Right guys, time to test the power of the blog.  I need your input on an idea that I’m testing.  I’m going against all of the rules that say never ask friends and family – so call me maverick and run me out of town… but not until you’ve answered my questions below, please.

Here’s the concept:

A website, similar to an online dating website, but where people can meet new friends.

You know how, in the olden days, you used to join clubs or societies to meet people with similar interests, and you just took pot luck over who you met?  Well I want to take the hassle out of the connecting process and help make it more likely that you’ll meet people you’ll click with (geddit, “click with”? Oh I’m good…).  And take away any stigma in feeling like you’re a Billy/Norma-no-mates.

It’s definitely not intended to replace Facebook.  It’s about giving people a way of finding potential new mates in the real world.

Unsurprisingly, I am not unique in having this idea.  There are a few sites out there already that claim to do this.  The most modern one is citysocialising.  It’s closest to the vision I had, but it’s a little over-complicated for me.

Here’s where you come in…

I want your thoughts on the concept, whether you’d use the site, how you would use it and what you’d use it for?

I’ve put some questions below, so would be very grateful for your responses, but if there’s something I’ve missed or you have other input, feel free to add it in.  Oh and I should add that I’m not just looking for you all to tell me how wonderful my idea is… I want honesty and constructive feedback.  My next step is building this thing, so I’m relying on you clever people to tell me what to build.

1.  Do you ever want to make new friends or have you recently wanted to make new friends?  What are/were your reasons for wanting to make new friends?

2.  If you answered yes to Q1, how did you or how would you go about finding/making new friends?

3.  Have you encountered any difficulties in finding/making new friends?  If yes, what were those difficulties and did you manage to find a way to overcome them, or can you think of a good way to overcome them?

4.  Would you consider using a website to meet new friends?  If yes, what features would it need to have for you to use it?

5.  Who would you be looking to meet through the website?  What would you want to get out of the connecting process?  Who do you think this sort of website should be aimed at?

6.  Would you be prepared to pay to use this service?  What would make you more likely to pay for this service?

7.  Have you ever used a dating website? If yes, what did you like about it and what did you dislike about it?  What improvements could have been made to the site to make your usage better?

That’s all I can think of right now, folks.  In advance, I thank you for your time, intelligence and insightfulness.  Please post responses in the comments section below, or email them to me at justminding@gmail.com.

Besos x