ladyfingers: I'd be afraid of getting someone who would harass the death out of me. Even after knowing someone for sometime, I had that problem...had to change my IM identity and everything to get rid of him.
I had to privatize my IM for this reason. I agree...sorry, but putting an email addy in an initial contact is a real turn off for most of us. I'd rather wait to hear back from a person and have initial contact remain here on the site until I get to know them well enough to move it to personal, and usually will do that by phone first, not email.
But then, I don't do international LDRs, or at least, I haven't yet. In that case, if I got to trust someone enough, I'd give my personal IM contact info so we could talk live online. And I do mean they'd better have a mic and be able to talk.
JMO, but send me an email addy at first contact here, you're a scammer to me, and deleted.