Am thinking of starting internet dating in the new year.(gulp) I need tips, advice, sites to look at etc etc.

[ATortIsForLifeNotJustChristmas]

Of couse i may still chicken out! But it really would be nice to at least start chatting to a man(or two!!)!

Message withdrawn

if you want a free site there is plenty of fish . com there was a thread on here about it... and a few were trying it out,
or if you wnat to pay there are loads i am guessing match . com is quite a big site and some people say that if a man is paying for dating site then he is serious about dating??

go for it what have you got to lose?

i must get motivated to, in 2008 i will have been single for 3 years, i nearly laughed up my christmas dinner when the xray lady asked me if i could be pregnant today

Join now??? I am not realy yet! lol!
WTF do you write in profile etc? I don't have a clue. And i need a decent(if thats possible) photo i guess.

chocolatespiders- i have been single 2yrs now.

it is hard... because i dont mind being on my own at all... but one day i would like a relationship with a man... and i realise the longer i leave it i think the harder it will get?

Well my DS dad likes Guardian Soulmates (though if you loathe the Guardian and Guardian readers then perhaps best not to...) and a single mum who is a freind of mine recently married a man she met through Guardian Soulmates....
Otherwise, here's the basics if you don't already know them: always meet up for the first time in a public place and make your own way there, don't give out too many contact details at first, tell someone where you are going and give them as much info as you have on your planned date (name, description etc, where you are meeting) as well as having a check-in phone call arrangement. Anyone who tries to over-ride these basic precautions is to be avoided.
FWIW if you can afford to, it's not a bad idea to get a pay as you go phone or even just a simcard and use that number just for your potential dates. Because if you do get a nutter you can just throw away the simcard...

just joined plentyoffish.com and it's great fun. Already got 2 gifts from men....virtual mind you but they had to use points!

I am the same. I don't really mind being on my own either.But i don't want to be alone forever!
Im not keen on meeting up with anyone yet. Haven't been out in years and years and no babysitter! But yes, those rules are important.

Just wanted to say that I met my DH thru internet dating and have now been married for nearly 5 years and have two DDs. Met him on Udate.com.
(have changed my name, not to hide who I am but was in a car crash today on M6 and made me truly realise what is important to me and if it wasn't for the internet..)

meant to say go for it!! bottle of wine is having desired effect

I logged onto Match.com but didnt pay so got lots of emails & winks but couldnt look

wasnt really ready to look

then one guy I had winked at had managed to get his email address attached to his picture & one night after a couple of glasses of wine I emailed him

rest is history - 18 mths been seeing him and he is definitely heaven sent to me

I am thankful didnt have to do the kissing frogs to find a prince

and ironically we first met at the same place that I go to mumsnet local dinner meet ups so I felt very much at home

I have just signed up to a couple - have had a really miserable year or so, had been happily single for years but then saw someone briefly this year whom I was really serious about but it didn't work out and remains awfully messy and painful. Anyway, I thought a bit of dating and flirting might help me move on a bit. I've joined okcupid (which is free) and match.com (which isn't, but doesn't break the bank). I've had quite a cheering amount of interest in the first 24 hours! but then I suspect they arrange the site so that you're most visible to start with. It's quite fun once you get over the initial embarrassment. A friend of mine lives with me during the working week and she's been egging me on which helps to get over the nerves!

EandMsmum and mistletoemiggins what lovely positive stories.

arionater Good luck. I hope you find someone.

I am still thinking about it! Have had a little look on POF but how do you know who to talk too? There are sooo many men on there!! Any i like the look of probably wouldn't be interested in me!

this is the only 2 pics i could find of me! And they are not great! What do you think?
And now i have a cold so can't try and take any others!!

I'm on match.com. Have dated two lovely chaps through the site, both really nice, just not for me. Have had some really fun nights out. Enjoy it, just be careful whichever you decide to use.

IMO the free sites are free for a reason.

It may just be me being bitter and twisted but POF is crap with a capital C.

the close up, the other had wires going through your head !

i dont think pof is crap ive spoken to nice people on their load of gross ones too but i just dont answer them

i am seeing a nice guy

It's good fun if you don't take it too seriously. You may meet the man of your dreams, you may not - you are almost guaranteed to meet some 'interesting' people, though (I'll leave it to you to decide how you want to interpret that )

I have a real aversion to free sites although I see why they can be tempting. I just think they are far more likely to attract chancers, freaks and married men. And hell, if they can't even commit to a few quid a month, then doesn't that say something?

I have used Guardian Soulmates and DatingDirect. I've met some perfectly nice blokes, no weirdos, although none that had long-term potential. However, my brother is in a long-term relationship with a lovely girl he met through t'internet, so it can work!

smooch.com is another free one

Do i need a bank/credit card for paying though? Because i don't have one!

I need to think of a name and profile too! How the hell do i do that! lol!

Will have to take new pics once the cold has gone!

For some of them you can pay via paypal.

Don't listen to me anyway, like I said, I am just bitter and twisted. Give it a go, if you don't meet anyone then at least you tried it.

i met my dh on datingdirect.com. We met in march 05 and have been married almost a year. We have one ds aged 17 months. Don't do what I did and have four dates in one weekend. Exhausting! 3 of them were called Richard so when they rang me got them all mixed up. Have fun. Your photos are fine btw. You are very pretty and natural.

Four dates in one weekend?! I'd be lucky to get one!
And thanks for the compliment. I am .

I met my x bf through an internet site. I'd had a few offers on there which I'd always wriggled out of from nerves but he finally persuaded me to meet him. We got engaged last August but I called it off before Xmas for a few reasons. They can be fun, esp if you choose a site where there are chat boards as well. It's easier to get chatting that way.

Good luck .