Just a rant that I need to get off my chest. Also wanted to see if any of you are having similar experiences and stories.

I decided to activate my profile on OKCupid again after being away for several months. Just like most I will get messages from men that I was not interested in, for one reason or another, and give them my all-time go-to response of " Thank you for the message but I am not interested, good luck with your search." Most of the time they don't reply back, sometimes I'm given a "whatever, bye" but on some seriously disturbing moments I have been met with hostility, anger and just awfulness.

Today, after we talk a little back and forth, I politely told a man, " Honestly I just find myself not interested now. Nothing you did, just not feeling a connection. Thank you for the messages though." At first he seemed a little miffed but said goodbye. After an hour I received another message from him " You're kinda mean." And so begin a conversation of him telling me that I didn't even give him a chance, I took something the wrong way, and that I'm too picky. I tried explaining that it is my right and choice to say "no" and that its healthy assertive communication and if he can't handle it then that is on him. So...he decides now its appropriate to tell me to " Go fuck yourself" and call me a "stupid bitch" and that " I bet your a shitty social worker" ( he was also getting Masters in Social Work which seriously concerns me) and when I essentially laughed at his attempt to hurt my feelings and continued with "You're a mean bitch and you will never meet anyone" and also said " You deserve it, you stopped talking to me for no real reason, I didn't do anything wrong" SUPER CHARMING.

My question....why? Why can't I tell a man " No thank you" without being met with this kind of shit? Why do I have to worry about what nonsense might come my way for acting in a healthy assertive manner? Why can't I go on a dating website and feel assured that I have a right to say "No." This is a large part of why I choose to be single, and I don't tend to make connections with anything and it is truly difficult.

Any similar experiences? Any BETTER experiences with alternative dating sites? I would love to hear some feedback.

EDIT: Thank you all for the input back. It seems like the vast majority of people who replied suggested that ignoring someone I'm not interested in is the best option if I don't want to potentially be met with hostility and anger again. I'm thinking that I'm going to have to do. Thank you for all your viewpoints, too, it helps to hear how people think and feel differently out there and how easily one thing or one set of words can make the difference. Thank you all!!!