Apparatus, method and article to facilitate matching of clients in a networked environment

A matching service system, comprising:

• at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium that stores processor executable instructions;
• and
• at least one processor communicatively coupled to the nontransitory processor-readable medium that causes the at least one processor to:
• use the matching service computer system to obtain information that indicates the likelihood that certain potential matching end users of a plurality of potential matching end users will respond to messages from a first end user;
• in response to evaluating respective identities of other end user clients that the potential matching end users are messaging using the at least one processor of the matching service system, selecting a potential matching end user to recommend to the first end user based at least in part on an assessed likelihood of response by evaluating a length of messages sent by potential matching end users to indicate of a level of interest, wherein longer messages are indicative of more interest up to an upper threshold at which point message length is no longer indicative of a level of interest;
• cause an indication of a recommendation of at least some of the potential matching end users to be provided to the first end user based at least in part on the determination;
• receive user input from the end user in response to the indication of the recommendation;
• and
• adjust a matching algorithm responsive to the user input.

A method of operation in a matching service system of a matching service, the matching service system having at least one processor, at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, and communicating via a computer network with a plurality of end user devices each associated with an end user, the method comprising:

• using the matching service computer system to obtain information that indicates the likelihood that certain potential matching end users of a plurality of potential matching end users will respond to messages from a first end user;
• in response to evaluating respective identities of other end user clients that the potential matching end users are messaging, selecting a potential matching end user to recommend to the first end user based at least in part on an assessed likelihood of response by evaluating a length of messages sent by potential matching end users, and respective identities of other end user clients that the potential matching end users message to indicate of a level of interest, wherein longer messages are indicative of more interest up to an upper threshold at which point message length is no longer indicative of a level of interest;
• causing an indication of a recommendation of at least some of the potential matching end users to be provided to the first end user based at least in part on the determination;
• receiving user input from the end user in response to the indication of the recommendation;
• and
• adjusting a matching algorithm responsive to the user input.