A general view of online dating and in particular Irish dating online.

Would you date somebody who had no face? I am not talking about a trip to the cinema with a helmeted motorbike rider or an Egyptian Mummy, I am referring to photoless profiles.

Many Maybefriends users choose not to upload a photo, some are shy, some may not be confident in their appearance or some just could not be bothered. We all appreciate a great personality in a partner but do we click on the profile without the mugshot? The answer is no. Maybefriends profiles that include a photograph receive a lot more hits than those without. So why is this?

Happy go lucky, humorous, boring, brainy, they say our personality is written all over our face. Scientists in Glasgow University have this year proven that people associate facial appearance with personality traits and in most cases their association is proven accurate. Profile photos can give away a lot more than our level of attractiveness but tell us more about the kind of person you are better than any blurb or profile possibly could.

According to a University of Sydney study this month of 200 high street retailers, physical appearance is said to be more important than previous experience when applying for a job. Experts suggest that the results of the study also conclude that employers in the hospitality, tourism and telecommunications industries are equally as guilty.

Appearances do matter and can be helpful in us making a judgement on somebody but that does not mean to say that beauty matters.

A new ABC show is currently airing in America whereby participants living in a house without lights or windows have the opportunity to date each other in a completely darkened setting so as appearances are not a factor. At the end of each episode the participants choose one housemate to be revealed to them in the light of day and then decide whether to walk away or stay with the person they fell for in the dark. Six couples have participated so far and only two have walked away having being revealed to each other. And only one of those was based on physical appearance.

So it appears love really can be blind!

Labels: dating in the dark, Irish online dating, maybefriends

Lets face it, your Maybefriends profile is your calling card to other members. Taking time to create a descriptive, unique profile and keeping it fresh helps you jump off the computer screen and find daters that you really want to be talking to.

However, building a list of your interests and traits can be tricky and can mean looking inwardly and thinking "Hey, how do I actually come across to other people?". Many newbies may be hesitant of the idea of creating a profile and of having to "sell themselves" in just a few short sentences. Also, some of us may find it difficult to articulate the kind of person we are into words without seeming big headed or cocky, or at the other extreme, not giving much away and seeming uninteresting to fellow members and missing out on possible dates.

One option is to get the help of friends and family. Nobody knows us better than those closest to us. We may see ourselves in a particular light, but those around us may well paint a completely different picture of us than the one we had in mind. Friends recognise the little traits that make us who we are and can provide the anecdotes and examples of our humour, creativity, eccentricity and caring that we may forget or overlook in creating a profile specific to us.

The serial dater who has not found that special someone would not go far wrong by having a friend help screen potential dates by searching the site to find suitable matches. We may have a fair idea of what we would like in a partner, but our friends and family may help advise us in the kind of person that would be good in our lives.

Of course, only you can decide if the chemistry exists but you can be confident that your dates have been screened by the people who know you best.

Labels: getting friends help in finding a date, Irish online dating, matchmaking, maybefriends

Conflicting studies into the effects of alcohol on our ability to judge attractiveness mean we are none the wiser.

Two 2008 studies suggest that the assumption that people of the opposite sex appear more attractive after a few pints is true.Strangely enough a University of Bristol study revealed that participants in their research also rated people of their own sex to be more attractive after drinking alcohol.

Scientists in this English study gave 84 heterosexual college students lime-flavoured drinks that were either non-alcoholic or given a dose of vodka equivalent in alcoholic volume to a large glass of wine or a pint-and-a-half of beer. Just ten minutes later the volunteers were shown photos of 40 other college students and researchers recorded a 10% increase in ratings of attractiveness.

In a separate study conducted in Brazil it was revealed that as more alcohol is taken on, drinkers lose their ability to determine facial symmetry, making people appear more attractive.

However a more recent study of 240 men conducted by the University of Leicester in April 2009 found that participants who drank alcohol actually rated all the women they were shown in a set of photos as less attractive, compared to the participants who hadn't drank alcohol. This seemingly flies in the face of the commonly held notion of 'beer goggles'.

So since scientists from all over the world cannot agree on the ancient myth of the beer goggle maybe some of our members can shed some light on the issue.

Beauty is only skin deep but if you have any stories of times when you hooked up with someone you wouldn't usually dream of without a few drinks on board it would be great to hear from you and we will post them on the site. Just e-mail any funny anecdotes to info@maybefriends.com. No names will be mentioned on the site and we will ensure confidentiality.

In the mean time, why not answer our quick questionnaire to help solve the debate?

Click Here to take survey

Labels: Irish online dating, Irish online Dating - Dating Disasters Beer Goggles

This week's blog is from Neha Gupta who recently moved to Dublin from Cashel in Tipperary - here's how she found the experience....

I'm a country girl at heart. I have lived in a small town all my life with a population of only 2000 people. I know almost everyone in my town and my life was smooth and easy until the day I found out about my new job in Dublin city! I was excited but I was also very scared. I was going to move to a big, strange city where I knew nobody. The fear of loneliness was killing me inside - I had no choice but to face it!

Dublin is a very big and busy city. Nobody has time for anyone, compared to my town where everyone always has time for little chats. The culture and atmosphere of a city is totally different from a small town and you notice that the minute to set foot in the place. For country girls like me, big cities are like a whole new world. We are fascinated by small things and forget how to act in a big city! It's tough to fit in with the crowd and people know straight away we are "culchies".

The hardest thing of all is to make new friends. It is so hard to meet new people and the bigger the city the more difficult it is. I have a lot of friends in my home town but when I moved up to Dublin city I knew no one. I was home sick for a month. I didn't know where to go or how to make friends. I made a few friends in work but we were not that close. I used to see them at work and chat a little but that was it. I share a house up here with four other girls and because they all knew each other very well it was hard for me to fit in.

I hated Dublin, I wanted to pack my bags and move back home and I think it's the same story for many people who move to Dublin for either college or work. So how do you make new friends and enjoy city life? Well firstly get to know your housemates and work colleagues more by spending some time with them. Go to every work party and if people from work are going out for a few drinks, don't be shy, join them. It's the best way to get to know them. I didn't go to any work get togethers at the start as I used to get the first bus home after work every Friday!

After about two months, I joined my work colleagues for a few drinks after work and I'm so glad I did. I got know them better and I had a really good time. I also started to spend more time with my housemates by watching TV with them and the odd cinema night out. I then got to meet new people through them. We go to pubs and clubs where I meet their friends and friends of friends. So it is really important to socialise with your work or college colleagues.

One night one of my friend's told me about a dating site - MaybeFriends.com but I just laughed it off. After about a week though I was sitting at home and decided to give Maybefriends.com a shot. I filled in my profile and the next day I had got 3 flirts! I got all excited and I flirted back and without me even realising it I was on the site every night after work - it can be really addictive! I have got to know a lot of people through the site and made quite a few friends both men and women - many of them in the same situation as me. I'm due to go on my first date from the site next week!

Moving to a big city is tough but we can turn the challenge into a fun situation by socialising both on and off line - so don't turn the big move into a horrible experience, get out and make new friends and enjoy the buzzing life the city is offering!

Labels: city, country, friends, friendship, Irish online dating

Hi, Last weeks poll was about what you would least like to give up and in true Irish fashion Drink came in at number one at 26%! I think it is a reflection on our society and how it has changed over the last 10 years as the next one you would least like to give up is the Internet and TV came in last at just 11%.

This weeks poll is about how long you talk to someone online before dating them - I'm really interested in seeing the results of that.

Last weeks winner of the best comment was Jemimapuddleduck - congratulation JPD!

We have busy week of events ahead of us this week with the Meet and Greet on Wednesday and the Limerick night out and Dublin Bank holiday get to gether on Saturday so I hope plenty of you will attend. Talk to you soon.

Best comment of the week wins a months free membership to MaybeFriends.com - Great People. Great Friends. Great Dates.

Labels: Irish online dating

I was in the chat room last night with some really nice members and an interesting conversation arose. When using an Online Dating Site should women make the first contact with a guy? Well here in Maybefriends.com we did a survey sometime ago and over 75% of respondants said of course women should make the first contact if they want to. But as with so many things, what you think and what you do are two different things. It seems that, according to the boys, women on the site are a little shy about making the first move. So today I challenge all women on the site to contact at least one guy - and then wait and see what happens. You can let me know the results - can't wait to hear.

Labels: Irish online dating