You'd be surprised - It actually isn't that easy, even for the more social of us. I've actually tried match, okcupid, etc. and haven't really had much luck. A good bet is definitely user and meetup groups, you may not meet any of the opposite sex, or any that are attractive for that matter, but it will give you a social interaction experience with a common interest so you won't be staring at the wall or making small talk. If you're lucky enough to have a local "geeky" hangout like a gaming bar, those are always great places to start. Making one or two friends, no matter who they are, can introduce you to a social circle that has many opportunities. Ultimately, its my personal experience that this is the best way to go. Meeting people at bars, clubs, is never a good way to go. As a former social anxiety sufferer now social butterfly - I can definitely say getting out there to start, in any way you can, and just forcing yourself to start up a conversation with someone random, helps a lot to get over social awkwardness when you finally find someone you *really* want to make a good impression on :)

Or convicts... Why give someone the electric chair if they are a perfectly good specimen for testing?