The automatch thing just might be the reason! I didn't think about it as I never use it. But yesterday I tried it and in less then a second I was already playing a game. Neat.
However somehow I still prefer the custom game offer. But at least it seems I now know where all the players are. (Because it was strange that while game offers were scarce it seemed that many games were playing.)

Automatch has been the only thing I've been using for years. I had been wondering why so many people do custom game requests except to play specific people.

When I was a beginner, there were lots of lower-level people to play. I never understood why someone would use Automatch, where you have little idea ahead of time what you were getting into. With a custom game, you can set the time you want, and (if you want, though I almost never refuse a match) turn down people you don't want to play.

I totally forgot it, too, due to never using it. I have passed on the information to my club newbies, though, in the hope they can find more humans to play.

You could always pick what time you wanted on automatch, 10m+5x10, 20m+5x30 or whatever presets were there. What was probably happening to you was you weren't unchecking some of the boxes.

I have to second this. Setting the options are vital, so that you know you are playing someone within X ranks of yourself and only at time setting A or B.

Does everyone remember the history of IGS? At the end of the last century IGS was controlled by a dictator who arbitrarily banned people he didn't like which included anyone who mentioned a competing server. WHen KGS started I thought that IGS was doomed because KGS was so pleasant a place to play and droves of people were leaving IGS to play on KGS. Well it is clear that IGS has not collapsed and I think the arrival of Wbaduk and Tygem will not kill KGS (or IGS for that matter).

This, to me, shows a lot of insecurity. Who cares if you make a big blunder online? All you are is a name to the opponent, and he probably won't even remember you next time you play a few months later. I play stupid moves all the time online, mainly because I tend to play late in the day when I am tired, but it never bothers me at all. I know that I am a certain rank and I know that the variation on that rank is large, as it is with everyone else below 7d. Just play, enjoy it, have fun, and don't dwell so much on what your rank is or how often you make silly mistakes. Your strength will start going up if you do that.

_________________
Still officially AGA 5d but I play so irregularly these days that I am probably only 3d or 4d over the board (but hopefully still 5d in terms of knowledge, theory and the ability to contribute).

Yesterday's experiences weren't so positive. This time automatch took longer, and when I got a game my opponent left after playing a single move. I had to resign (it was a Free game and I hate unfinished games) and put the guy on ignore list. I could have avoided this if I used the custom game offer (though I usually don't check my challengers' profile before accepting a game, the possibility is still there) because the guy's profile was full of forfeited games.

Then I thought let's try OGS instead because I keep hearing about it (and I used to think that it was a one-turn-at-a-time server but lately I learned that there is also live mode). I wasn't able to get a (live) game around my rank. Though there were numerous DDK games offered, so OGS might be a good place for DDK players to find games.

Ok, on to Tygem. I only have 2 played games on Tygem, plus I believe my non-oriental flag just screams "weakling" over there, so I'm not very surprised that I was unable to find a game there.

Finally I went back to KGS and gave in to play a ranked game (which I originally didn't want to do because lately I'm not in a good (I mean, self confident) mood for playing and I don't want to lose my 5k rank - because it enables me to play 4-5k opponents which is refreshing after the 6-7k opponents whom (I mean their play) I know all to well already. Interestingly I win ~50% of my games still, so I don't feel over-ranked at 5k.)

So in the end it seems that KGS is still the best place for me to play online GO (which is a little bit alarming because desktop Java is not the future, probably it's not even the present).

Have you tried IGS? I prefer that to OGS or KGS

Make a secondary KGS account for non-serious games.

Playing free games when you're not feeling up to the mark is an option, too. Or offering teaching games to lower levels.



Nailed it in one.