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Randonautica

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Randonautica
Developer(s)Randonauts LLC
Initial releaseFebruary 22, 2020
Stable release
v. 2.16.4 (Android), v. 15.0.0 (iOS)
Operating systemiOS
Android
Available inEnglish, Spanish, Russian, German, French, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Turkish
TypeAlternate Reality Game
Websitewww.randonautica.com Edit this on Wikidata

Randonautica (a portmanteau of "random" + "nautica") is an app launched on February 22, 2020 founded by Auburn Salcedo and Joshua Lengfelder. It randomly generates coordinates that enable the user to explore their local area and report on their findings. According to its creators, the app is "an attractor of strange things," letting one choose specific coordinates based on a certain theme.[1] It gained controversy after a report of two teenagers coincidentally finding a corpse while using the app.

Overview

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The app, which creators claim to be inspired by chaos theory and Guy Debord's Theory of the Dérive,[2] offers its users three types of coordinates to choose from: an attractor, a void, or an anomaly.[3] The app has a cult following on YouTube and TikTok and there is a subreddit made by the creators for users of the app.[3]

History

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29-year-old circus performer Joshua Lengfelder discovered a bot called Fatum Project in a fringe science chat group on Telegram in January 2019. According to The New York Times, "He absorbed the project’s theories about how random exploration could break people out of their predetermined realities, and how people could influence random outcomes with their minds." Lengfelder then created a Telegram bot using Fatum Project's code, generating coordinates. He then created the subreddit r/randonauts in March. In October, developer Simon Nishi McCorkindale made the bot's webpage.[4]

With the help of Auburn Salcedo, chief executive of a TV agency, both created Randonauts LLC. Salcedo became the chief operating officer while Lengfelder was the CEO. The app, called Randonautica, was launched on February 22, 2020.[4] Later the same year the app and back-end got completely overhauled by a new team of developers and got a more visual and friendlier design and logo.

In April 2022 Lengfelder exited Randonauts LLC and Auburn Salcedo became CEO.

Reception

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The app has as many as 10.8 million users as of July 2020,[4] gaining popularity amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States as restrictions have been lightened.[5] Emma Chamberlain made a YouTube video about the app that helped increase its following.[2] i-D reported that the hashtag #randonautica has gained 176.5 million views on TikTok,[6] although it has not marketed itself yet.[7]

Controversy

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"When you’re sending millions of people to random locations and searching the hidden corners of reality, you’re bound to find some pretty shocking stuff sometimes. It’s not the best press, but I’m not really that upset about it, because it’s kind of cool. I kind of wish it was me who found it."

- Joshua Lengfelder, founder of Randonautica, in response to the controversial video.

With the app's popularity users started reporting coincidences which many find unsettling. The majority of reports were from TikTok and Reddit,[8] as well as Telegram.[9]

The most notable controversy involved a group of people heading to a beach in Duwamish Head, Puget Sound, West Seattle per the app, where they found a bag with two dead bodies, a 27-year-old male and a 36-year-old female, as reported by the Seattle Police homicide detectives.[10][11] In August 2020 police arrested and charged their landlord, Michael Lee Dudley, in connection with the murders.[12] In March 2021, Dudley was denied bail while other people were under suspicion of aiding Dudley in the dismemberment and disposal of the bodies, but no one else had been charged.[13] This has caused speculation that the app has an intended, puzzle-like theme, however Lengfelder stated that it is "a shocking coincidence."[7] Salcedo called the videos fake, and that "It’s so hard to manage, because people are really taking creative liberties after seeing how much traction the app is getting in that fear factor."[4] In 2022, Michael Dudley was convicted of second degree murder for killing both victims, who were identified as Jessica Lewis and Austin Wenner. He was sentenced to 46 years in prison the following year.[14]

In their questions page, Randonautica's creators have said that if the app generates coordinates inside a private property, it is a violation of their terms and conditions to trespass. In addition, Randonautica has also received allegations that the app is used for human trafficking, which its creators have denied, saying that data collected by the app are anonymous. It also ensured that the app is not designed to violate religious customs, saying that "the app is simply a tool. Just as a knife can be used either to prepare dinner or to cut somebody."[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The App of the Summer Is Just a Random-Number Generator". The Atlantic. July 21, 2020. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "How Does Randonautica Work? The Creepy, TikTok Famous App Can Help You Realize Intentions". Bustle. Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Randonautica explained: what it is and how to use it". Pocket Tactics. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Wilson, Lena (July 31, 2020). "What Is Randonautica Really About?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  5. ^ "Teens Find Body in Suitcase on Beach While Using Random Geographic Explorer App". Inside Edition. June 22, 2020. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  6. ^ Schofield, Daisy (July 1, 2020). "Randonauting: The random coordinates app leading TikTok users to dead bodies". i-D. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Lampen, Claire (July 2, 2020). "A Mystical, TikTok-Famous App Led Teens to a Dead Body". The Cut. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  8. ^ Emanuel, Daniella (July 2020). "19 Really Freaky Coincidences People Have Experienced While Using Randonautica". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  9. ^ "Рандонавтинг // Randonautica". Telegram. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  10. ^ Tiffany, Kaitlyn (July 21, 2020). "The App of the Summer Is Just a Random-Number Generator". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  11. ^ "Detectives Investigating After Human Remains Found in West Seattle". spdblotter.seattle.gov. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  12. ^ "Michael Lee Dudley charged with two counts of murder in the second degree | Westside Seattle". www.westsideseattle.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  13. ^ "Double murder suspect Michael Dudley denied bail reduction in court hearing | Westside Seattle". www.westsideseattle.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  14. ^ "Burien landlord sentenced to over 46 years in prison for killing, dismembering tenants". KING-TV. April 7, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  15. ^ "Got Questions?". www.randonautica.com. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
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