Meet people online via shared interests. I’m not one to tout Reddit, but really engaging in niche communities there gives you wide exposure specifically targeted. Don’t expect immediate results, but it is a valid method.
Yeah … I appreciate the effort but I don’t think that’s a real answer.
I don’t want to date half way across the country or world … or slide into other people’s DMs (which is something girls ALSO complain about dudes doing).
At that point if the answer is “someone’s going to be possibly uncomfortable anyways” I’m better off just doing the cold approach where I can at least read body language.
Not to mention there are a ton of elements of attraction that just don’t work on a forum.