eHarmony

eHarmony notified us earlier today that they are currently having a free communication event. It starts today and runs for 5 days and ends Monday November 25th just before midnight (PST).

Free communication on eHarmony allows new and existing members to communicate not only by the guide communication process but through email as well. When you join during this promotion you will not only be able to create a profile and take the eHarmony famous matching questionnaire but you will be able to communicate with any matches you will receive in the next 5 days. The ideal time to join is now since it will give you 5 full days to try out the service to see if it is the right fit for you. Singles interested in finding a long-term relationships and who are willing to make a time commitment in not only filling out the questionnaire but to answer questions posed by your matches will get the most out of the eHarmony service. No credit card is required to join. The only thing not included during the free weekends is photos, secure call and skip to email.

The last free eHarmony communication weekend was at the beginning of this month (see Story). For more on this long-term matchmaking service please read our eHarmony.com review.

It seems Australians have gotten over the stigma that used to come with online dating. The majority of singles (51%) said they have either tried online dating or are willing to give it a shot. It seems more and more are looking outside their own networks of friends, colleagues and family to pursue a romantic relationship.

So if you're a resident, you might be wondering: who would I be meeting through an online dating site?

Two of the country's most popular online dating sites, eHarmony and RSVP, have pulled research from their membership to reveal the typical Australian online dater. So in case you were wondering, now's your chance to find out before you sign up.

According to eHarmony, which has a user base of about two million in the country, the average Australian online dater has never been married, is in her (or his) early to mid-thirties and works as a teacher. The next most popular professions for females are nursing and retail, and for men - truck driving. It makes sense that singles in such isolated professions, some with shifting schedules, would look for love online.

"Plenty of research exists showing that many people meet their partner at work," eHarmony spokeswoman Sarah Mason told the Sydney Morning Herald. "However, a large number work in an environment which is not conducive to developing meaningful romantic relationships. Others may be too time-poor, or just shirk at the thought of making small talk in a noisy bar after a long day at work."

The research from dating site RSVP differed a bit from eHarmony, however. According to them, the most popular age group is between 25-34, followed by 35-44 year-olds. For these members, the most popular occupation is in healthcare, followed by education and science.

Not surprisingly, most of the women on RSVP want men who are a few inches taller. Both sexes prefer people with green eyes. Also, vegetarians have a 37% higher success rate with other vegetarians on the site.

RSVP has about two million members as well.

While this research paints a picture of the typical online dater in Australia, especially in terms of professions they hold, it doesn't reference all of the diversity found online. Let's face it: people have all different backgrounds, preferences, and reasons for joining a dating site. Variety of choice is more important to online dating than knowing the "types" of people you might see online when you join. People connect based on chemistry, not on profession, height preference, or even the type of food you enjoy. So date with an open mind.

For a certain generation, MTV's Cribs - in which celebrities give on-camera tours of their over-the-top homes - will always be a legendary TV show.

TechCrunch's take on Cribs might not have the same legendary status as MTV's version of the show (and you'll probably never see Mariah Carey make an appearance on it), but it's still interesting to see the inner workings of some of the tech industry's hottest companies. The latest episode of the series took a peek inside the office of eHarmony, one of online dating's biggest pioneers.

TechCrunch's Colleen Taylor met with Arvind Mishra, VP of Product at eHarmony, for a tour of the site's offices in Santa Monica. The first thing you notice about the interior of eHarmony HQ is that love is in the air (and everywhere else). eHarmony definitely doesn't skimp on the romantic decorations - there are hearts everywhere, signs that say "LOVE" in curling script, and pictures of happy couples lining almost every wall.

Upon entering the lobby, visitors and employees are faced with larger-than-life letters that spell out the name of the company. Mishra calls the massive sign "an homage to our larger-than-life mission: we're trying to lower the divorce rate." Big letters = big mission, he explains, as Taylor looks hilariously incredulous.

In addition to the constant reminders of the company's mission, the eHarmony offices are also home to many trophies. The office likes to hold challenges - like a pinewood derby race and a contest to display photos sent in by happy couples - to encourage bonding amongst the staff.

As Taylor and Mishra continue their tour, they pass an extremely yellow kitchen, the pet (stuffed) giraffe that makes its home amongst the social team, and a collection of bikes that employees can check out in order to take their lunch break at the beach 20 miles away.

eHarmony does its best to encourage creativity, individuality, and a sense of fun amongst its employees. Various colorful pieces of flair can be found on all the staff's desks. A beanbag-filled room named Malibu - so called after the site's recent redesign - was built to be a creative space. A game room features pool, foosball, and guitars on the wall. And a Donkey Kong machine with 200 games can be found in the main lunch room.

The heart of eHarmony, other than all the actual hearts that fill the building, seems to be the kitchen. Once every week, the entire company gathers to have lunch together (Hey there, Neil Clark Warren, sneakily making an appearance in the video while having lunch with your employees!). That sense of community is what really makes eHarmony special. "When you're this small," Mishra explains, "you want to make sure that everybody knows and likes everybody else."

eHarmony is having a free communication weekend right now. It started the day before Halloween and ends Sunday November 3rd just before midnight (PST).

These free communication weekends are the perfect time for someone who hasn't tried eHarmony to give the service a try. You can not only create your profile and answer the in-depth questionnaire for free but you will also receive your matches and be able to communicate with them at no cost, and with no credit card required. Free communication includes the guided communication process and email. The guided communication process is designed to allow matches to easily break the ice and introduce conversation starters. This is achieved by each match asking and answering a few questions so the person you are communicating with has a better understanding of you as a person. As always free communication events do not include photos, the secure call phone service, and skip to email.

The last free eHarmony communication weekend was at the end of September (see Story). For more on this dating site you can read our review of eHarmony.

Looking for the best online dating site? There are many out there, but how do you know which sites are the ones most people are checking out? After all, you want a lot of choice when it comes to searching for love.

According to website Mashable.com, Yahoo has revealed the top 10 dating sites that people have searched for using their search engine. And surprisingly, OkCupid topped the list (with even more searches than standards like Match.com or eHarmony).

Another surprise? Men seem to be more interested in online dating, or at least, searching for sites and checking them out.

Here's the complete list:

OkCupid. This site tops the list, and maybe because their demographic skews younger and it's a little more engaging with members than some of the classic dating sites. Most of the searches were conducted by men (68%).

Match. This website is almost synonymous with online dating. It's been around a while, and is still going strong. Again, the majority of searches (73%) came from men.

MeetMe. A more casual site for dating and friendship, MeetMe is gaining marketshare when it comes to online dating. Or at least, people seem to be searching for the site. A hefty 67% of men (primarily from Arkansas, Kentucky and West Virginia) searched for it according to Yahoo.

Zoosk. This popular website touts is algorithms which allow members to "date smarter." Again, more than 70% of its searches came from men.

eHarmony. The go-to destination for those looking for committed relationships, eHarmony has remained near the top of the pack for a long time. Surprisingly, more men (54%) than women were searching for this website.

PlentyofFish. This dating site has a bit of a reputation, but that hasn't stopped people from checking it out. Formerly known for its "intimate encounters" section, POF has recently undergone an image change to focus on matching people with relationship potential.

JDate. The most popular site for those who are more religiously inclined, JDate has become the go-to source for Jewish singles. Not surprisingly, the most searches came from New Jersey, New York, and Florida, all with more concentrated Jewish populations.

Skout. Mobile apps also figured prominently into searches. Skout is a networking app that focuses on meeting people rather than having specific agendas for dating and relationships. Most of the searches for this site came from men (68%) residing in Texas, California, and Florida.

Christian Mingle. A popular religious-based dating site, Christian Mingle focuses on dating, friendships, and relationships. This is the only site that had more females searching for it, primarily from Texas, California and Pennsylvania.

Tinder. This mobile app was made popular by college students, a sort of "hot or not" version of online dating. With its easy-to-use and convenient set-up, the app has taken off among singles who like to see who's close by and wanting to meet a little more spontaneously.

We Just got word that eHarmony in Canada and the United States will be having a free communication weekend starting Thursday, September 26th and ending Sunday night on September 29th. This 4 day event allows members to create a profile, view your matches, and communicate with those matches through the guided communication process and email.

Summer is almost over and with the season change comes new optimism for love. This makes it an ideal time for new singles interested in trying online dating to check out a popular service for free. eHarmony is designed to foster long-term relationships between it's members. They do this by having carefully chosen profile questions that are based on 29 dimensions of compatibility. While there are a lot of questions which take the average person about 40 minutes to answer it is recommended you take your time and answer each question to the best of your ability. The answers to these questions are then used by eHarmony's super secret 😊 matching algorithm to generate you a list of high quality matches. Once you review your matches your job is to then select the ones you like on a personal level and then start the communication process with them. Free communication at eHarmony during this event does not include photos in profiles, secure calls over your phone, or skipping the guided communication process.

For more detailed information on eHarmony you can read our review. The last free eHarmony communication weekend was the September long weekend (see Story).