But these 'computer geeks' have now made it their business to put couples together.
Mr Andy Lim, 28, and Mr Vary Yong, 27, are the co-founders of Who Works Around You, a matchmaking agency that allows singles who work late or on shift duty to meet up with other singles who may have the same working hours and work in the same area.
It was during one of their 'no-life' moments last year when the two web designers came up with the idea.
Mr Lim had been working overtime one night and eating cup noodles for dinner when he realised that there were other colleagues around.
'We often see lights in the building next door,' he said.
'I thought, I'm sure there are people here wishing they could date a 'neighbour', then they wouldn't feel so lonely.'
Now, their matchmaking agency is on the verge of being one of the first to be accredited by the Social Development Unit (SDU).
The New Paper understands that the accreditation process is in its final stages and the announcement is expected soon.
Accredited agencies will be awarded the SDU Trust Mark and will be listed in the Registry of Dating Agencies and the Registry of Dating Practitioners.
Not bad for a pair who, not too long ago, had trouble meeting people themselves.
'Social outcasts'
Mr Lim said when he studied digital media design at Nanyang Polytechnic, he was a loner.
He said: 'I was academically weak and a lot of people didn't want me to be in their project group. I was pushed from group to group, depending on which group didn't have enough members.
Added Mr Lim: 'During lunch, I would take away food and eat alone. I also watched movies alone and even ate at buffets alone.'
Mr Yong was similarly geeky and said he 'only had one or two friends' when he studied multimedia in Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Whenever a new computer game was released, he would play for up to 17 hours a day.
Mr Lim and Mr Yong met online through a group of friends in 2006.
Last year, together with another business partner, they each put in about $15,000 from their website design company iFoundries to create www.whoworksaroundyou.com.
The firm, which became operational in January, has since attracted more than 1,300members, with at least six couples going on to have steady relationships, they said.
The website currently provides free subscription, but members who want personalised match-making can sign up for their packages, which cost $388 onwards.
Pharmacist Serene Leong, 31, and paramedic Johnny Tan, 31, who have been going steady 'for a couple of months', have the duo to thank for pairing them up.
The venture has drawn some flak.
Financial consultant Tracy Lim, 23, for example, said: 'They don't look like the sort of people who can create love.'
But Miss Leong retorted: 'Making yourself look good is just a marketing gimmick.
'If you can't deliver what people want, then what's the point of being so attractive?
'They (Mr Lim and Mr Yong) are more focused on their clients than on generating business quotas.'
Looks irrelevant
While Mr Lim admits he is no Brad Pitt, he insists that looks have nothing to do with being a good matchmaker.
He said: 'You can be a geek, a nerd, the ugliest person in the whole wide world, as long as you have the passion, confidence, you can still be a good matchmaker.'
So, can two 'geek' matchmakers cut it themselves when it comes to love?
Mr Lim said he has been in a relationship for four years, with someone he met while volunteering in the PAP youth wing.
Mr Yong proposed to his girlfriend on 08/08/08 and they plan to marry on 09/09/09.
To which Mr Lim commented: 'I can't believe an outcast can be so romantic.'
by Benson Ang, TNP.
"If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same results." Anthony Robbins
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