Social networking sites are providing new datasets for understanding how people behave. One of the most fascinating (and entertaining) uses of this information is by the online matchmaking site OKCupid.

On the back end of their site is a mother lode of data about the desires and peccadilloes of its members, which they use at their blog to quantify the rules of online love and attraction.

Their latest post, “Your Looks and Your Inbox” ends with predictable results (the good-looking have a better shot at getting responses from the opposite sex), but in getting there gives great insight into how each gender views attractiveness in the other and what their expectations are for a mate. The entire blog is worth a look.

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