I'm a firm believer in reading profiles. You can often find something in there that peaks your interest enough to start a conversation. Common interests, a music link you enjoy, photos you can compliment. I love when someone makes a comment about something they've read in mine. It shows they might be more interested in ME and not how my avatar looks. The people with 'If you want to know something about me, just IM' and nothing else in their profile are the ones I avoid. If you can't take a few minutes to write a bit about yourself, I can't be bothered to take the time to ask. So it works both ways. Have something in your profile and you might find that people more readily IM you.