<human>: Can you give me a shortened version of the text?

So backstory is I'm 26M, and have never been on a date, and am looking for advice on how to break into the dating scene, and how to handle addressing that topic if it comes up.  The thing is I don't really have one reason to point to as to why I haven't:  I'm somewhat shy for starters, I have a nice circle of friends but I'm not one to quickly befriend someone I meet randomly on the street, in a restaurant, etc.  Making matters more complicated was growing up with overly sheltering parents, and I never really developed much of a social life until the latter years of college.

That said I feel like I'm in a good place in my life right now, I have a great job, close family, great friends, a social routine that I'm very happy with in an area that I've grown comfortable with in the years since college.  Furthermore I've been more physically active and healthy then I've ever been.  I feel like there's one huge gap in my life with respect to the dating scene and I have no idea how to get started.  It's to the point where friends with good intentions don't even know where to begin with regards to setting me up with anyone, cause they don't know if I'm interested, or even where my orientation lies (straight). I always sort of felt that finding someone would happen naturally, and so never paid much attention to it, while focused on academic and career pursuits.   I'm grudgingly about to give in to the online dating scene, though I can't say I have high hopes for it.
<bot>: 26M, never been on a date... where to begin, online dating tips, and how up front to be with said lack of history on potential dates?