Paltalk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Paltalk | |
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| Developer: | AVM Software |
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| Latest release: | 9.0 Build 180 / January 21, 2007 |
| OS: | 2000/2003/XP |
| Use: | |
| License: | Proprietary |
| Website: | www.paltalk.com |
Paltalk is a Web-based text, chat service for voice and video chatting. The Paltalk Messenger program is available in a free, banner-supported format as well as an ad-free version that requires users to subscribe.
It is a privately held New York based company founded in 1998. Paltalk claims 4 million users worldwide, making it the largest voice and video chat community on the World Wide Web. It also owns and operates HearMe, a video and voice-enabled web conferencing service that allows users to conduct group meetings.
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[edit] Features
The service provides access to several thousand video-enabled chat rooms in which users can interact one-on-one or with large groups of people simultaneously. Additionally, Paltalk doubles as a conventional instant messaging service, allowing users to interact via Yahoo!, ICQ, and AIM/AOL messengers with a single buddy list.
Paltalk users can find and meet each other via Paltalk People, a social networking site. The site allows users to create and post their own personalized profile displaying photos and listing hobbies, interests etc. Users can then browse or search the database for keywords and view any profile that matches their query.
Categorized chat rooms are also offered, with the most popular being finance, religion, distance learning, politics, culture and music chat rooms where people play and/or sing songs. The chat rooms have a queue system which allows users to "raise their hand" and wait in line for their turn. Users have the ability to create and moderate their own chat rooms, however Paltalk employs more than 650 trained administrators to ensure that discussions are appropriate and do not violate Paltalk terms of service.
[edit] Media coverage
Paltalk has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, The Dallas Morning News, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Miami Herald, The Philadelphia Inquirer, New York Post and CNET among others.
As well as coverage by mainstream media it is also used by various prominent services including the following.
- It is is used on the Opie and Anthony Radio show. The pair have a camera set up in the studio and often talk about it on the show. The company has also received publicity for hosting live chats with numerous celebrities and influential personalities and politicians including Reverend Jesse Jackson, Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky hosted by The People Speak Radio Show, Dan Burstein, and family therapist Kim West a.k.a. “the Sleep Lady”.
- It is also heavily advertised by Wade Fulp of Newgrounds, he made a thread in the NG BBS saying "Come on Paltalk!", making a chat room for Newgrounds fans.
[edit] Service Levels
Paltalk users have the options to subscribe to different service levels as under:
- 1. Black Nicks: Free service of Paltalk having the ability to use the program for audio chat, publishing videos, transferring files, adding up to 199 users in Pal List. Users with black nicks have banner ads supported Paltalk (meaning by they will see ad banners in all chat Rooms/ Instant Messaging (IM) Windows.
- 2. Blue Nicks: Paid service called Paltalk Plus that gives the users the ability of audio chat, publishing videos, view streaming videos up to 6 cams simultaneously at upto 5fps stream rate, transferring files, ability to join 3 voice rooms simultaneously, adding up to 499 members in Pal List. Users with Blue Nicks have the option to enable/ disable banner ads on the program.
- 3. Green Nicks: Paid service named Patalk x-treme to provide an opportunity to such members of audio chat, publishing videos, view as many cams as they may like with a stream rate up to 15fps, transferring files, adding upto 999 members in Pal List. Members with x-treme subscriptions can join up to 3 voice rooms simultaneously and have the option to enable/ disable banner ads.
- 4. Purple Nicks: At the time that PalTalk version 9 was introduced, certain Paltalk Extreme members were given the opportunity to become "PalTalk VIPs". Members who accepted this change had their nicknames change to purple, however aside from this there are no other obvious benefits or responsibilities associated with the new status. The criteria for being asked to become a VIP are unknown, although the criterion for keeping a purple nick once assigned is that the account must be kept paid up.
[edit] Moderation/ Administration
The Paltalk Administration consists of tiers each having his/her own level of powers within the program. All Paltalk volunteers/employees have red nicknames. They are listed below according to rank, from lowest to highest.
- XXXXX(host)- not an official employee, but a volunteer generally chosen to assist users, mainly in the International Help Lobbies of PalTalk (other languages, from Arabic to Dutch, Turkish, Vietnamese, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Portuguese, Hungarian, Urdu and others).
- XXXXX(palhost)- not an official employee, but a volunteer generally chosen to assist users.
- XXXXX(palhelp)- not an official employee, but a volunteer generally chosen to assist users.
- XXXXX(palsupport)- a volunteer as well, though with slightly more prestige than the afore mentioned due to the fact that the word 'support' alone indicates some type of authentic affiliation with PalTalk corp. and secondly because they do possess the ability to lie in stealth mode within public rooms. Qualified to assist users or rather, to summarize the problem and then refer that user to a higher up for assistance.
- XXXXX(paltech)- considered a step up from being merely a palsupport agent among their ilk. These volunteers have been promoted due to their technical prowess and knowledge/experience of and with the PalTalk program itself.
[edit] Controversy
Paltalk was once criticized for allegedly installing the MySearch toolbar from MyWay without the users knowledge[1], however they no longer engage in this practice. The installation occurred due to users not unticking the toolbar inside the advanced section when installing. MySearch toolbar was usually installed unbeknownst to the user due to this. PalTalk now offers Google toolbar, as well as Google Desktop, both of which can be deselected by the user before installation.
[edit] Live Suicide on Paltalk
On Friday, 23 March 2007 a UK man killed himself by hanging live on his webcam in an 'insult' room on PalTalk. Many chat room members were telling him to do it until they realized it was for real and not a prank as they first thought. The police were called but did not arrive in time and he was pronounced dead at the scene.[2]
[edit] Paltalk Clans
Paltalk has attracted many clans, which are groups of programmers and hackers who make programs to disrupt or enhance the paltalk experience for the members of these clans or users of Paltalk. One of the most popular of these clans was H2KClan who produced many programs during the time they spent on Paltalk.
