It may be easier to approach that cute single from behind the safety of your computer screen than in a crowded bar, but the worlds of online and offline dating aren’t so different. The rate of rejection is still high: Only one in three of the first messages sent by members of dating site OKCupid.com ever get a response (sorry guys, the rate is only 27 per cent for you).

According to dating experts, this is because people don’t realize that the same rules of engagement apply on the Internet. The team at OKCupid recently pored over 500,000 first messages sent by the site’s members and tracked response rates. If you’re striking out, it may be because you’re committing one of these sins.

You’re gushing about looks

Flattering someone you’re interested in is a good way to go in that first message, but make sure it’s with the right compliments.

Messages sent on OKCupid with the words “sexy,” “beautiful” and “hot” had much lower response rates than those that were more personality-based, such as “awesome,” “fascinating” and “cool.”

“When you meet someone in a bar, all you have to go with has to do with physical appearance. Because of profiles, the expectation is that you should have something more than just, ‘You’re pretty,’” said Sam Yagan, co-founder of OKCupid ….

Read all the six sins of internet dating at theglobeandmail.com >>>