The Hot New Way to Hook Up
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Online hook-ups spell daggy and desperate, right? Wrong. A new site is set to change all that and more.

It was like any regular chat between mates. Late last year a group of six friends from Sydney, including Louise Jackson, a psychologist, got talking over dinner about the dating scene in Oz.

Between them they had loads of single friends; now, if only there was a way to introduce them
Fast forward a few months and their brainchild Meet My Friend, www.meetmyfriend.com.au, is being deemed the way of the future in online dating. Officially launched on Valentines Day, the dating and social networking website is the first of its kind in Australia. Unlike most dating sites, perceived as uncool avenues to romance, it’s based on the six degrees of separation philosophy.

In fact, website membership has grown from a genuine pool of the six founders’ friends, the majority of members in their 20s and 30s. The best bit? Members get to meet people through a trusted source – their friends.
You can either join as yourself and nominate a friend to write your profile,” explains co-founder Louise, 33. “Or you can write a profile about a single friend and send it to them for their approval. Either way, your friend writes your profile, which means you don’t need to uncomfortably ‘sell yourself’’.”
There’s room for humour, too. “Recently a guy wrote on his mate’s profile,

‘Well, I think Stu’s a bit ugly, but girls seems to dig him’, while a girl responded to her own with ‘You forgot to mention the double Ds’. People add their own twists, which creates a more honest picture of the would-be dater.”

From there, you and your friends can access online prospects and either make contact directly or put them in your ‘favourites’ folder which means you’ve been checking them out – almost like making the first move. “Traditionally, internet dating is a solitary experience; having a friend help you through the process makes it fun and much more real.”

Sydneysider Emily Scobie, 25, has Meet My Friend to thank for her budding romance with Ben, 27. They met through a mutual friend on the site two months ago. “I’ve never been into internet dating but this seemed like a different approach; I didn’t want to write my own profile and self-profess my good points in search of a guy,” she explains.

“I was single for a year before signing up, but within two weeks I’d met Ben. I liked his profile – and pic! And we had similar interests; he works in marketing, I work in advertising. I know it’s early stages but things are going well and I’m really happy.”

So, next time you or a friend craves a relationship status boost, consider this innovative approach to dating. Love may just be a few mouse clicks away. 

Reported in Cleo Magazine On-line 15/07/08