Website invites feedback from dating site users
A Lenasia man has set up a website that enables users of online dating and marriage sites to share their experiences.
Pratish Mistry launched HastaMilan.com, which means “the joining of hands” in Sanskrit, two months ago to get feedback from the users of matchmaking sites about people they have met online.
“The site allows people to rate an experience they had with someone they met online,” said Mistry.
He said the rating system asked specific questions such as “Would you meet this person, yes or no?” and “Was the photo on the profile a honest representation of the person in reality?”
“It is less subjective. You don’t get people on the site saying this person is a moron or smelly and short.
“It has a supplementary purpose to help people find partners online. In this way, you are identifying the profile and which site it is on and giving more information on that person rather than just what someone says about themselves.”
Mistry, 37, who has a number of degrees to his credit, including a BSc in actuarial science, said marriage sites like shaadi.com usually provided only a single point of reference from a person writing about themselves.
“What’s missing is some feedback by others to help. I conducted a survey with a sample of 160 users, mainly Indian, on online dating and marriage sites.
“I found that a lot of people in India and other parts of the world were using the online facility, but what was missing was an external point of reference, giving more insight about a person.”
Other services offered by HastaMilan.com include free messaging to users of major dating sites, a discussion forum and a feature to share relationship experiences through cartoons.
It also enabled users to leave messages for people they had seen on other matrimonial sites.
“I myself am on shaadi.com. Part of my experience led me to believe that there’s a big hole in the system. I have had friends who had met guys and dated for a while, only to discover months later that they were married with kids.
“There was a need for people to share these experiences so others don’t make the same mistake, as well as to inform others a bit more about a certain person whose profile is on a certain website.”
Mistry said HastaMilan.com was aimed mainly at the Indian community, but there was a Western version called justonesite.com.
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