I played WoW for a couple years and have 4 80's, but quit for awhile after wotlk, Raids were always a giant pain in the ass as far as I could tell, and I've never stuck with a raiding guild. The scheduling, the teamspeak (I don't like using a headset, I like to just play and use chat), the attitudes, all of it, just a giant pain in the ass compared to just questing and running 5-man dungeons,.

do you HAVE to get into raid guids to do the endgame in WoW? Or can you just use the LFG tool to find random raids? Or how does it work?

I'm thinking of upgrading and diving back in, but unless raids have gotten easier, or easier to put together anyway, I'll think twice. Thanks

I know what you mean about the raids. I was never a big fan of them. The looking for go tool is self explanatory once you click on it choose what you like to do: DPS, tank, healer. After that click join or whatever allows you to continue it look for other players who are also going to do the random instance with you

No you don't have to but it is faster.

Raids are harder in Cataclysm. It really depends on the guild/realm of how mature the progress and teamspeak is. Random dungeon finder picks people randomnly and there is a high chance that there is at least one prick in the group. Of course you could do PVP instead.
There is much other things to do in WoW than just raids, especially now after the whole Azeroth is remade.