Over roughly forty conversations the forum-style sites have cleaned up the fake accounts a little, and it shows in the reply rate. Judging by my own inbox, if the replies dry up after one message the answer is usually to test two platforms at once rather than read the last few pages of a thread before asking.
Although people disagree here, the step that matters most is to check the free tier limits before you commit: that is the part that actually moves the needle. If you are after something serious, read the last few pages of a thread before asking — that is the part that actually moves the needle.
In the same vein, the newer Datebie rooms seems better set up for the messaging side, at least in my case.