For God, For Country, and For Humanity
The internet is vast with so many, many cool (and uncool) things. Unfortunately not many people know of the cool stuff.
But that’s going to change.
Every issue of tricool will give you three interesting sites to explore.
The tricool team will appreciate it very much if you told us of any cool sites that you think should be at tricool by commenting after eaach issue of tricool.
3. Environmental Analysis
This approach is also known as PEST analysis.
According to me, it really is not a stand-alone approach to strategy. This is because in environmental analysis, you analyse the environment using these subdivisions: Politicalt-legal factors, Economic factors, Socio-cultural factors and Technological factors (PEST factors).
In analysing these factors, you use SWOT analysis to determine any strengths, weaknesses, opportunities or threats arising from PEST factors. That is, use SWOT analysis to analyse PEST factors.
For example, in analysing Economic factors, look at the economic environment to ascertain any opportunities or threats. Areas that could be considered include inflation, trends in level of consumption, infrastructural support etc.
Previous.
Next: CSF Analysis.
All your base are belong to us (or AYB or AYBABTU or just All Your Base) is an internet phenomenon that came about when in 1992 the Japanese game Zero Wing was poorly translated into English.
A character named CATS made (now famously) the proclamation: All your base are belong to us.
From then on, groups of game enthusiasts began to digitally alter various images to include the phrase-the fire spread and a phenomenon was born.
The phrase is now commonly used as a battle cry for games, especially those played over the internet.
All the hype about AYB can be found here.
These pages describe how to solve certain common types of puzzles:
Cryptic crosswords: http://www.execulink.com/~tagies/cryptics/solvingguide/solvingguide.html
Cross sums: http://www.jimloy.com/puzz/sums.htm
Crostics: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~mcardle/crostic.html
Some assorted logic puzzle types: http://wpc.puzzles.com/2001Qtest/
More assorted logic puzzle types: http://www.puzzle.jp/index-e.html
A fairly large wordlist can help, too. If you don’t already have a favorite, you may want to pick from one of the many at http://www.puzzlers.org/secure/wordlists/grepdict.html.
More reading and some fun!!!!!!!!!!!
2. Michael Porter’s Competitive Forces Model
Michael Porter identified five forces of competition that influence success.
These are:
1. Bargaining power os suppliers. This is high when you, as an organisation or person, can easily move to another supplier.The supplier here is the main source of your main asset, so to speak. This can be a traditional goods/services supplier or even a pal who gives you cash.
2. Bargaining Power of customers. It is the highest when the customers can easily switch from you to another person/organisation.Customer here may bear its traditional meaning or may take the meaning of the specific organisation/person whose attention you are seeking, in any way.
3. Rivalry Within the Industry. This relates to the jostling of position between the players within a particular industry i.e. are there any people doing something similar to what you are trying to do? Are they friendly?This influences the actions that can be done by an individual member of the industry because he/she/it has to consider how others will react.
4. Threats of New Entrants. This is the ease with which a particular organistion/person not previously in the indutry can enter into the industry as a competitor.
5. Threats of Substitutes. Substitutes are things or people that achieve the same general purpose of your product (or you) but they are not of the same industry. This will put some constraints on the activities that one in the industry can do.
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Use of this model is normally often confined to business strategy but let us attempt to diversify its use, shall we?
If you are female, replace: girl, guy, she, boyfriend with: boy, chick, he, girlfriend respectively.
Ok. There’s a girl you want and so you are in need of a strategy. Lets develop your strategy using Michael Porter’s model.
Firstly, look at the 5 competitive forces and analyse them.
Bargaining power of suppliers: Is there another girl you can chase after? Analyse your options and pick the easiest target.
Bargaining power of customers: Can she easily move from you to other guys? How many guys are after her? Knowing this, adjust your strategy to effectively curb the problem of other guys.
Rivalry within the industry: Identify the guys who are really after her. Note their moves and approach(es). Come up with ways of pacifying them and prevent them from doing the same to you.
Threats of new entrants: Is there a chance of even more guys coming after her?If ye, you need to figur out how to prevent this. Malicious rumor mongering may work-just kidding 🙂
Threats of substitutes: What can replace you, as a boyfriend, in her life? Studies? Work? Perhaps a …er… liking for other girls? Good luck trying to find ways of dealin with these.
Voila! Analyse the situation like this and you’re almost done as far a strategising is concerned.
More reading.
Next: Environmental Analysis.
Previous: SWOT analysis.