In 2007 Eric Holzle founded a service called scientificmatch.com as a DNA matchmaking site for those living in the Boston/Providence region.  The service is based on three MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) gene pairs that are found in humans.  These alleles are said to indicate a connection between the attractiveness of smells of a potential mate, happiness and compatibility as a couple, and healthiness of offspring.  Some scientific research has shown that the greater the difference between the three gene pairs in the man and woman, the better the match.

Holzle’s matchmaking exploration was inspired by Claus Wedekind’s 1994 “sweaty T-shirt experiment” at the Zoological Institute at Bern University in Switzerland.  The experiment tested sweat smells, attractiveness, and MHC to find the correlation between these elements.  If humans fit in with the theory of evolution, the natural scents that humans emit and are attracted to in one another could be directly connected to the ability of the two to mate successfully (which in modern times would mean to have a happy lifelong monogamous relationship and healthy children).

Why go through the trouble of matching hobbies and values if, in the end, you just aren’t going to be attracted to each other?  Wouldn’t it be nice to find out if you’ll be able to have healthy babies before you even go on the first date?  Holzle believes that scientificmatch.com is the future of matchmaking, but he needs more participants to continue his research.  The cost of a lifelong membership is $1,995.95 so the high price is definitely going to be a factor that dissuades curious singles from experimenting with this new type of service.

The jury is definitely still out on the success of this type of matchmaking and I predict many many years before we will be able to have conclusive results.  If “health of offspring” is a benefit to this type of dating service, then companies like this are going to need to follow up on successful couples who have children to quantify this factor.  The results from experiments so far have been inconclusive and Holzle’s site hasn’t had enough participants to even propose a success rate at this point, but I am extremely curious to see how these scientific ideas find their way into modern matchmaking.

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Post from: Blisstree

DNA-Based Dating Services

TangoWire is a network of more than 70 online dating communities. Each community targets “both general and specialized areas of interests.”  They make a big point of saying that they will never share or sell your private information and you will receive no spam.

It says that the membership is free and with membership you can send and receive email, create a profile, and “smile” at other members, put from the way it’s worded here, it sounds as if you do have to pay to become a “premium” member at some point. Why do they do the tricky wording? 

If you give U.S. Military Singles a try, let me know how it goes. And remember to avoid these  online dating mistakes – when you do reply, focus on personality-based comments, not looks. Research shows you are more likely to get a response that way. Good luck!

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Post from: Blisstree

Online Dating For US Military Singles

Only one in three of the first messages sent by members of dating site OKCupid.com ever get a response (sorry guys, the rate is only 27 per cent for you).

According to dating experts, this is because people don’t realize that the same rules of engagement apply on the Internet. The team at OKCupid recently pored over 500,000 first messages sent by the site’s members and tracked response rates. If you’re striking out, it may be because you’re committing one of these sins.

The sins are as follows….

* Your first response focuses too much on how attractive you find a person’s photo. Instead of calling someone “sexy” or “beautiful,” mention how “cool” you find it that you share their interest in hiking.  Comments that are “personality-based” are shown to get a much higher response rate.

* Using “netspeak.” Communicate using full words, not any sort of chat-type shorthand. Make sure that your message is clear and free from typos or spelling errors. without knowing you personally, a lot of weight is put on your message and if you look careless in one area, it will be assumed that you are careless in others, as well.

* Your opening title simply says “hello.”  Responses such as “how’s it going” or “what’s up” get higher responses because they are written as a question, an invitation.  Give someone an opening and they will feel much more comfortable contacting you.

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Post from: Blisstree

Online Daters, Avoid These Mistakes

For the next step, Chemistry.com will send you up to 5 matches a day. These matches are suited to your personality, as identified by your Personality Profile quiz. In addition, they will notify you when someone is interested in meeting you.

After that there’s the 1.2.3. MEET Process which is where you get to know members online. You can ask short questions and start emailing at this point.

Chemistry.com has a section called Relationship Central. It’s here that you can find helpful articles on topics like, “Are you Ready to Find the One,” or “Romantic Chemistry, Explained.”

I’m curious if the free communication weekend really gives you a enough time to find someone. A few years back, I tried the Free eHarmony weekend and the process was so slow that I never even got to the email part of the meeting before the weekend was over. If you take part, please come back and let me know how it went.

If you are looking for some online dating guidance, Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering A Pizza is a big help. Explains the internet dating process and how to best  make it work for you.

Good luck!

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Post from: Blisstree

Free Communication at Chemistry.com

*They already have “Millions of members”

*They offer scientific compatibility testing

*They screen members for martial status

*They screen members for prior criminal activity (Felons need not apply. They are serious. They run members through a US Criminal Database before allowing them to contact other members).

We require that members provide their legal first and last name, as well as their date of birth (they must also certify that the information they provide is correct). We also resubmit a member for screening if he or she attempts to communicate with another member and it has been more than 90 days since the last screening.

We turn away tens of thousands of felons, sex offenders and marrieds who, despite our warnings, try to communicate with our TRUE members. At TRUE, we take our members’ safety seriously. We don’t want felons , sex offenders or marrieds on our website, period.

True has an online magazine called True U that offers advice on dating and romantic relationships. It’s staffed with “…internationally recognized psychologists, award-winning writers and experienced relationship experts.” 

It’s free to register at True. I think you have to pay at some point, because the bottom of the “home” page has a list of credit card icons, but it’s hard to find out for sure without setting up a membership account.   

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Post from: Blisstree

Dating Service Endorsed by Psychology Today

It’s LawDate, the “Attorney Dating System.”  Today is the official launch date for the new service that was founded by Wendy C. Freedman, CEO of The Dolce Network, Inc., and an attorney herself.

The Dolce Network, Inc., was created to help eligible professionals meet other people in their field (and beyond). Other online dating sites that will be launched shortly include TheDrDate.com, CapitoHillDate.com, and EntertainmentIndustryDate.com.

The purpose of the service is to match up singles with like-minded interests, personality, and I’m guessing lifestyle, since the name of the company and the target client – lawyers -  is right there in the title.

Singles are not limited to the matches they receive, but will be able to search other members based on interests and preferences.

Some of the services offered at LawDate.com include areas where members can chat, blog, or participate in forums and bulletin boards.

To subscribe to the service, you do need to pay, but if you subscribe for 3 or 6 months, you get 1 month free.

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Post from: Blisstree

Find Yourself a Lawyer With LawDate.com

*Promote Yourself. Sometimes it’s hard to highlight your strengths without feeling like you are bragging. If you find yourself in this situation ask a friend to help you write your profile. She won’t have the same trouble singing your praises. Building you up, that’s the kind of thing that good friends come by naturally.

*Eschew the generic descriptive words. Avoid words like “nice,” “fun,” or interests that are too simply described. For example, if you like sports, be specific. Tell about the latest Century biking event you took part in or the time you camped your way up the Pacific Coast.

*Cast a wide net.  Okay, I heard that one from Daisy, of Daisy in Love fame last night. (No I am not embarrassed that I watch that show. A girl needs an escape after all….). Avoid pointing out what you are not interested in. It makes you sound negative and high maintenance. It won’t take long to figure a guy isn’t for you, but if you start with that, you run the risk of turning off the kind of guy you might be interested in.

*Don’t be a blabbermouth. I’m not advocating dishonesty, but you don’t have to tell your life story right off the bat. Here’s where I disagree with Cosmo – they suggest it’s okay to tell a “white lie.” I say why bother? It will all come out in the end and you will end up looking like a liar or an idiot. Be honest, but don’t embrace “brutal honesty.”

*Chose your photo carefully. Men like to see at least one full-length photo. Photos of you relaxed and having fun are a plus. No photos with other men, not even if it’s a family member.

Good luck.

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Post from: Blisstree

Five Online Dating Tips

*Date A Cougar. The first thing I have to say about this site is that the front page features a pretty woman in lingerie. Not very subtle, really kind of icky, but it’s billed as “the #1 Cougar Dating Community on the net.” Date A Cougar is a paid service, but there is a free 3 day intro available.  This service is for older woman/younger man couples.

*Smooch.com. Smooch is a free service. Free to put an ad up, free to message, free to email. Free, free, free.

*flirt140.com. Do you tweet?  Twitter users can register with flirt140.com to meet up with other singles. This free service allows the user to tag their account with descriptive words and/or interests. For example, click “biking” and it takes the clicker to a list of members who share that interest.

*Love Me Love My Pets.com.  Is your pet like a member of your family?  Then, check out Love Me Love My Pets.com.  This is a free service and probably a good idea if you have run into people who don’t understand your cat in the past. (Luckily, my boyfriend likes my cat and she’s a little dangerous, trust me).

Good luck!

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Post from: Blisstree

New Online Dating Sites

My friends at Zoosk.com emailed recently with some great tips, I figured they were worth considering and chatting about!

1. Show what you are all about.

The idea is to put yourself in the best light, but also to show your true personality. List your favorite songs instead of saying something like “I like alternative rock.”

2. Use spell check!

Don’t type lyk u spended teh laste 10 yeers uv ur lyfe doin IM. Your computer has spell check. Use it. A sloppy profile reflects poorly on you as a person. It implies that you don’t care or are not putting much effort into finding a date. We know that is not true because why else would you maintain an online dating profile?

3. Keep your profile updated.

I have a tendency to get lazy in my own dating profile, and that’s dumb. Sure, you have created a profile and uploaded a picture, but that ain’t gonna cut it. On a weekly basis, make updates to your profile. Add new pictures and new information about your interests. If you can’t commit to your dating profile, how will you to dating???

Image: Sxc.hu

Post from: Blisstree

Online Dating Tips