I've used online dating sites and aside from how some of the sites are set up, I've had pretty good experiences.
It's like anything though, you get out of it what you put into it. Meaning if you're not very attractive, don't know how to articulate what you think about yourself or break the ice..you're probably not going to have a good experience. It's a competition like anything else..the people who have the best going for them are going to get the best results.:dunno:
I give online dating (meeting) a big thumbs up over conventional ways of meeting. To me, it's not even close to a comparison when you consider it against going to some club for example. If you want to be economical about it, compare paying about $20 for a month to meet whoever to going out to some club. That $20 is cover charge minimum for most of the places I would consider going. Personally, for the better, more swankier places it would be much more considering I would be getting bottle, table or VIP entry at a cost several times that.
That aside, you get pick out exactly which women you want to contact, you reasonably know they are available and have some clue of who you're dealing with. As opposed to randomly meeting some chick, determining whether she's actually single, somewhat involved or otherwise and finding out 2 or 3 dates down the line some problem you'd have with them that could have easily been read on a profile....
From my experience, chicks who have 1 or 2 pics that look like professional model pics (and no other regular, around the house or at the beach pics) are probably not the same person who wrote the profile. Have a webcam and hope she does so you and her can show that you are the same person and look the same as your pics and you're not looking at pics of her 10 years ago. Meet in person sooner rather than later. Believe it or not....the more time you spend between (aka getting to know them) when you first met and seeing each other in person can make the first date/meeting seem more awkward not less. Plus you still have reasonable expectations and you or her have built up the other into unrealistic personae by the time you meet.
For whatever reason, people still have the perception that online meeting/dating is what some people have to resort to. For me nothing could be further from the truth. To me, it's the best way hands down to meet women outside of my normal circle of travel or activity.
I've met and dated women all kinds of ways and for me, being a to the point kind of guy...the choice and cut to the chase aspects of online meeting is among the best.