Frequently Asked Questions

How does the VIP Matching Algorithm work?

What do I need to do to get a match?

When will I get a match?

How do I know if I have a match?

I had a Match, but now it's vanished. What happened to it?

How do I send a message or talk to one of my Matches?

How do I browse or search other member's profiles?

Where are the Values Hierarchy results and how are they derived?

I'm having problems getting the Personality Analyser to work.

What's the idea of the bar graph system in the Personality Analyser?

I'm not sure I like the idea of an intelligence test (MMI). It is too time-consuming and makes me suspicious as to how it is used in the matching process.

Where is the logout button?

How does the VIP Matching Algorithm work?

The philosophy behind the VIP Matching Algorithm is to match people who are compatible together, using factors and attributes that are proven to be beneficial in creating healthy, long-lasting relationships.

A 2-way mechanism is incorporated into the engine so that each match works 2 ways: You are matched with someone that matches your criteria and is compatible with you, and vice versa.   This is entirely different to the approach taken by most dating sites that just let you browse through profiles and photos of members that you might be interested in.   The fact is, these members may not be interested in you, or you may not be compatible with them.

A large number of factors are taken into account for each match that is given.   These factors include the results of the tests: The Personality Analyzer, the MMI, and the two Values Hierarchies.   The Matching engine also factors in your responses to the various categories of profiles and preferences which make up your Personal Inventory.   It is no surprise then, that matches given to you are highly selective, and you may need to wait awhile to even receive one match, particularly if you have very specific or unique criteria.

What do I need to do to get a match?

You need to take all the tests and fill out as much of your personal inventory as possible, in order to receive a match.   We also strongly encourage you to submit at least one recent photograph of yourself.   Basically, follow the checklist provided on your home page which monitors what you have completed and what still needs to be done.

The important thing is to complete your personal profile, preferences and tests with due consideration, honesty and patience.   Person2Know aims to find you quality matches rather than quantity matches.

When will I get a match?

Matches will be made several times per day, but not everyone will be matched with each running of the VIP Matching engine.   Some people are more difficult to match than others because of their unique personal attributes.   For example: people with an INFP personality type (only 2% in the population), or a very high MMI score will need to be more selective in their matching possibilities.

Just because you don't receive a match when you first sign up or complete your profile, doesn't mean you will never receive a match.   New members are signing up all the time and existing members are continually completing and updating their profiles.   These members may be your match, so it's important to stay patient and keep your own profile as up to date as possible.

Remember that we use a 2-way matching mechanism using a number of factors and attributes.   This ensures that the matches you receive meet the criteria of someone you are looking for, and you are someone that they are looking for.

How do I know if I have a match?

Person2Know does the matching and emails out notifications as soon as they happen.   By logging in and visiting your home page, you'll also see the most up to date matches that have been posted against your profile.

Also, if a match sends you a message and you haven't yet received it, you'll receive an email notifying you that there is a message waiting.

I had a Match, but now it's vanished. What happened to it?

You may have been matched to a Member who has now cancelled their membership.   When a membership is cancelled, the profile data and any existing Matches are removed from the system.

How do I send a message or talk to one of my Matches?

You may only communicate with your Match if you are a Gold member, or your Match is a Gold member (identified by a Gold star beside the Username).   The system does not show your Match's email address (for security reasons), so you may only send a message using the Person2Know messaging system.

To send a message, log in to the Person2Know system as normal.   Click on the Matches tab of your home page, then you should see a screen similar to the screenshot below (see the instructions in the red box to communicate with one of your Matches):

Depending on the speed of your internet connection and the speed of your computer, the Matches screen may take up to a minute or two to fully load.   In most cases though, the screen should load in about 10-20 seconds.

If you can't see the Messages/Chat window on your Matches page or you get some sort of error message, there could be a couple of reasons:

1. You may not have Java enabled in your browser.   The Messages/Chat facility is a Java applet and therefore requires that you have Java enabled in your web browser.   Depending on which browser you are using, you should go into the 'Options' or 'Preferences' settings of your browser and ensure the Java Virtual Machine (VM) is enabled.
2. You may have a firewall in place which is restricting the connection from your computer to our server.   This is unlikely if you're just trying this from home, but if you're at work - maybe your company has a firewall in place.   Basically, your firewall needs to have port 5222 open for the messages/chat facility to operate correctly.

For further information on the Messages/Chat facility, click here.

How do I browse or search other member's profiles?

All of the matching is done automatically by the VIP Matching Algorithm which runs several times each day and night.   You are notified via email with any match that is discovered.   We believe that this works better for a true match than having members browse through all other member's information and try to match people on looks or very brief information alone.

It requires a little more patience on your part, but we are looking to find someone that you can have a lifetime relationship with, not just a date.

A motto of ours: If I can't have the partner of my dreams, I would rather stay single, so that I can still dream.

Where are the Values Hierarchy results and how are they derived?

The answers to the Values Hierarchy are the results.   They are a picture of your priorities on which you make decisions in the pertinent areas.   There are some correlations between the results and certain ethnic and religious groups as well as personalities, but those have no bearing on P2K's use of the results.   P2K is only interested in matching people with similar Value Systems.

You can review the selections you made in the Values Hierarchy and see the results of the other tests you have taken by clicking on the "Self Evaluation" tab on your home page.   This page will show a summary of the tests you have taken.   By clicking on a specific test on this page, the details or results of that test will be displayed.

I'm having problems getting the Personality Analyser to work.

There are two versions of the Personality Analyser that you can run.   One of them requires a Java plugin to be installed on your computer.   If you do not already have the plugin installed, then you'll automatically be directed to download it from the appropriate vendor.   Installing the plugin is a function that only needs to be carried out once, but it could take several minutes to download, particularly if you are using a slower modem connection.

If you just see a gray box when you try to run the Personality Analyser, the Java applet is probably in the process of loading.   Please be patient while this loads as it may take a minute or so on slow internet connections or older computers.

Be sure to stay in the Personality Analyser program once you begin the test.   Don't click the browser Close button or browser Back button while you are taking the test or you risk losing the Personality Analyser results you have up to that point.

To avoid problems with loading or using the Java version of the Personality Analyser, you should use the standard version.

What's the idea of the bar graph system in the Personality Analyser?

The bar graph answering mechanism is intended to give the respondent the ability to emphasize his or her strength of the choice made.   The graphic also indicates with sound, colour and size this "feeling" choice.   It also causes the user to tactually become involved because of the measurement of the "click" response.   Thus we get a fuller appreciation of the emphasis placed by the visual and tactile feedback.

This method of answering was tested by a psychology professor at Indiana University in the USA.   The experiment with a student sample, showed a clearer delineation between polarities, when necessary due to equal or close numbers of responses for any polarity such as Introvert vs Extrovert.   Furthermore, the students reported that this method most often agreed with their own perceived personality type.

NOTE: The bar graph mechanism only appears in the Java version of the Personality Analyser.

I'm not sure I like the idea of an intelligence test (MMI).   It is too time-consuming and makes me suspicious as to how it is used in the matching process.

The test is time consuming, but in the context of real life and searching for a life partner, thirty minutes in time is a small investment to make for the rewards you should reap.

We understand that some people will not do well on this type of test because of test-anxiety or just an unwillingness to take the test properly.   We encourage you to just do your best and have a bit of fun with it - you'll probably be pleasantly surprised at the score you get.

The earlier questions are usually easier than the later, and no one has ever correctly answered all questions in the time allotted.   The total number of questions is 75 and even answering half those correctly is quite acceptable to the greater population.

Your MMI score is the total number of questions that you correctly answered.   Remembering that there are 75 questions in all, most people obtain a score between 10 and 65.

The results of the MMI are factored into the matching algorithm, as are the results from the other tests.   The matching algorithm also considers other attributes such as your personal inventory and your personal profile choices.

Where is the logout button?

There is a "logout" button on your home page - in the left-hand column.   There's another logout button on the Person2Know main page, in the right-hand column.   However, as a security precaution you'll be automatically logged out of the Person2Know system after a 40 minute period of inactivity.