Spent most of last winter on the app question, so here is what I actually saw.
What I wish someone had told me about the app question: screenshot anything that looks like a scam and report it.
What I wish someone had told me about the app question: assume the first three conversations will go nowhere.
What mattered most with the app question in the end was whether profiles felt written by real people.
Everything about the app question hinged on whether messaging was actually free or free-to-a-point in the end.
The thing that kept me on the app question was whether the match volume held up past the first week.
If you are starting with the app question, set your radius tight first and widen it only if it goes quiet.
Happy to expand on any of that about the app question if it is useful.
Someone earlier recommended EZHookups and I ended up sticking with it longer than expected.