We applaud Match.com’s decision to join us and start screening members against public sex offender registries. We’ve been doing this for years with eHarmony subscribers who reside in the United States and it has allowed us to keep many known registered sex offenders off of our service. It’s just one way we are committed to looking out for your safety.

While we’re always looking to do more with the latest screening technologies and resources, it’s important to keep in mind that you also play an important role. Unfortunately, registries can be incomplete or inaccurate, assaults and other crimes often go unreported, and perpetrators of crimes are not always convicted. Relying solely on screening can provide a false sense of security.

So what can you do? If you haven’t looked at our Safety Tips page lately, we suggest going back for a refresher. It contains good information about the precautions you should take when meeting someone new in person, such as:
• Keep your guard up and use good judgment when getting to know someone new
• Take it slow and get to know your matches well
• Always go for your first few dates in a public place
• Let a friend or relative know where you are at all times and check in with them if your date is going well and you’re going to be home later than you had planned
• Never invite someone you don’t know well back to your house

If you ever are concerned about one of your matches for any reason, please send an email to matchconcerns@eharmony.com so we can investigate and take appropriate action. We have a team dedicated to our members’ safety and close accounts immediately when we receive a credible complaint about someone’s suspicious behavior. We’ll notify you whenever someone is removed from the service, so please pay attention to those emails if you ever receive one and stop all communication with that person.

We’re always interested in your feedback. Please drop a comment below if you have ideas, comments or suggestions for how we can continue to provide the best possible eHarmony experience.

The post A Safety Reminder from eHarmony appeared first on eHarmony Blog.

Leigh Anne and I met in February 2008.  She’s a huge UNC fan (which she mentioned in her profile) and I went to Duke.  At first I wondered if that would be an issue but it turns out it is a great conversation starter and a chance for us to rag on each other.  Especially these days with March Madness going on! I never thought I’d find myself rooting for the Tarheels, but Leigh Anne has that effect on me.  She’s changed my life…for the better.  So now I like both shades of blue, although I still think Duke blue is the way to go. We would like to thank the staff at eHarmony for all the good work you do.  Without you guys, a diehard Duke fan and a diehard UNC fan would never have found each other!

The post How Two March Madness Rivals Found Happily Ever After appeared first on eHarmony Blog.

So don’t be that match! Do the legwork to show your matches what a great catch you really are. Here’s how:

1) Smile for the camera. That’s right, post photos! Users who post photos are 9 times more likely to get requests for communication.

2) Talk about yourself. Answer the “My Profile” questions thoroughly. It may be challenging and take some time to come up with some thoughtful responses, but trust us, it’s worth it—your matches will love getting that insight into what makes you tick. If you get stuck and need some help, the eHarmony Advice community is happy to help—go to the Profile Review (http://bit.ly/fIAcwp) section and get input from people who’ve been there.

3) Spark conversation. The “Something to Talk About” questions are meant to serve as ways to break the ice with your matches. Think about it—when you meet someone in person for the first time, the easiest way to start talking is to find something in common. If you answer the questions about what TV shows you must see, where you went to school, what team you root for and the like, it’s like sending your matches an invitation to talk to you. You never know where that could lead.

You know the old adage that you only get out of something what you put into it, so take some time with your profile, put your best foot forward, and watch what happens. We’re rooting for you!

The post The Secret of Success on eHarmony? Tell a Complete Story About You. appeared first on eHarmony Blog.

While there isn’t a foolproof litmus test, Grant and Jeannie from eHarmony Advice, our resident dating experts, say that you can be fairly confident in your relationship if you notice these eleven signs that are characteristic of a really special connection between two people.

1.    Who you are is good enough – no changing required!

2.    You manage conflict together in a mature fashion.

3.    You know how to fight fair – you admit when you’re wrong, listen to each other and apologize when you cross the line.

4.    Sign of a healthy relationship: there’s very little or no drama!

5.    You know how to make them happy.

6.    If your life priorities match up well, you have a much better chance of long-term happiness.

7.    Mutual respect is crucial for a healthy relationship.

8.    You truly enjoy each other’s company.

9.    You bring out the best in each other.

10.  There are no off-limit topics with your main squeeze.

11.  Your friends and family adore and accept your partner.

For more, visit eHarmony Advice. Happy 1-11-11!

The post 11 Signs that Your Partner May Be the 1 4 U appeared first on eHarmony Blog.

While there, Elvis, AKA Dr. Claudio Palma, noticed a woman who had passed out. He decided it was now or never and immediately rushed in, giving the woman CPR and reviving her before the paramedics came to take her to the hospital. Needless to say, she was “all shook up” when she came to, wondering why Elvis was kissing her.

Congratulations and a job well done, Claudio and Rhanee! Here are some more details about how they met and what went on that day, in Rhanee’s own words:

The moment Claudio and I met, we have been inseparable. Without eHarmony, we would have never met. He is an anesthesiologist and I am in the nonprofit world, helping transitional aged youth with disabilities enter the competitive work force. Our connection is unreal and so are the connections of our kids. He has 2 boys and I have 2 girls from our previous marriages. Our families instantly clicked and we are all so happy as a blended family.

Within a year of meeting, we became engaged. 9 months later, we decided to get married at the 2.5 mile mark of the Las Vegas Rock n Roll Half Marathon dressed as Elvis and Priscilla. Immediately after we finished the race, we ate at Burger Bar in Las Vegas. In this restaurant, I saw a woman pass out on the floor, and yelled for Claudio to go to her aid. She was unresponsive, had no pulse and was not breathing. Still dressed as Elvis, Claudio gave her CPR and brought her back to life. When she woke up, the woman was shocked to see that Elvis was in heaven!

Without eHarmony, we would have never met or got married on this particular day dressed as Elvis and Priscilla. eHarmony not only saved this random woman’s life, but has brought life for our new blended family of 6!

Our wedding day was documented on national and international headlines. We can credit this all to you!

Thanks for sharing your awesome story with us, Rhanee.  We wish you and your growing family all the best.

The post eHarmony Couple Saves Woman’s Life on Wedding Day—Dressed as Elvis and Priscilla! appeared first on eHarmony Blog.

Lee Byron and a series of his charts were featured on an NPR blog a couple weeks ago.  Byron found that the most common day for break-ups is the first Monday in December, according his analysis of Facebook status updates.

Why this trend, you ask? Byron surmises that, “Perhaps some combination of seasonal affect disorder and a case of the Mondays has warped the idea of you meeting their family over the holidays into something horrid.” Ouch.

In addition, divorce attorneys and court records reveal that January is the month that the most couples file for divorce. An article from Psychology Today says it could be that couples want a fresh start in the New Year, or they made the decision long ago and wanted to stay together during the holidays for their family’s sake.

We don’t enjoy hearing about failed relationships, but even with all the breakups this time of year, we stay optimistic.  As they say, every new beginning is another beginning’s end.

The post Happy Break-up Day? appeared first on eHarmony Blog.

The most popular girls’ baby name is Sophia, which is super cute when they’re young and has a sophisticated air when they’re adults. I can just imagine pinching a cute baby Sophia’s chubby little cheeks. Awww.

The users of our sister site, JustMommies, rank Kingston and Chloe as their top baby names.

Every so often, we hear from success couples who named their baby “Harmony” to acknowledge how they met, so I decided to do a bit of digging to see where that name ranked in the scheme of things.

There’s this really cool tool called NameVoyager that’s fun to play with for hours. But not when I’m working, of course. FYI, my name hit the peak of popularity in the 1950s with a rank of 13. Now, “Pam” is 845^th.

According to NameVoyager, “Harmony” didn’t rank at all in the 1990s. However, from 2003 to 2009 it increased 135%. Last year Harmony ranked 254^th, which is the most popular it’s ever been. It’s climbing up the charts—and we’re rooting for it to crack into the top 100 in the next few years!

The post The Baby Name “Harmony” More Popular Than Ever appeared first on eHarmony Blog.

But never fear; we have some ideas to navigate the perils of present procurement. The Forbes article suggests that a getaway for two is the most romantic gift you can give. Our Relationship Experts at eHarmony Advice, Jeannie and Grant, share some tips below to take the stress out of finding the perfect present.

Jeannie’s Guide for Gals:
1.    Ladies, don’t take the gift as the big determining factor of his feelings for you. Guys don’t always hit the mark when holiday shopping – so if you don’t love it – don’t worry. You can always return it!

2.    What you can do is help him out, and don’t worry about making it obvious. Let him know what you’d like, either make a wish list and leave it for him, or go shopping together and show him what you’ve got your eye on.

3.    Another option is what I like to call “friend intervention.” Example:  I really wanted a new handbag and knew that my guy would have no idea what to get me, so I sent my best friend the information and told him to ask for her opinion. It worked out beautifully!

4.    When in doubt – go with something creative! A friend’s husband got her a bunch of Chinese takeout boxes and put gift cards for her favorite shops in each one. It was adorable and so thoughtful.

Grant’s Guide for Guys:
1.    Open Your Brain – boring is DEADLY. So, whatever seems like a good fit, do a twist on it. If you want to give jewelry, find a shop that makes their own. Ask the owner to tell you about the piece you’re buying. Share this story as you give the gift.

2.    Open Your Ears – If you spend a weekend with your S.O. and REALLY listen to them, chances are you’ll hear in the neighborhood of 20 subtle hints that can be translated into gifts. Of course, these hints may come out sounding like:
•    I’m meeting the guys at Bill’s to watch the Laker Game. (Laker memorabilia or tickets!)
•    My shoulders have been so sore lately. (Spa day)
•    The cleaners ruined my best skirt. (Skirt. Duh.)
•    My next Netflix movie is JFK. I love that film. (Collection of Oliver Stone films)
•    Does she quote Seinfeld ad nauseum? (A series box set might be nice.)

3.    Open Your Eyes – Most of us have a trail of things that describe us as people. Look at your love’s books. Any favorite authors? Many people have stored their music in a computer-based system so there are no tell-tale CDs to observe, so ask your lady to make you a playlist of her faves. Look at the kinds of clothes she chooses and jewelry she wears. Does she have a garnet necklace? A pair of garnet earrings would complete the set.

4.    Think Past Stuff – So many people are hard to shop for because they have everything they want. When they want it, they go get it. Often times the best gifts for these people are experiences. Has your honey mentioned a restaurant or a style of food that she loves? Give her a night on the town, with the restaurant of their dreams at the center. A trip, tickets to a concert, passes to a convention of interest –these are the gifts that shock and delight.

Hope we’ve helped solve the conundrum. Let us know if you have any suggestions. Happy shopping, and happy giving!

The post Take Guesswork out of Gifting with eHarmony’s Giving Guide appeared first on eHarmony Blog.

It’s amazing that the man who invented Star-Bellied Sneetches and the Grinch had such a handle on relationships. And now, recent research by Brunell et al. (2010) has confirmed that Seuss was right all along: a person’s authenticity is so important that it contributes to relationship success. Being yourself is not only beneficial to the relationship, but it also ends up boosting you and your partner’s self-esteem, communication methods, and overall well-being.

I’m sure we have all made some adjustments in our relationships—especially at the beginning—to pretend to like certain hobbies to please the objects of our affection. I know I’ve attempted to love camping and smooth jazz for some former sweethearts with disastrous results.

But to my relief, it was better to be me after all. And it’s also cool that eHarmony matches you with compatible people who will love you for being you—so no need to pretend.

Read more commentary on this study from one of our PhD’s on the eHarmony Labs Hot Science Blog.

Here’s to being true to you!

The post Want a Wealth of Relationship Health? Be Yourself! appeared first on eHarmony Blog.

In addition, Joseph has led a series of improvements to our matching process that has resulted in increased communication among our members, and he has formed a world-class computational science advisory board.

Joseph has over 19 years of experience in the information technology industry in various high-tech management positions (CTO, chief architect, and vice president of engineering). Prior to eHarmony, Joseph was vice president of engineering with Yahoo!, where he managed engineering teams for the search marketing division. Joseph attended Jerusalem College of Technology.

To find out more about Joseph and eHarmony’s technology, read a recent Fortune article here:  http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/09/23/the-algorithm-of-love/

Congrats, Joseph. You do an incredible job, are great to work with, and you totally deserve it. We wish you continued success!

The post Joseph Essas Appointed Chief Technology Officer appeared first on eHarmony Blog.