FAQ
Hey everyone! We have been in desperate need of a FAQ for a while now, so here it is! If you can think of anything else that should be on here, please feel free to email me at bentley@matchstd.com, and we¿ll see what we can do about adding it. In the meantime, I hope this answers most of your questions!
I hope you're all having a great day!
Bentley Dawson
Partner, Co-Founder MatchSTD.com
Website questions:
Q) When I'm signing up, how much personal information do I have to give?
A) Only as much as you feel comfortable giving! We will never ask you for a real name, phone number, or address (email or physical), so providing those is completely up to you. The only thing we ask for is what STD you have, very general questions about what kind of person you are and what kind of person you're looking for, and a zipcode (or city if you¿re outside the U.S.). The reason we have to ask for a zipcode is for our matching system, and having that zipcode allows you to search within specific areas relating to where you live.
Q) What does the add a post feature do?
A) The add a post function allows you to customize your profile page with news and updates and such. But, by far the most useful feature is when those who are in your proposals list add an update, and YOU look at your profile page, their updates will be shown in addition to your own. It's pretty much a simple way of keeping up with what people you contact are doing.
Q) If I'm not paying for using the site, how is it supported?
A) Right now, out of our pockets :). We hope that eventually we will get enough advertising that the site will be self-supportive, and have also begun instituting a sponsorship program that allows anyone to make a contribution to the site.
Q) How can I become a sponsor?
A) For all the information on becoming a sponsor of MatchSTD.com, please visit our Sponsorship page, and it will give you all the details.
Q) How does the matching system work?
A) If you click on the "Matches" page in your toolbar, you'll automatically be taken to a page that does an instant, default search. This default search looks for anyone in your country that matches the personal preferences you set up when you registered, and whom you match. You can change this default search on the left side of the "Matches" page.
Q) How do I change my profile and my preferences?
A) If you go to the "Profile" link on your toolbar, you will be taken to your profile page. If you look on the left, you'll see an overview of your profile and your partner preferences as well as links to change these things. This is also where you can blog about yourself, and add or change pictures.
Q) I've added a picture but it¿s not showing up yet when I post in the forum, what do I do?
A) All of the pictures that are uploaded have to be approved by an administrator. Chances are if it's not showing up yet, it just hasn't been approved yet. If, however, it's been over 24 hours and it's still not showing up, please let us know at technical@matchstd.com and we'll work on finding out what the problem is.
Q) How does the proposal system work, and why do you use it?
A) You use the proposal system like this: When you see a profile that you like, you can click the links that either say "Propose Friendship", "Propose Relationship", or "Propose Fling". That will send the person an email letting them know that you're interested in one of the above with them. They then can decide whether or not to open communication with you by accepting or denying your proposal. If it's accepted, you will then be able to email each other directly. We really put a lot of thought into the idea that we were getting no real information from anyone signing up with the site. We know that STD's are a sensitive subject, and tried very hard to reduce the amount of harassment potential this site had. With a pay site, it's less likely anyone would pay to sign up and harass the users. With our site however, it would be very easy to make fake accounts just to drive our real users crazy. Thus, the proposal system. :). At least this gives our users a chance to take a look at who wants to talk to them, without just getting an email.
Q) How do I get in touch with you guys?
A) You can either click the "Feedback" link on your toolbar, or the "Contact" link at the top of the page. The "Contact" link will give you a list of all the ways you can get in touch with us. The contact form listed there does not require you to use an e-mail address, but we won't be able to get back in touch with you if you don't!
Personal questions:
Q) What STD's do you guys have?
A) Neither James nor I have any STD's.
Q) Ok, if neither of you have an STD, why did you start the site?
A) That's a long story! The short answer is because we've both had friends with STD's, and had to watch them go through some pretty bad stuff while trying to date. If you'd like the whole story, please visit the "About" link at the top of the page.
Q) How can I help?
A) The truth is that we're understaffed, underpaid, and James especially is overworked. We'd appreciate help in just about any capacity, so if you have a useful skill and are willing to work for free, please email me at bentley@matchstd.com.
Q) I'm not sure I have any skills that would help the site, is there anything else I can do?
A) Absolutely! We always are encouraging people to get in touch with their local media and let them know about us! More media coverage in your area means more matches for you :). Also, with this new sponsorship program you can contribute money to the site and become a sponsor. It doesn't matter how much you want to give, everything helps!