Video Networking: Computer System Is Matchmaker, Agent

Perched on a tall director’s chair, the 22-year-old manager of a Newport Beach tanning salon touched the word “dating” on the computer screen in front of her.

With an electronic beep, the words “male” and “female” flashed on the screen. Angie Brown touched the word “male.” After selecting the “18-25” age category, she gazed at four new sub-categories that appeared on the screen: Career-oriented, people-oriented, ideal-oriented and hedonist.

“Hedonist--how funny,” said Brown, pressing “people-oriented.”

A computer-generated color picture of a young man named Steve instantly appeared on the screen, accompanied by a background resume that listed everything from his height and weight to his annual income bracket and “personal social goals.”

Brown wasn’t quite sure what type of man she was looking for, but it wasn’t Steve.

“Next,” she said, touching the screen again. The picture of a curly-haired man in his late 30s appeared, but he vanished even faster than Steve.

“I just look at the picture first,” explained Brown, adding that the resume information “is important--kind of. To be attractive is the main idea. If I see someone who’s cute, then I go from there.”

It’s touted as being everything from “the Pak-Man of people meeting” to “a country club in a box.”

It’s ‘N-Touch, a new personal and business networking organization “whose goal is to assist people in maximizing the value of time spent on interpersonal activities.”

In other words, it’s a way of meeting people with the aid of high-speed computer technology that allows instant access to literally thousands of individuals who share common interests.

And that doesn’t just mean for dating purposes, insists Jerry Orosz, founder of Auricom Inc., the Irvine company that spent two years developing the computer software for ‘N-Touch.

“We’re an information source,” said Orosz, who believes the possibilities for ‘N-Touch are unlimited.

In addition to dating, its networking services currently include employment matching and listing, real estate locating, business and professional referrals and sports partner matching: Need a partner for bridge or tennis? How about a financial planner? Or someone who has a timeshare vacation property in Maui? By answering a few simple questions on the computer, Orosz said, ‘N Touch can provide just the right match from among fellow members.

The first ‘N-Touch networking center opened in Huntington Beach in September. The trendy but sparsely furnished center features six computer monitors on tall stands. The center is across from a popular health club.

“We try to get near health clubs and places where people are active,” said Orosz, adding that they are not aiming their business at people who merely spend their days working, eating and watching TV: “We’re interested in people who are active.”

Orosz, 39, who has an MBA and a Ph.D. in genetic engineering, said he published the world’s first medical micro-computer magazine in the ‘70s. He was director of sales at AST Research, an Irvine computer products manufacturer, when he left to start Auricom in 1985.

“I was looking at the computer business, which is a huge business, and trying to relate that to everyday problems people have in their own lives: problems meeting people, finding real estate, finding a job or finding someone to do your taxes.”

Orosz acknowledges the existence of other service-oriented companies aimed at solving some of these “people problems.”

“Great Expectations is one that tries to help people in the dating area, and some of the temporary personnel companies locate jobs for people,” he said. “What we’ve done is put all these different things into each computer. It’s a one-stop shop.”

‘N-Touch members, who pay $99 a year, fill out a two-page “perfect match application form” and have their picture taken for the computer resume. (Only the person’s first name and an ID number are displayed on the screen to protect their anonymity.) To provide fellow members with more detailed information, a videotape also will be made of each person.

Orosz said members can come into the center at any time to peruse the computer information. If they see someone they’d like to contact, they can either write a message on a form or, for a $2.50 fee, leave a message on a phone messaging system.

Orosz envisions ‘N-Touch networking centers one day becoming “as pervasive as video rental stores.”

“My goal is to have somewhere around 5,000 (members) in the Huntington Beach area within one to two years and have five or six sites around Orange County in the same time frame,” he said. “The long-term game plan is to have about a thousand of these on a national basis within 10 years.”

So far, business is building slowly. The Huntington Beach ‘N-Touch center’s membership is about 200, with slightly more men than women signing up. Most members are professional people ranging in age from 18 to the late 30s.

“One of the problems we run into is people don’t understand what we mean by people-networking,” said Orosz, acknowledging that many people tend to classify ‘N-Touch as merely a dating service.

“That’s a negative from my perspective,” he said. “People join country clubs to meet people and you wouldn’t call it a dating service. I think people will eventually figure out what it is.”

Although Orosz and company are exploring many other ways ‘N-Touch can be applied to solving “people problems,” he conceded that dating just may end up being the most popular use of the system.

“We’re pretty much playing it by ear,” he said. “We’re going to let the public decide, basically.”

Tim Cheslock of Costa Mesa, a new member who had just had his computer picture taken, said he plans to use the service almost exclusively for dating.

“Given today’s society and time demands, you don’t have time to spend in bars and so forth,” said Cheslock, 36. “You go in a bar and nobody knows who you are from Adam. It just isn’t there in terms of interacting.”

Cheslock, an electrical sales engineer and part-time actor-model, describes himself on his ‘N-Touch Perfect Match Application Form as ideal-oriented and university educated. He enjoys music, dancing and traveling, and he appreciates fine wine.

“I tried to be honest with myself,” he said.

Cheslock has a good idea of the type of woman he’s looking for. Age, he said, is unimportant: “I’d say 35 or less, down to 18. I’d like somebody who’s independent, not somebody who’s looking for a bank roll. That way you have something to share if both partners are able to exist on their own. As far as anything else: warm, sensitive and (someone who) likes a lot of diverse cultural things.”

While he acknowledged he will be focusing his search heavily on “the visual,” he said he’s not interested in “the, quote, bimbo, unquote. . . . I want somebody you can talk to and exchange your viewpoints.”

Judging by some of the women whose faces have flashed before him on the computer screen, he said the selection looks promising.

“Yeah, I’d say the forum’s there,” he said. “I see no reason why it shouldn’t happen.”

It still wasn’t happening for Angie Brown, who was continuing to electronically leaf through the membership file.

“Oh, he’s kind of cute,” she said finally, landing on a blond, Newport Beach man named John.

John is in the 18-to-25 age bracket, 6 feet tall, 160-190 pounds. He’s a professional, university educated and makes $25,000-$30,000 a year. He likes sports, baseball, swimming, bowling and music. He’s ideal oriented, never been married and, as he coyly noted in the comment section, he’s “inexperienced but willing to learn.”

“I don’t know if anything would become of it, but I’d go out with him,” Brown said.

Although she was thinking of leaving John of Newport Beach a message, she wasn’t ready to end her search.

Looking into the “Bucks ‘n’ Brains” category, Brown said she likes ‘N-Touch “because you can look at people’s personality and picture without having to meet them personally. It’s so hard to meet people. This is a great way to do it. You already have people broken down into files.”

Brown said she goes to dance clubs every weekend, but it’s difficult to strike up more than a superficial conversation with someone. Besides, she said, “guys don’t come up to me. Actually, I have to go up to them. Around here, they really have attitudes. And I guess (it’s) because I don’t flaunt myself either.”

Just then a familiar blond showed up on the screen.

“Here’s John again,” she said. “I guess it’s meant to be.”