We are less than a week away from the launch of TruConnection.com, and I’d like to write about a key component of the site and a driving force behind its development: Our support of local non-profit organizations which promote literacy and creative art programs to underprivileged children. Once the site is launched, I will list these groups on our website.

These organizations share our belief that the best kind of ‘charity’ is empowerment. By providing programs that foster creativity and writing skills, these organizations not only help children succeed in school, they empower children to think on a different level and perhaps see the world in a new light.

What does this have to do with an online dating site? A lot, if you think about it. Online dating can be more than a place where you “wink” at pretty girls and overstate your income . We are creating a community in which members can express themselves creatively and meet others — a community in which you are essentially free to create and share anything. In so doing, you reveal to other members a glimpse of how you express yourself, of how you think…a sense of who you are.

This concept of ‘who you are’ is really at the core of our site, just as it seems to be at the core of these select charitable organizations. To me, ‘who you are’ is how you think, what your dreams are, what inspires you. It is not necessarily your job, your leisure activities, or even your family and friends. It is something slightly deeper, even, than the sum of your experiences.

By creating an environment that fosters open-mindedness, creativity and literacy, these organizations are promoting personal development and independent thinking from a young age. They help bring to the surface the concept of the intelligent and creative individual, and this is a concept which should not be denied anyone.

Stay tuned for updates later in the week as we prepare to launch.

Mike

Mike@Truconnection.com

By now Ive forgotten the first time I actually went on a date with someone after meeting them online. I do know it was seven or eight years ago and I had just moved to a new city. But I couldnt tell you where we went, what we did, or even if we saw each other a second time. Come to think of it, I dont remember much at all about any of the dates Ive been on where the contact originated online. I wonder why this is. Maybe there was mutual disinterest from the get-go. Maybe in person I looked like a bum. Or perhaps the site we used had a faulty algorithm. Who knows? The point is, Ill happily continue to participate in online dating despite favoring the offline alternative, especially with the advent of TruConnection.com.

In TruConnections functionality and presentation, it speaks a clearer language. We arent holed up in a laboratory decoding the mystery behind what makes two people connect. The member is not bothered with tedious surveys, compatibility meters, and a seemingly endless array of options that might appear to be appropriate, but in reality are quite limiting and accomplish very little. Our founder, Mike, has talked about narrowing the gap between online dating and real life. TruConnection is designed to do just that, by eliminating the dull technicalities of questionnaires and engaging its members in a more thoughtful, natural online experience.

I am eager to watch TruConnection.com spring to life, as the word spreads and our members begin to establish their presence online. It is indeed a new approach; one that will undoubtedly make my next dinner and a movie less forgettable.

- Derek

Since we are now two weeks away from the launch of TruConnection.com, I want to share some information on the functionality and features of the site so that potential members can gain a better understanding. As alluded to in previous blog posts, TruConnection.com is a new and refreshing approach to online dating, and one that I strongly feel will yield better and more meaningful first impressions and connections.

When you sign up, you will be asked to fill out a very basic profile; sex, age, orientation, and location (Boston or New York, with sub-regions, i.e. Midtown Manhattan). You will upload a single photo which will be visible to other members as a thumbnail. You can upload more photos, however these photos are not visible to others right away; you grant access to members to view these photos on an individual basis.

Once you register and complete the very basic profile, you are presented with a blank canvas on which to write. You can also upload something you have written in the past, as well as other forms of self-expression (such as artwork or photography). Once submitted, your writing/other creative work will become visible to members. You can at any time edit or delete your work.

You can search for others based on the same criteria presented at registration, and are not restricted to only see members that fit your sex/orientation. For example, when a woman signs up, she may list that she is interested in men; however, at any time, she is free to search for other women as well (perhaps to see examples of what other women have created on the site).

When presented with results, you will see a member’s thumbnail photo as well as their most recent self-expression. If you click on a member, you will see all of their self-expressions, arranged by date.

If you wish to contact this person, you can send a message, chat with them (provided they are online), or request access to see more photos. There will likely be an option for the sending of a physical postcard as well (as mentioned in the last blog post). If you do not wish to contact this person yet, but are curious to see what other writings/uploads they will share, you can “follow” them. This allows you to easily access those members you are following next time you log in.

The goal, of course, is to meet in-person. As an added benefit, in time we will be partnering with local businesses (restaurants, museums, sports venues, bars) to offer discounts for TruConnection.com members.

As mentioned previously, we believe the sharing of one’s creative expression makes for the strongest first impression possible when meeting online, and is the best starting point for a meaningful connection. On TruConnection.com, you will not be asked to fill out date questionnaires or personality tests. You will not know a member’s favorite TV show or music (unless they choose to write about it). You will not know their education level or income. You will not know if they smoke or drink.

If you choose to contact the person, you will likely come to know all of these things. But, as in real life, they will not be the basis for your first impression.

I will provide more updates as we get closer to launch. Please send any feedback or comments to Mike@TruConnection.com

I no longer check the mail daily. I can’t remember the last important piece of physical mail I received. When I return from a long trip, part of me is still hopeful there will be something worth reading waiting for me. But there rarely is.

During the planning stages of TruConnection.com, an important question was how members will communicate with one another. We will have messaging, live chatting, following, and other communication tools built into the site. But we also wanted a unique way for members to connect, one that our members would appreciate.

One idea: the option to send a handwritten postcard to another member via regular mail. (Important note: members’ addresses would never be known to others members. I can explain the logistics of how we would do this directly if anyone’s curious.)

I bring this up for the following reason: of the countless topics covered while launching TruConnection, the ‘postcard idea’ is the most contentious — not only among those of us building the site, but among those we surveyed. So I would like to share the cases for and against postcards, and request feedback from readers as to the best approach:

The case FOR postcards:“It will give me reason to want to check my mail. It is reminiscent of a time when everything was not digital. It lends a tangible quality to something that is otherwise completely web-based. It’s kind of romantic.”

The case AGAINST postcards: “It’s not romantic, it’s creepy. The mailman will see what someone wrote to me. It will FEEL like they have my address, even if they don’t. I’d prefer to keep the communication online until I want to meet the person.”

I think both cases are valid…but it doesn’t really matter what I think. Like every other piece of functionality and design on the website, this will be built on customer feedback (or potential-customer feedback).

I want to create the best possible experience in online dating. As mentioned in previous posts, I believe the sharing of creative work and self-expression is the most important first impression when meeting online, and the best foundation for a meaningful connection. Along those lines, we want to ensure that, after the first impression, our members can communicate with one another in ways they are comfortable with, and in ways that are most useful to them.

Please send any and all feedback on this topic — or on any topic related to the site — to Mike@TruConnection.com.

-Mike

In the elevator in my building last week, I ran into my neighbor who I used to see often on the way to work. After some small talk, she asked why she never saw me leaving at 7:30AM anymore. So I summarized TruConnection as quickly as I could before we reached the lobby.

It piqued her interest; she uses two of the mainstream online dating sites now. She asked me to Email her some more information on our site (including the technical components of it, since she works in IT), so when I got home, I did.

She wrote back and told me that she really liked the idea, but it was not for her. She wrote, ‘I am not creative and not a good writer, so I don’t think I’m a good fit.’ She added, ‘I need to know things like income, education, and social habits right off the bat or else I feel that I’m wasting my time, as bad as that sounds.’

I respect her opinion, and I wrote back and told her that. I also wrote:

‘On these sites, one would be filtered out immediately based on things like education or income…but if two people really hit it off in-person (say, meeting at a gym or a bar or a coffee shop), those things wouldn’t be known right away and, within reason, would carry less importance relative to the person’s character (or ambition). It seems most online dating sites try to cheat by giving you every fact about the personand selling those facts as the person’s essence.’

The reality is, she is probably not a good fit for TruConnection. The site will not be for everyone. Part of the equation is that you enjoy expressing yourself through writing, artwork, photography, music, etc. — and TruConnection becomes not only a means of making meaningful connections, but an outlet for expressing yourself creatively for your own benefit. The idea is that your creative expression conveys who you are to others better than questionnaires, personality tests, or self-description ever could.

Having said that, I plan to follow up with her once we launch, find out how things are going on her current dating sites, and see if she will give TruConnection a try

-Mike

We know what you need in a relationship. We know you havent had much success out there on your own. So put your romantic future in our hands. Our scientists have devised a matchmaking formula designed for efficiency and effectiveness.Take this personality test, complete these questionnaires, and please be as detailed as possible when describing the three items you couldnt live without if you were a Wandering Albatross.

This is what TruConnection is not.

We dont profess to be experts on relationships. We don’t know the type of person you long for in your heart of hearts.

What we do know:There is a better way to make a meaningful connection with people when meeting online.And we built TruConnection with the belief that we can facilitate these meaningful connections based on one criterion: self-expression.

The premise of TruConnection.com is that ones creative expression what they write, what artwork they share says more about them than anything else short of meeting in person, and we truly feel it is the best foundation for a meaningful connection.

We understand it is important in a relationship to be compatible with respect to things like education, income, political views, family background, etc. Of course it is. But these things should not be the first impression.

When the idea for this site came to me one morning in November, my goal was to try to infuse a romantic quality to online dating; or, better put, to somehow make online dating more like real life. In real life, when you meet someone, they leave an impression on you somehowmaybe its their voice, their appearance, or something more subtle. But the key is, the first impression is not just a few thingsaboutthemitisthem.

By having members share only their creative expression and a photo, we hope to come as close to capturing the essence of someone as is possible when meeting online.

TruConnection.com is set to launch at the end of January, focused only on NYC and Boston. Through our efforts, we will also be supporting local charities in these cities whose focus is on providing literacy and creative arts programs to those who would not otherwise have the benefit of such programs.

Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to launch.

- Mike