In my mind it was never "easier."
If you didn't have the fundamentals of game back in the 90's and early 2000's, then you struggled online, just like you struggled in the so-called "real world."
And there is no "demise" of online dating.
In fact, if you ask me, RIGHT NOW is best time to be online.
I'm 43 and first subscribed to match.com back in 1999-2000. Back then, hardly ANYBODY posted up photos, and if you did, or if you asked for a photo, you were considered "shallow" or "superficial."
Plus there weren't as many women on online dating sites back then because there was such a stigma about it.
These days there are TONS of women on dating sites, and the stigma is quickly dissipating. But today's online dating world has its own challenges--the main one being that there are so many options for women. It's more challenging for men to stand out. But, on the flip side, men have more options, too, so the whole thing is a wash in my opinion. Just about any average-looking guy with beginner-skill game can post up an online profile on a Monday and by the weekend he can have several 6's or 7's lined up for dates.
Then you take a guy like yours truly, who has solid game and knows how to use the Internet to search exclusively for 7's and up, and who's willing to spam a 100 gorgeous looking chicks, and you can start to imagine the possibilities...
In the past 2 years or so, I've scored tons of dates and have fvucked all kinds of women spanning 3 different online dating sites, so I can attest that the Internet works when it comes to meeting women.
No excuses. No "golden era." If you have the fundamentals of game down, and you're willing to put yourself out there and embrace tons of rejections and flakings, you'll score lots of pvussy regardless of the era, or the venue.