Chatroulette For News: The Random New York Times App

The spontaneous rash of random connections sparked recently by Chatroullete continue to influence networks as varied as the daily news. During a recent presentation on the future of news media in London, the idea of “a Chatroullette for news” was jokingly mentioned by Chris Thorpe of The Guardian’s Open Content API project.

Motivated by the real-time relevancy of the idea, Daniel Vydra, a software developer who had created a similar program for The Guardian in London, re-purposed the application to support New York Times Routlette. By hitting the app’s button, the program will send users to a random article or site published on NYTimes.com in the past 24 hours.

Many believe that such an application, and others like it, will help more traditional media outlets think about new methods to present and connect content.

Chris Thorpe explains:

“For people who think that paywalls or the iPad are the things that will be the magic bullet that saves the newspaper industry from falling over a cliff I think there’s an easier answer; more random/serendipity please. If you take me to unknown places I’ll read more and I’ll spend more time, be more engaged, you can target me better and I’ll love you and buy things. Bring me wonder and magic and I’ll love you forever.”

New York Times Routlette

[Via BusinessInsider]

image by John Wardell