all of the time.
I don’t believe evolutionary biology explains anything about human behaviour. Just as I don’t think much to cod psychological nonsense based on unscientific experiments I don’t think much to turning the theory of evolution into a metaphor that explains everything.
I always did understand it, I just fundamentally disagree with you on several points, including your assumption that behaving like this is what everyone does, including me, even though I keep telling you that I don’t. First hand testimony, in your eyes, is trumped by flagrant and willing assumption.
You keep targeting Chatroulette as responsible for encouraging snap judgments. Why are you not targeting people who are prejudiced and biased and narrow-minded in what they look for in others? IF you’re as big on responsibility as you say, why do you not approach the problem this way? First of all, I do not think Chatroulette’s set-up is as disturbing as you seem to be making out. Second, you act like people cannot control themselves and that CR is to blame for what people “choose” to do on CR. I think that a top-down approach to change is in this case less desirable than a bottom-up approach (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-down_and_bottom-up_design#Management_and_organization). I.E. CR is a tool that in my opinion wasn’t created to perpetuate prejudice and narrow-mindedness and I believe that those characteristics are more the result of people and their decisions than CR.
Also, you say people don’t make automatic snap judgments, then say that Chatroulette is bad because it encourages the kinds of judgments you just said don’t occur.
Reconcile these:
I actually said that the process behind the snap judgment can be influenced, changed, and improved. It’s like habituation and being conditioned. Once a person is conditioned to respond a certain way to a stimulus, when that stimulus is presented the person’s response is automatic, and often not a conscious one. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habit_(psychology)) But people are able to change these processes over time by forming new habits and by de-conditioning themselves.
…but chatting on Chatroulette is the better way to spend one’s time, no? or would you advocate ‘teen pregnancy’ and ‘PCP taking’ as better options for the young’uns who frequent the site…? 
Sad for me? I’m not looking to meet anyone for intimate encounters, so that doesn’t matter to me…