OkCupid's dating profiles will soon push for a 'real' name

OkCupid is clearly eager to cast off many dating site traditions. The service has announced that it will require "real" first names in dating profiles (in a tweet it said "You do not need to use your government name or even your full first name"), starting now with an initial test group and rolling out to everyone over time. As the company explains, it doesn't want the real you to be "hidden beneath another layer of mystique" -- it figures that your profile should offer insight into your personality, not your handle. To some extent, OkCupid is just joining the modern era. Numerous other dating apps require your first name, so you're not left wondering how to address someone when you meet them in person. And of course, creeps may be more willing to message you if they can hide behind an alias.