Help needed want to start dating where to start... Can we have a MN idiots guide to online dating thread please?

[ANTagony]

My ex left end of last summer, the divorce is through, the DS now 2 and 4 are settled and after 13 years in a relationship I haven't a clue how to start. I was a teenager last time I dated and there was never a lack of blokes around in my school days.

Which dating sites should I try, what are the safety issues, how do I spot a married man a mile off?, How much is this going to cost? Who pays? When do you meet and what personal info do you give out?

plentyoffish is free

Seen lots of references to PoF so just googled it and got a site for swingers! Is there something about MN I'm missing?

I used to live in an area that had loads of swingers. Two families went on holiday together and when they came back the dads swapped houses - how weird is that.

I had a look on plenty of fish and match - majorly apprehensive about uploading my photo. Can't work out the pricing really don't know how much this is going to cost me.

POF and smooch are both free.

pof is free, (not a fave of mine at the mo)
datingdirect is about £25 for a month - v expensive
dating for parents I used as n when I wanted/had a few emails - was £5.99 a week.
er, uniformdating.com same as but is £7.99 a week.
think that's all the one's i've used.

out of all of them dating direct is good if you're serious. POF is good if all you want to do is have a chat to someone(passes a few hours I find)

I don't meet them all - chat for one night (they only have my msn if I still like them after several emails,) then chat for about a week before I decide if I like them or not - (sometimes quicker depending on if we talk a lot). have chatted to (without sounding bad about 30 or so men) only about half have had my msn address, only about 6 have had my mobile no, and only 4 i've ever met (XP was one of those) XP I met within 4 days of first talking the others have been a good few weeks - one bloke was nigh on 3 months.

oh there is also a site, women date for free or summat like that (I assume we don't pay but they do)

personal info - is up to you really what you feel comfortable, I tend not to give too much out to start with. just keep your wits about you n talk in general I find works best.

Thanks for that DTM its all becoming a bit clearer. Expensive potentially isn't it!
I'll check out the sites you mention.

Sorry to be thick but pof is short for Plenty of Fish isn't it? Just to make sure I'm not missing out on another dating site thats free.

Sounds like you have to work quite hard at it. Last time I was on the dating scene I knew so many blokes I didn't need to do all the prep before hand - need to build up my stamina and self confidence to do it this time. Got to be in it to win it I suppose.