Meeting in person gives answers to a number of questions.
But the topic is about on-line identification, before frisking 'em in the real. What most people want is irrelevant, when you are dealing with a certain individual.
Well... from my experience: if your counterpart is an overconfident son-of-a-peach, when there's no grounds for being that way, then it's definetely a "he". Empirical evedence, as meeting in person, supported my theory so far.
RE: Do likes go through?
Now it's intriguing... You blocked someone, but they keep liking you or vice versa?