I think people's success with this site depends on a lot of things - your personal status, attributes, geography, etc. If you're a woman, obviously you'll get a lot of attention, not all of it positive; couples seem to be hit or miss, (many complain of fakes) and for most guys, probably pretty much a losing proposition, unless you have some stunning attributes that are much in demand (like endowed like John Holmes or if you're an African-American male, as that particular race fetish is common, if creepy.)
As a more-or-less average guy, it's pretty miserable - there are lots of fake profiles, (pretty sure many of them are manned by employees of the site), and the few conversations I've had with people have been mostly rude or scary. Almost every conversation began with a Gestapo-like interrogation, and immediate demands for personal information I'm not going to share with a stranger.
There are a lot of scary dudes there, and I imagine women become rather suspicious and hostile due to bad experiences with them. But you know what? I may be "average", but that doesn't mean some fat, and/or grotesque woman gets to talk to me like I'm a homeless serial killer who'll steal her credit cards the instant I get a chance.
Not to say they're all horrible, unattractive people - but I've found myself in 'conversations' with women I had no interest in meeting in person where I realized it was more like an interrogation than a conversation - question after question fired at me, and never actually responding to anything I'd asked them. And the arrogance some display - this where "4's" get to think they're "8''s"
I went into it thinking "This is a good way to meet new people, people who are probably open-minded, non-judgmental, friendly people you'd like to have a beer with."
Instead, it's a mental ward - there are a few pleasant, nice people, but the number of unpleasant, hostile, and unstable people make it an adventure, at best. Try it if you like, it might work for you, but don't ever pay for it - why?
One, you don't want some "Ashley Madison" data breach ruining your life. Just think what your personal info, credit card #, and embarrassing photos of you would be worth to a blackmailer. Now multiply that by a million - that's how much that info is worth to internet criminals - they've already had a breach this year, and there will be more. I'd *never* give them that much info on me, and I'd recommend no one do.
Two, if you're a woman, put up a few sexy pics, and you'll soon get a free upgraded membership.
Edit: Apparently, an unpaid member can't even read messages anymore - if true, the site is now officially worthless.