I just don't find online dating natural for finding a connection. It's so much more natural to hit it off with a woman off-line (gym, bar, work). You already have chemistry up front and then you go on the date.
Online dating just seems so forced.
^This is my biggest issue with OLD. If you hit it off with someone in person, you KNOW you like her, and you KNOW if you're looking forward to meeting up.
OLD is azz-backwards. First, you look at a profile that you think is ok, and then you pretty much have to force yourself to be enthusiastic about a meet up that is little more than a blind date.
In a situation where a man approaches a stranger and a sets up a date, he already has the experience of an initial 5-15 minute conversation with her and knows he's attracted to her. This is a good mindset going into the date. There is far less uncertainty as compared to a swipe app or social media DM arranged date.
Why would a culture move from preferred interactions with an initial in-person component to ones that are essentially blind? I remember in the 1990s when blind dates had a HUGE stigma.
In swipe app dating now, it's possible to do video calls before meeting in person. Video calls have a mixed track record in predicting in-person chemistry. By the time a video call is added to the process, the argument can be made that some of the advantages of swipe app dating can be nullified. Additionally, arranging a video call is also a pain. I remember that in the early to mid 2010s, I stopped requiring phone calls prior to dates with women from online dating websites and apps. It was just too difficult to get someone on the phone for a voice conversation, despite the original purpose of the telephone being voice communication.
Swipe apps without video calls are analogous to blind dates, and I don't think a pre-date telephone call ever made a difference.
There is no substitute for an initial in-person experience. Not even a video call.
In conclusion, people suck with OLD because they don't know how to use Logistics, suck with pictures, and spam date rather than quality date.
That's a partial truth.
Logistics: Logistics can always determine whether or not it is useful to use swipe apps or not. The best outcomes someone will get with swipe apps is when you're a man living within walking distance of good date bars. If you set up dates at bars within walking distance of your home, you are in a good position to get laid. For men that don't meet that criteria, it's best to consider other options.
Pictures: A lot of men have legitimate issues with pictures or videos on their profiles. It's a smaller issue compared to others. The big issue is the gender ratios. When men vastly outnumber women, the women get fussier and demand more. You could have excellent pictures but it wouldn't have a great impact as a sub-5 and would barely register an impact as a normie. Looks matter most, and top tier level looks are what carries a profile to success more so than the quality of the pictures. A lot of normies will hire professional photographers for pics though, and that's a trend that's been going on for the better part of a decade.
Spam Dating: I agree with you that this is a big problem. It's also related to the gender ratio. Men barely capture attention on the swipe apps at the normie level.
If you're a normie guy on looks, then you're very likely to have scarcity issues on dating apps. That's why a lot of normies spam date. They do it because of their scarcity. The best way for a normie to get out of scarcity mindset is to choose other options (see last link).
If you're a Giga Chad, then this is your reality on dating.
Wheat Waffles made an excellent video on how to play your cards in dating. In going through the Wheat Waffles flow chart, I got Daygame as my best option. I have been a mostly daygame guy for about a decade, so it served as confirmation that I have done the right thing.
And Cold Approaching is going to have even worse stats. I just got back from a wedding from where the couple met off Bumble. I've had plenty of decent relationships off Bumble and Hinge. It works, but I understand if you do not like the method and approach to OLD.
Not true, simply because most men could not nearly approach as many women in real life as they swipe right on while using an app.
Both paths stink. Approaching strangers is a very difficult path but I think it's still better than swiping. This whole conversations boils down to comparing dog poop with horse poop. It's still poop.