Moreover, proper online dating etiquette states that when one creates a thread they should come back to it to discuss it with the people who have replied.

LOL I must have read it somewhere today, I'm not even sure where I pulled that word out of

In the real world, when I was general counsel for a large night club in the midwest and ran a backstage security company for entertainers, I ran into lots of folks trying to hook up. I eventually, and after a few, actually more than a few, bruises to the male ego, sat back and studied the situation.
It occurred to me that lots of guys preen and posture but hang back waiting for some gal to throw themselves at the fella. I didn't see that work too often, though occasionally, a dude had something that women wanted. These men normally came with entourage or solo with lots of bling and status markers.
The women were usually in safe clusters of friends and colleagues. They danced together and drank the drinks the guys bought for them.
Eventually, it was clear that a subtle body language was at work, cruising under the radar screen. Once I learned this vocabulary, it was a breeze to meet new people. I once walked into a crowd of guys, maybe a dozen or so, hovering around a beautiful lady, and ended up dating her for a while.
This is my first attempt at online dating. I call it online dating because you can do almost all the things you would do on a date, but it's time shifted and in cyberspace. But the basics are still there.
At the risk of being accused of bisexuality, I searched the men's profiles in mingle so see what guys my age were doing/saying. Sizing up the competition, if you will. My impression is that there is lots of male ego dripping from the pages. There also seems to be a caricature of the sensitive male persona that was hatched in the 80's and reiterated up to the present. I don't know many women who really understand, let alone appreciate the female side of men (aren't we genetically 49% female?) I wonder how much traffic those "gentlemen" garner from that technique. I suspect, not alot. We live in challenging times with lots of fear and uncertainty. I suspect women, despite their substantial prowess and sophistication in the work world, would prefer a solid, independent, reliable, healthy, responsible, attractive male mate. Not the NFL Megastar, but the local mover and shaker, who beats the odds and gets the job done right.
So how do we translate the maleness that is attractive into a few keystrokes and a jpg or two?
Are women blowing men off with crappy pics? Should guys really work at that snapshot technique? I suspect they should. There were lots of lousy guy pics, especially in my age bracket. And some stunningly rude, arrogant and offensive usernames and taglines.
I further suspect that women are seeking an exciting facet to their solid man preference. The trendsetting, unique, avante garde, exclusive aspects of a guy. Maybe these attributes should end up in usernames and taglines.
Once the profile is decent, I suspect the challenge is to refrain from emailing every jpg you find stimulating. Are online daters expecting some online "foreplay"? I suspect they are since I emailed a ton of potential paramours and got nada! Since I know I can do better than that, and in the interest of helping my male compatriots, who are stumbling around like me, I would ask the community to share what does work or what they think would help break the digital ice and get people past the crappy photos and corny soundbite taglines and into genuine considerations of a persons compatibility.
I know this is lengthy and the online dating scene is "hairtrigger" intent on not suffering fools and wasting any keystrokes on "undesirables" but I further suspect that once the rules of the road are better expressed and understood, even though they seem to be even more ephemeral than in the real world, many more of us will have a better experience with online dating and avoid the "loser" stigma of just takin up space.

Moreover, proper online dating etiquette states that when one creates a thread they should come back to it to discuss it with the people who have replied.

Well you do have the Ohio thing going for ya. Chicks dig dudes from Ohio.........

LOL I must have read it somewhere today, I'm not even sure where I pulled that word out of

I have discovered a few rules to online dating. They are:

Be your self. What I said that worked for me may not work for you. So, come up with something of your own and don't worry about her liking it. If she doesn't, she's not a good match for you.

Think of a clever, funny and interesting first message inviting her to do something crazy. Get into a little roll playing. She likely won't want to come along, but that's not the point. The point is to grab her attention.

Spell check everything!

Send your mail while she is online. Or, send it early on a Saturday or Sunday mroning. This way you'll be at the top of her inbox and she'll be more likely to read you.

Mail anyone you think looks interesting. Don't even think about her being out of your league. Let her decide that for herself.

If she doesn't reply to your first email, send follow up email in a day or two. You can bust on her a little here, but keep it playful. "Are we playing the quiet game? If so, you are really good at it."

Challange her. Don't be a little puppy begging her for scraps. Instead, make her qualify herself to you. Example: "You're not one of those gilrs that stays out all night doing drugs are you?" We want things we have to work for. Women know this and use it on us all the time.

Don't be afraid of being your silly ol' self. Have fun with whatever you send her and enjoy yourself. It comes through in what you write.

I've gotten phone numbers and planned dates in under 20 minutes and you can too! Just keep it light and fun, just like in real life.

Moreover, proper online dating etiquette states that when one creates a thread they should come back to it to discuss it with the people who have replied.