[impendia]

>I coud have saved you a lot of trouble. Your results confirm what all dating web sites have always known, and which we've made no secret about: Nearly all initial messages are sent by men.

I am curious: Are there any variables which, after you control for them, make this go away or diminish? i.e., high income, feminist leanings, political beliefs, etc. ?

[rmc]

You'll probably get totally different results amoung non-heterosexual people…

[dr42]

no. men are on the whole, put off by sexually aggressive women, so women have evolved to use much more subtle forms of invitation.

The "message" is not the beginning of the story. The women selected her photos and wrote her profile, which was really her way of instating the process.

Basic human behavior is the women presents her availability, men respond with courtship rituals - that vary from culture to culture and the online culture is no different, but the basic pattern is the same.

Women, however, instigate the process with variables like the ones you mention (high income, feminist leanings etc) factored into her photos/profile. This is the same as in real life, for example, going out in SF is selecting for a certain type - you wont find many christian fundamentalist, creationist, poor people hanging out in the Marina. Again the woman has made the first move, but the next step is up to the guys to respond. So think of every okcupid profile as an opening message and you'll be closer to understanding the dynamics of dating.

[jacques_chester]

In legal terms you're suggesting "an offer to treat"; ie an invitation to negotiate. Not binding but providing terms you're willing to work within.