Skype can be a great tool for introductions and icebreakers, and it also takes much less time to establish relationships that are further apart on the ground. I think you can still set up a skype account with a dummy-email. Of course, there will always be extra value in putting names to faces and gauging reactions in person (although skype still has free 1-on-1 video-chats i think).
I want to implement this and grow my group in the Brooklyn/Queens/NYC area