#NoFilter – How Muddy Matches have led the way

We noted with interest in the dating press this week (after reading Farmers Weekly from cover to cover) that a number of ‘stack them high’ megastore online dating sites are now in the process of banning Snapchat and Instagram filters on profile photos.

It was quoted that the use of new wave social media editing tools give profile photos a first impression that is, more often than not, a ‘less than a fair representation’.

Here at Muddy Matches, we applaud any steps taken to improve the experience of those embarking on online dating but BREAKING NEWS folks: Muddy Matches have outlawed filters, novelty photo edits, topical facebook frames, sunglassses and even group shots on main profile photos since we launched in 2007.

Yes, 2007 – remember that far back to a bygone time when a doodle mood sprinkles filter wasn’t even a thing?

That’s over 12 years of clear, unobstructed ‘head and shoulders’ shots. It’s more than a decade’s worth of not having to second guess what a potential country loving match would look like without bunny ears, LED rainbow shower sparkle rockstar glasses, a golden glitter unicorn horn or twitchy kitten nose and whiskers ensemble.

Let alone try to pick rural romantics out from a crowd scene with a cast of thousands in a game of ‘spot the singleton’.

Don’t get us wrong. We love Instagram, Snapchat and the like as much as the next person and call us killjoys if you so choose. The truth is a good number of our country minded members see dog ears, wide eyed deer expressions and piggy pink noses as part of their 24/7 job out in the fields. They certainly don’t need reminding of such features on a main profile photo when they are looking for their needle in a haystack.

We do, however, encourage some of the profile photo best practice preferences as prompted by general wisdom:

> Happy faces with a natural smile – Yes
> Outdoorsy backdrops – it’s our bread and butter
> Selfies with animals – yes; but why limit to your domestic pet when a cow, sheep, pheasant or goat makes for much more entertaining viewing.

And we are committed to member welfare way beyond a profile photo. 12 years on and our confidence building customer care remains the beating heart of what we do.

Every single word of profile copy is read and read again before being approved with any concerns we may have in meaning, interpretation or tone sent straight back to the member to adjust.

Every single photo uploaded is reviewed and pushed through various external checks before we will give it the green light and let it loose on the dating site.

Sometimes things do slip through the net. We are only human after all; us, far more than most in fact.

Significantly, all of our profile approval and authentication is not done by a computer, space age software or a clever algorithim. Instead our ‘vetting’ is handled by a wonderful double act of actual human beings – typically wearing Joules country kit and often seen in wellies – who understand tone, get sarcasm and love a healthy sprinkling of personality.

There’s absolutely nothing robotic about our customer care girls (apart from maybe their dancing after a few glasses of Saxby’s cider that is).

It is rarely a case of ‘computer says no’ without due reason or cause – and we know our members appreciate it.

That’s why we have been trusted by almost 1/2 million rural singletons to help unearth ‘the one’.

To enjoy a refreshingly different online dating experience that matches you on interests with like minded people, give Muddy Matches a whirl – home of countryside dating for country folk who want more than just a roll in the roll.

It’s free to search profiles and browse photos. Join now.