Because it's been a phenomenally successful concept that millions already understand conceptually. And because it highlights their USP -- live, instant matching of language partners -- when their competitors who use vanilla video chat services require you to schedule online conferences.
'The something-of-something-else' pattern is incredibly useful as a means of introducing new services and ideas. (My favourite is from Ronald Shusett and Dan O'Bannon, who famously pitched the film 'Alien' as 'Jaws in space'.) Sure -- you might take on the negative elements of the service you're comparing yourselves with as well as the positive ones, but as long as you have answers for those questions (e.g. "Good question. Our community is self-policing, and we review and ban users who misbehave."), then I see little harm in it.
Is it a platform for gambling in different languages? Is probably the response you'll get from "chat roulette for languages"
Many people on the street know exactly what it is: penises.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gNyDZmQyeY
Probably best if Verbling doesn't associate themselves with that ;)
The meaning I obtained was exactly what he initially meant. A place where you can be hook up to another person in the world, but with the explicit intention of practicing a language that's foreign to one and native to the other.
There is no shame in piggy-backing anyway, wasn't even someone famous who said: "If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants."
Not saying that chatroulette is a _giant_ per se, but what they did in so few days was, well, a giant achievement (news, users, concept).
At the risk of appeal to authority:
"In fact, I explicitly tell YC startups to explain themselves to investors as "the x of y" whenever possible."
-pg
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1216008 http://www.paulgraham.com/investors.html (see point 14)
"The x of y" can be okay for consumers too, but only a select few brands are familiar to mainstream consumers. e.g. " Facebook for businesses" or "Google for real estate" work.
Penis aside, ChatRoulette too obscure for most people and especially a long time after its peak.
While I'm with you on the concern with the tainted associated, I couldn't disagree more with the above sentiment. Conveying something in a few words incredibly powerful and incredibly hard... Starting with something your audience is familiar with is an incredible asset.
It doesn't cheapen the movie "Alien" to pitch it as "Jaws on a spaceship". (hat tip to the book "Made to Stick").
I hate when a company is the something for something else. Be unique. How about Video Chat For Language Learning. Why bring chat roulette into it? Break free and then Chatroulette can become the Verbly for wanting to speak your native language to another penis.
It just seems with all of the abuse that chatroulette gets it would be smart to try and separate yourself from them.