Status

Submitted as part of MSc dissertation. May revisit and develop further in the future.

Overview

Chat Space is a full-stack web application that connects two users for a short, anonymous, topic-based conversation. Users are connected if they select the same topic. Each chat lasts 30 minutes and then closes automatically and deletes all logs for safety and privacy. The platform was built as part of an MSc Computer Science project focusing on privacy-preserving communication design.

Aims

• Create a functioning prototype that allows anonymous, topic-based one-on-one chat sessions
• Limit data collection and storage to the bare minimum
• Explore how design choices can reduce the risk of misuse without compromising user anonymity

Features

• Anonymous topic-based matching
• 30-minute timed chat rooms
• REST APIs for matching, messaging, and room lifecycle
• Automatic session expiry + cleanup
• React chat interface with live message updates
• Deployed on Render for public access and testing

Stack

• Backend: Java (Spring Boot)
• Frontend: React
• Deployment: Render
• Testing: JUnit, Postman, User Testing
• Version Control: Git, GitHub

Project Structure

/backend -- Spring Boot application

/frontend -- React application

Live Demo

https://chatspace-iepy.onrender.com/

This demo uses free-tier hosting, so the server may take up to one minute to start after a period of inactivity. If the chat does not load immediately after selecting “Start Chat,” please allow a short moment for the service to wake up.