Match.com stats:

Total profile views: 1516 (14 since yesterday)

New received emails: 1 unsolicited, 1 solicited

New winks: 1

Optimism level: Hoping to catch some last-minute deals before the shops close.

I have a confession to make: I have more than one Match profile online. I had to do it to accommodate all my personalities. Ok, not quite. I have multiple profiles for various reasons, primarily relating to privacy (due to both this blog and my Match searches). But everything I’ve written about in my blog and all the stats relate solely to one legitimate profile. I do feel somewhat bad when a guy winks or writes to a vacant profile but I figure one has to be thick skinned to navigate the online dating waters. I will say that some guys really get around with their emails and winks. Good for them. Believe it or not, I haven’t analyzed how different yet similar profiles garner varied responses but such a study would probably provide some good insight as to what makes a profile effective. I’ll leave that research to someone who actually has a vested interest in the outcome. Then I’ll probably pay that person $50 to teach me what I could have figured out on my own for free.

The reason I mention having more than one profile is that it’s clued me into a few aspects of Match I wouldn’t have known with just my member profile. For one thing, I recently noticed that if a person includes their email address in a letter to a non-member, it’s either removed or replaced with the sender’s match address (ruining my theory that it never hurts to include your personal email address). I understand why Match does this but I think their website should divulge this practice. It makes me wonder if any other email screening is done without the members’ knowledge.

Another policy I wouldn’t have known about is that, as of three days ago, Match no longer allows non-members to view any emails they’ve received. They simply alert the non-members to the fact that they have new mail. I think that’s a big mistake on Match’s part as I believe reading a letter from a good prospect could be the incentive someone needs to join. If anything, I think Match should offer limited subscriptions, like one email for $5. I seriously doubt many people connect on the first try and even if they did, they’d need to purchase a membership in order to get the other person’s contact information. Financially, Match would make out fine. Instead, they’ll now have members emailing non-members who may be great matches but the sender won’t know the other person never even received it. I also predict that a lot of people who aren’t current subscribers will remove or hide their profiles thus decreasing the number of potential matches. So between this policy change, the holidays and the pending lawsuit against Match.com, I really picked a great time to subscribe.

EMAIL #1: This guy wrote an almost perfect email- he showed good energy and personality, provided proof he read my profile, included a quick blurb about himself and avoided spelling and grammatical mistakes in the process. I say “almost” because of one small element. It’s insignificant but I’ll disclose it anyway. He titled the email: Runs With Scissors. The body started with:

OK, I don’t run with scissors, but I thought the subject might catch your eye and stand out a little. Guess it’s working….

First of all, he didn’t really need to explain that he doesn’t run with scissors. It would be one thing if he’d written “I Club Baby Seals,” but I doubt running with scissors is a deal-breaker for anybody. He sounds pretty proud that his title reeled me in. The fact is, I didn’t read his email because the subject caught my eye. I read his email simply because it was in my mailbox. Maybe he thinks women get so many emails that we just scan the subjects and only open the ones that really stand out. Strangely, he didn’t use his own attention-getting tactic on his profile, which is where it’s really important. I suppose it’s difficult for most people to come up with a profile title as compelling as “Recluse adult film star…”

I recognized his profile, having viewed it when it appeared in one of my searches. At the time, I probably passed it over because nothing really sparked my interest. There’s no indication of any shared passions nor is there even mention of something foreign that I might find intriguing. But again, I really like his energy in his profile. I’m going to write him back. Yeah, yeah, I’ve said that before but you can hold me to it this time. I’m going with the “What have I got to lose?” flow right now. I’ll send him a quick note and see what happens. With my record, it probably won’t proceed past a couple emails anyway. Moved to folder: Seriously, I’m gonna write him.

EMAIL RESPONSE #1: I received a reply from the Adventure Man I wrote to yesterday. I’ll call him that because his pictures and profile conjure visions of him swimming among sharks in Australia then heli-skiing in the Swiss Alps. For all I know he’s probably an accountant with a bad back who watches tv on weekends. His reply was fairly brief- just a few lines centered around one of the interests listed on my profile. He asked me a couple questions and offered some comments regarding his own involvement with that activity. Nothing to get excited about but it’s a start. Moved to folder: Try not to screw this one up.