There is no way to prepare for the ultimate social experience: Chatroulette.

In just three months, this website has attracted over 50,000 users daily, according to The New York Times. The social website, created by Russian 17-year-old Andrey Ternovskiy, drops you into a world of anonymity as it exposes you to a random, never ending succession of strangers via webcam, microphone, and instant message. You have the opportunity to watch, talk and instant message the stranger sitting across from you. Or, you can do none of the above and simply click the “Next” button, which will ditch your current stranger and set you up with a new chatting partner. According to the Chatroulette website, the only rules are that you must be 16-years-old (but who’s keeping track?) and you must be clothed (also not always followed).

Strange but intriguing, I know. But, before you run off to your computer to experience this new fad, you should probably learn more about what you are getting yourself into. The experience resembles a game of roulette; just as the ball randomly spins around the numbered wheel, the Chatroulette user switches from random stranger to random stranger. In fact, entering the magical world of Chatroulette is fairly similar to being set up on a blind date with thousands of random strangers–only you are in cyberspace, connected by a webcam and only half of your dates are fully clothed.

Upon entering the website, you are faced with two empty boxes; the box at the top of the screen is labeled “Stranger” while the box below is labeled “You.” With a quick press of the “Play” button next to the Stranger box, the mysterious world of Chatroulette is opened before you. Within seconds, both webcams are detected and a random stranger on the screen is suddenly staring back at you. From there, the experience is yours. You can video chat, instant message, or do neither. The best (or the worst depending on how you see it) part is that both you and the stranger you are interacting are completely anonymous, giving you the opportunity to be whoever you want to be.

I didn’t think it was fair to hand out Chatroulette tips without fully immersing myself in the experience. So, I set aside 30 minutes of my time, sat down at a computer with my playful companion/scary Asian doll, Little Cletus, and began chatting with random strangers.

I’ll be honest; I didn’t hate it. In fact, despite the five unwanted body parts I was exposed to and the strange man dressed as a clown, I loved Chatroulette-ing. I’m not quite sure what got me. Maybe it was the two little people that danced around a room to the song “Sandstorm” by Darude. Or maybe it was when I smashed Little Cletus’ face against the screen, typed “Hi, I’m little Cletus, want to be my friend??” and proceeded to have a creepy, weird conversation with an innocent Asian boy who spoke little English.

Although my first Chatroulette session was enjoyable, I wish I would have researched the site a little more before I jumped in to things. The most important advice I can give you is to get in there, be alert and have fun. The rest of the Chatroulette experience is yours. Dismiss all your preconceptions, get out there and start chatting with random strangers. Trust me, it’s harmless (for now).

Top Five Tips for New Chatrouletters

It is truly wise for every potential Chatrouletter to read, learn and memorize these five tips before entering the scary, unknown social world of Chatroulette.

1. Enable your webcam and microphone. The whole point of Chatrouletting is to engage in a video chat conversation with a random stranger. Instant messaging people is boring when you have the opportunity to see them face to face, and I guarantee you will be “nexted” if the random stranger cannot see or hear you.
2. Learn the logistics of the “Next” button. Don’t be afraid to “Next” any stranger you encounter. I guarantee that throughout your Chatroulette experience, the “Next” button will become your new best friend; you never know what strange/creepy/vulgar people you will meet and will want to quickly escape from. In addition, do not be offended if you are nexted by someone else; studies show that the average Chatrouletter is nexted several times a minute.
3. Make it memorable. The best way to avoid being nexted by others is to stand out. Take advantage of the fact that these people have no idea who you are. Wear a wig, dance around and have fun with it. Anyone that takes this site seriously is a fool–get out there, be weird and don’t give any stranger a reason to “next” you.
4. Bring a friend. It’s just not as enjoyable or entertaining if you are being weird by yourself. It will be way less awkward, you will have someone to bounce off of and the wonderful world of Chatroulette will be a better place.
5. Expect inappropriateness (see step 2). I’m not going to lie: you are going to see it, and possibly a lot of it. Whether we like it or not, there are dangerous and degrading weirdos in our world that are misusing Chatroulette. Don’t let people exposing body parts ruin your experience, however. The best advice I can give is to expect it, and keep your finger on F9 at all times so you can “Next” anything creepy that comes your way.