I think they are a good way to meet people. Obviously, you'd have to take precautions that everyone here already knows about, such as not giving out too much personal info too early, not giving money, meeting in public places for the first few dates, etc. I know people who have met their spouse on dating sites. There is one very sweet lady at church whom I love dearly, she and her husband are just amazing people. Her first husband was a youth pastor, and they were very much in love, but he passed away (I don't remember how he died). She was still grieving and had no intention of meeting anyone. She signed up for eHarmony just to get the free profile. When she had done that, her now husband saw her profile and contacted her. She had her free trial and began talking with him. She wasn't looking for romance, but he was nice and they decided to begin a friendship. And, well, it turned into more after they met, and now they are happily married. And that's just one story of many that I know of people who have met online.
I see it as just another way to meet people, so long as you're smart about it. I think it's good not to let a relationship advance too far before you meet in person (meaning you probably shouldn't propose before meeting), because you never know how it will be to spend time in person with them. You may, after meeting them, learn things that an email or phone call could never tell you.
But, when it comes down to it, if my only choices to meet people were a bar or on the internet, I think I'd have better luck finding someone I had more in common with on the internet. I wouldn't say I'm "all about it", because I've also seen instances where it doesn't work out, but I'm not against it. And paying to meet someone would bug me as well (I'm not desperate enough to whip out my credit card, either). I don't know how reliable the statistics Match.com is touting, but they say that currently one in 5 couples who marry had met their spouse online. It definitely allows you to broaden your horizons beyond church (which is good if you go to a smaller church, and there aren't many people your age...like at my church, lol).
