ChatRoulette is an Internet social networking phenomenon that has seen a dramatic expansion in popularity since it was created in December. The premise is simple; users hook up a webcam to a computer, hit the "Play" button, and then are free to engage in conversations with random strangers. If the stranger is unappealing or perverted, the user can hit a "Next" button and start a new conversation with another stranger.

Trent Shrader, sophomore in pre-veterinary medicine, uses ChatRoulette occasionally and thinks some of the people on the site don't have the best intentions.

"It's a lot of fun when you're bored, and a good way to pass the time," Shrader said. "If you're on it alone, it's kind of creepy occasionally. You can run into some weird people on there, but if you're on it with friends and just messing around it's a good time."

Meeting interesting strangers is the major appeal of ChatRoulette, and all the meetings are transitory. One moment a user can be talking to a student in Russia, and the next moment they'll be talking with a couple from New York.

Alternatives are starting to develop that have the goal of eliminating some of the unsavory elements festering in ChatRoulette. Recently, CampusLIVE, a Massachusetts-based social networking company, established its own version of ChatRoulette that allows users to either meet random strangers ChatRoulette style or connect with friends.

Users must have a college email address in order to use the service, removing middle age users and high school kids from CampusLIVE.

Chris Ziomek, director of business development at CampusLIVE, said CampusLIVE is trying to make a great idea better by making it only for college students.

"We're kind of ahead of the curve in real time social networking; we're trying to get across campus diversity," Ziomek said.

CampusLIVE's video chatting service is also a chance to make a more lasting connection than that formed on ChatRoulette because it has an option to add the people you're talking to as friends on Facebook.com.

The video chat service was launched two weeks ago, and in the first four days about 10,000 students used the program.

Taylor Robillard, freshman in construction science, said CampusLIVE was a nice change, and was getting tired of ChatRoulette.

"It was better than ChatRoulette because I didn't have to wait a long time to find someone who was actually interesting to talk to." Robillard said. "I mean it's all college students, not a bunch of old creepers."

Users still need to be careful though; there is still the potential to meet college students who are using CampusLIVE for the wrong reasons.