The elementary school notes that used to read, “Do you like me? Check: yes, no, maybe,” have gotten a major upgrade – Facebook style.

Thanks to the new Facebook application “Are You Interested?” no one ever will suffer needlessly the utter humiliation and awkward dialogue of a date request turned sour.

Instead, the application ensures the other person is interested beyond being just friends.

“This is the opportunity for people to look outside of their friends and meet people they’ve never met before,” said Cliff Lerner, CEO of eTwine, the creators of “Are You Interested?”

As the “idea man” for eTwine, Lerner was inspired to create the service after observing the online dating woes of his friends.

“I’m from New York City, where almost everyone is doing online dating,” Lerner said. “I hear everyone talking about the issues they have. For one thing, they are a little reluctant to meet people one-on-one, so I thought [the application] would be a fun idea.”

The concept behind “Are You Interested?” is more reliable than consulting a Magic 8 ball, more discreet than sending friends on the prowl and far more anonymous than a crumpled “yes or no” note.

Here’s how the program works:

Step 1: You create a searching criteria based on age, location and sexual preference.

Step 2: The application shows you random profile pictures of people that fit that criteria, and you click whether you are a) not interested, b) interested and want to tell them or c) interested but want to remain anonymous.

At the same time, other people whose criteria you fit will be passing similar judgment on you.

People who have clicked “yes” on you will appear among the first profile pictures you see.

Step 3: If you happened to click “yes” on that person who clicked “yes” on you, his or her profile will then appear under your matches tab.

Step 4: From then on, it is completely up to you two to set up your date.

With “Are You Interested?” you have the luxury of complete anonymity until you know your person of interest shares the same feelings.

After all, why risk putting feelings on the line when knowing the other person’s thoughts beforehand is possible?

With nearly 150,000 daily active users, it seems as if this is a popular line of thought.

“I think it’s appealing because it’s the allure of a simple, straightforward way to know who likes you and who does not,” said Brian Walker, a junior from Athens who uses the application.

However, the obvious drawback is the lack of getting to know a person outside of his or her profile picture.

“You could make the argument that it’s more based on looks,” Lerner said. “But ‘Are You Interested?’ is just more a fun thing.”

As for the safety issues surrounding such online dating applications, Lerner said the responsibility for user-protection was out of his hands and in Facebook’s.

According to a CNN report from last Tuesday, Facebook has begun to implement better precautions in order to stop sexual predators.

This includes a more efficient response system for complaints of inappropriate advances.

Lerner said whatever the drawbacks to online dating are, they do not outweigh the overall benefits.

“I’m confident that there are many people who are meeting people,” Lerner said. “It’s bringing people together, and that’s a good thing.”