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In times of Covid, I've found that serendipity can be found in online parties - I'm specifically referring to https://spatial.chat https://spatial.chat (no affi

In times of Covid, I've found that serendipity can be found in online parties - I'm specifically referring to https://spatial.chat https://spatial.chat (no affiliation). This is able to mimic in-person social interactions in a way that it's not 10 people speaking one at a time. Instead, you can organically form smaller groups according to their camera/avatar X,Y position (volume is inverse to distance). In these "parties" I can meet friends of friends, who I wouldn't normally meet by myself or online. There's enough social pressure to actually listen to someone I don't know that might end up being very interesting.

wporr 6y ago
I didnt have time to talk about it, but I think that the COVID crisis could be helpful for maturing this part of the internet. Its not that I dont think its possible for serendipity to be found online, but that we still need to develop a framework that is able to mimic it well
ImaCake 6y ago
>I'm specifically referring to https://spatial.chat https://spatial.chat I am curious to know more about this for personal and professional reasons but am unwilling to give my email just to find out. Do they have an about page hidden somewhere? Hard to find information on these guys!
- rmellow 6y ago
  Not sure. They only require the host to sign up - guests may join anonymously with the link.
- xtiansimon 6y ago
  > "but am unwilling to give my email" Curious--you have only one email? I've been keeping a junk email for the occasion when I want to look at something without divulging PII. I thought this was the _normal_ way to navigate the wild wild www.
temporaryvector 6y ago
>I'm specifically referring to https://spatial.chat https://spatial.chat Kinda off topic, but I'm starting to see this kind of website design more frequently these days, just a big "Join" button (or something) without any information whatsoever about what is it I'm joining up for. I hate it and I don't know why anyone thinks it's a good idea.
- rmellow 6y ago
  For whatever it's worth, I haven't gotten any sort of spam or followups from them. Haven't bothered to look for a ToS!
  - temporaryvector 6y ago
    The problem isn't so much signing up, the problem is that from their website, without signing up, I have no idea what their service does and what are it's features. A small paragraph and maybe a screenshot would do wonders for my willingness to try their service. But I'm basically complaining for the sake of complaining because I dislike this trend.
- mitch3x3 6y ago
  I had the exact same thought when I saw their website

wporr 6y ago

I didnt have time to talk about it, but I think that the COVID crisis could be helpful for maturing this part of the internet. Its not that I dont think its possible for serendipity to be found online, but that we still need to develop a framework that is able to mimic it well

ImaCake 6y ago

>I'm specifically referring to https://spatial.chat https://spatial.chat I am curious to know more about this for personal and professional reasons but am unwilling to give my email just to find out. Do they have an about page hidden somewhere? Hard to find information on these guys!

rmellow 6y ago
Not sure. They only require the host to sign up - guests may join anonymously with the link.
xtiansimon 6y ago
> "but am unwilling to give my email" Curious--you have only one email? I've been keeping a junk email for the occasion when I want to look at something without divulging PII. I thought this was the _normal_ way to navigate the wild wild www.

temporaryvector 6y ago

>I'm specifically referring to https://spatial.chat https://spatial.chat Kinda off topic, but I'm starting to see this kind of website design more frequently these days, just a big "Join" button (or something) without any information whatsoever about what is it I'm joining up for. I hate it and I don't know why anyone thinks it's a good idea.

rmellow 6y ago
For whatever it's worth, I haven't gotten any sort of spam or followups from them. Haven't bothered to look for a ToS!
- temporaryvector 6y ago
  The problem isn't so much signing up, the problem is that from their website, without signing up, I have no idea what their service does and what are it's features. A small paragraph and maybe a screenshot would do wonders for my willingness to try their service. But I'm basically complaining for the sake of complaining because I dislike this trend.
mitch3x3 6y ago
I had the exact same thought when I saw their website