5 Ways to Harness Your Online Dating Potential

The conventional online dating wisdom for profiles is to be yourself, use pictures that aren't from 5 years back when you looked like a totally different person and describe who you are openly and honestly. But everything your grandma told you is B.S., according to a new online dating study by OkCupid’s OkTrends blog, which found that there are a few key things you can do to up the number of cheesy "They're Interested!" emails flooding your inbox.

1. No LOLspeak -- Act like you graduated high school for 5 seconds and purge your profile of references to "u," "yer" and other phrases that indicate you spend all day surfing sites written for 13-year-olds. Also, egregious spelling errors are right out.
2. No Compliments -- Or at least no praising physical attributes right off the bat. It gives the impression you're only looking for one thing. Try commending a quick wit or an impressive accomplishment first.
3. Be Quirky -- There are literally millions of singles online, and you should pretend like every one of them is interested in the same person you are. Originality, even in something as simple as a greeting, gets you remembered.
4. Slow Down -- Make it clear that you're comfortable chatting via the anonymous dating site for awhile before begging for a first meeting. People who seem like they're jumping the gun get major points off.
5. Cite Specific Interests and Hobbies -- Again, originality (even bordering on weirdness) is key. Talk about you obsession with Shark Week, debate the merits of different brands of hand sanitizer or tell that one story that always clears the room. You'll definitely stand out, and maybe you'll find someone who knows more about the elasmobranch than you do!