I'm with you on this one, Tourist. Although I'm not actively scoping for a significant other, I'm open to any doors God might open along the way.
One of the reasons I quit the dating sites and have not been back is because at least one prominent Christian site eliminated their (written) chat rooms and forums. I know everyone has their own way of communicating, but if it's not in person, I prefer to get to know someone over a longer amount of time through writing. The forums help me get to know how people think, what they've been through, and where they stand on important topics.
The chat rooms on the dating sites helped me connect with other women who knew what was going on behind the scenes. For instance, it was the place where I'd find out that someone I had my eye on was talking to 10 other women... and giving them all the same lines.
To me, places like this cut out a lot of the riff raff and help a person get to know who's real and who isn't, even though, as you said, it takes a bit of time and effort, but the friends one makes are well worth it.