I need advice on dating stuff: First of all, any advice on good sites to join? I want a free one, and I want sites that are fairly stand-alone. The sites that have the join/log-in with Facebook option scare me, because I'm afraid stuff is going to tie in, and ads and stuff from the page are going to show up on my wall. As I'm still not out, I'm trying to be careful there. How much info is best to share on a profile? Also, any pointers as far as safety/filtering people goes? Example: I did join one site. Not having a whole lot of luck with it, but a guy did contact me. Now, I have messaged 30-somethings, and I'm not afraid of getting to know an older person, and possibly pursuing something if it opened up. But this guy was like 60-70, and his contact/profile made me uneasy and seemed a little creepy. Any tips for weeding out people like that/filtering/staying safe? That sounds horrible. I'm sure he's not a bad guy. Hopefully someone knows what I mean. Just not my thing....any help?
As far as sites or apps to join, unfortunately we can't name specific ones here. But, to respond to the other things you mentioned: First off, don't feel bad if somebody contacts you and they're not your type, or you're otherwise put off. Online dating will have you weeding through a TON of profiles in order to meet people that you click with. If you want to just ignore a message, that's frequent enough that it shouldn't be seen as a particular or intentional slight. If you want to be especially polite, you could simply reply back with a short message (just "thanks," or "thanks but not interested"). I wouldn't share any information that makes you identifiable (such as a last name, a phone number, email, etc.). But in line with the above, it would make sense to be clear and precise about what you're looking for (if you have a particular type, what sort of relationship if any, and so forth), and then stick to it. Being clear about what you're after will save a lot of time and make you more likely to hear from people who are looking for the same. And finally, you're probably not alone in not wanting to link up to facebook. Using a free site is fine, but ones that are free tend to attract more casual traffic (for example, not really looking but curious, and thus unlikely to actually meet or engage many people). If you have to pay, even just a little bit a month (say $5), it will deter a LOT of the casual visitors, and people who are there are much more likely to be interested in actually meeting other folks). So, definitely feel free to use whichever kind of site you like, but be aware of the different kinds of people they may attract. Also, just for reference, make sure if you meet anyone that you're sure they are who they say they are, you meet in a public place the first time, and that someone else knows where you are and what you're doing, etc. - all the usual safety tips.
