RIP to the internet’s totally out-the-gate wild child Omegle.
After 14 years of connecting people, pervs, and everyone in between from all corners of the globe, the video chat room website has officially shut down.
For those of you who hadn’t got the chance to experience the site in all its glory, Omegle was essentially playing video Russian Roulette with strangers - you never knew who you'd end up chatting with.
It was a go-to sleepover activity for many teens, a place for people to feel less lonely, receive unbiased advice or simply for people with similar interests to connect.
In my time using the website I’ve experienced quirky musicians, hoped to have come across famous YouTubers who surprised their fans and made foreign friends who I still follow on socials to this day.
Let's take a look back at some of the most iconic viral moments to come from Omegle.
This man shook almost every user he came across simply because of his jaw-dropping good looks.
This donald duck puppet surprising strangers on the website is absolutely hilarious.
And let's not forget the wild potty mouth on this 9-year-old.
Admitadely, it was a risky game, ‘cause more often than not you’d come across someone who thought clothes were optional for online conversations, IYKYK.
Unfortunately, the latter is what Omegle became widely known for.
Many OG users of Omegle have been sharing their mixed feelings about the website's death, with one writing: “This is so sad considering I’ve found so many friends on there but good bc things were starting to get weird.”
“Oh, they just saved the next generation a lifetime of trauma,” another user said.
While a third wrote a letter calling it the “end of an era”.
Now, if you attempt to visit the once iconic site, you're met with a virtual graveyard complete with a heartfelt goodbye from its founder, Leif Brooks.
“Unfortunately, what is right doesn’t always prevail. As much as I wish circumstances were different, the stress and expense of this fight – coupled with the existing stress and expense of operating Omegle, and fighting its misuse – are simply too much. Operating Omegle is no longer sustainable, financially nor psychologically,” he said.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who used Omegle for positive purposes, and to everyone who contributed to the site’s success in any way,” he signed off.
At the end of the day, I think we can all agree it was its time, but it doesn't make it any less painful.
Rest in pixels, Omegle, and may your weird yet wonderful legacy live on in our internet history tabs.
