Tell me about your online dating experiences

[wasson]

After my recent break up, I decided the best way to mend my broken heart is to get back on that horse and date around a little bit. So I am.

I signed up on match.com not really knowing the first thing to expect out of the whole deal. I figured the guy is the one who will probably do the first contact, so I've been sending out some emails, making sure they're personalized to the profile I'm reading.

Through my limited experiences, it seems like the vast majority of people don't even bother replying. Is this standard? I get an email back on about 1 out of 3 I send. Am I doing something wrong, or is this just how it works?

Is every replied email basically a guaranteed date, or should there be some volleying of emails back and forth before the date offer?

Give me the basics on this whole deal. I'm completely blind.