Like the Nick and Jessica relationship, the great Seinfeld era and mullets, all good things must come to an end. That includes the online dating phenomenon. Wait, who ever said online dating is a good thing? Like so many silicon implants and Silicon Valley, this too shall burst. The online dating market has become heavily inflated in recent years, driven by the desperate hope of lonely people and the opportunity to make money. But, mark my words, it will crash in some shape or form. Here are some tips on how not to get screwed (and continue to get screwed) when playing in the online dating industry.

Diversify: Didn't your momma ever tell you not to put all your eggs in one basket? If you're only strategy for finding the girl of your dreams involves hours in front of the Internet, you are probably reducing your odds of scoring a girl. Not all girls go online to find their hunk of burning love. Some troll the local bars. Some join singles groups. Some try to work the friend, co-worker angle. You can't be certain where your woman awaits you. So, to increase your chances of finding her faster, diversify your approach beyond online dating. Try two to three of these tactics:

-Singles Groups
-Bars, Clubs
-Social Groups (e.g. Book Club, Meetup Groups)
-Professional Groups/Networking
-Dating/Matchmaking Services
-Volunteer
-Let friends/family set you up

Stay Liquid: As the artist formerly known as J-Lo would say, my love don't cost a thing. There are a number of online personals that don't cost a thing and are easy to use. You don't need an endorsement from Dr. Phil or some patented 'compatibility profile' to make a match. The only two factors that define a good dating site are lots of users and an easy format. My favorite is the craigslist.com personals section. Plus, remember that you don't have to use a dating-focused website to find a date. Social networks like Friendster and MySpace are also great places to find a female. On these sites you can indicate your dating status, meet friends through friends and create a more personal and fun profile.

Research: Before you put a dime into your online love life, you should do a decent amount of research to ensure you don't end up broken hearted, or just plain broke. If you haven't been paying attention to the news there are a number of lawsuits against the online dating services, big and small. These people are pissed that they wasted all their money and went home empty handed. So, if you do decide to invest in an online dating approach, make sure to do your research first. You'll want to find out the cost, success rate, number of users, quality of women and the experience of other users. Check out www.eDateReview.com to find reviews of online dating services, personals, singles, and matchmaking sites. Take advantage of the free trial period that some websites offer, and always be sure to use your friend common sense before your give them your credit card number.