ASSOCIATED PRESS -- Feb 12 -- After exchanging instant messages and
digital photos through an online dating site, he flew to Houston to
meet what he hoped would be a Beautiful Soul mate. What he found was a
flabby misanthrope with an apparent drinking problem. "I decided right
then that I needed more information before I'd go on another date with
someone I met online." New policy: He'll only date women who post
videos or use Web cameras in virtual chat rooms. Videos are
gaining popularity among the estimated 20 million Americans who visit
online dating sites each month. Nearly one in four U.S. singles have
used online dating services, according to Date.com. Only 10% of 2.8 million active users at True.compost videos, but the percentage is rising quickly and online profiles
with video get more hits than those without. "Online daters go on
a lot of first dates but not many seconds," Compagno said. "More
information almost always is better." PerfectMatch.com (1.5 million-members) doesn't allow videos. Nor does eHarmony.com. It didn't accept photos until 2001 and will probably never accept videos, said senior VP Marylyn Warren.
"Chemistry fogs your brain a little bit," Warren said. "If you see
someone who is drop-dead handsome or beautiful, you might forget that
she cheated her way through school or he tells lies or does the kind of
things that break up a marriage. We need to get at the true character
of a person without emphasis on photos and videos." FULL ARTICLE @ YAHOO

Mark Brooks:
Great chemistry is hugely multifaceted, at the core of great
relationships, and nigh impossible to predict. Personality
profiling distinguishes someone as a great potential friend. The
rest is up to chemistry. Your comments please...