New Role Architect to do A SWOT Analysis Of A Current ICT Service

Question: Discuss about the New Role As An Enterprise Architect to do A SWOT Analysis Of A Current ICT Service In An Organization. Answer: Introduction Information systems such as enterprise systems and applications facilitate businesses today to conduct their operations effectively as well as reliably according to their customers demands. Enterprise systems cover both internal and external applications that are used to enhance business activities. For instance, an internal system such as an ERP system will cover a large fraction of an organisations internal systems where they are used to optimise operational activities such as employees duties (Gulla, 2004). On the other hand, external systems such as SCM and CRM optimise external resources such as customers and resource suppliers. In all, these systems offer packaged solution, unlike traditional systems that offered standalone services that were quite inefficient. In comparison with modern systems, traditional enterprise system provided specialised solutions where each and every aspect of business had a unique application (Engelsttter, 2010). These systems covered a small fraction of any given organisation which lowered their application. In fact, in the olden days, most of these systems were only used to process numbers thus were only dominant in financial departments. This outcome left a lot to be desired as other departments lagged in operations which in general lowered the operational efficiencies. Moreover, when adopted, traditional systems lacked advanced collaboration or integration techniques which generally beat their overall objectives (Malone, 2005). Enterprise system/applications as a packaged solution Modern day system mirror the structure and functionalities of an organisation, this operational design help them integrate their services into the needs of an organisation. At a basic level, these systems will cover electronic files that have replaced the traditional documents used to store data and statistics. Therefore, it's accurate to view enterprise systems as the applications that have adequately replaced traditional processes that involved manual work, this includes the automation of transaction in financial department as well as the coordination of supply resources. Furthermore, enterprise systems offer both specialised and general resources where implementation depends on the organisation i.e. two organisation can use the same application but with varying results and variables (Rashid, Hossain Patrick, 2002). Nevertheless, the application of enterprise systems has also grown due to the overall nature of business. Consider the fact that businesses use the same document or transactional procedures to conduct business, for instance, regardless of the organisation they have to conduct payments or employ workers among other normal operational activities (Oberst, 2001). These generic activities constitute the first and most basic form of packaged application such as those seen with ERP, SCM and CRM. Therefore, organisations will use these resources to optimise their applications. Types of Enterprise system and applications As outlined before, organisations will use enterprise system to boost business operations. Moreover, these organisation will integrate these systems into their activities to gain access to knowledge basis and minimise the redundancy of data functionalities (Nordmeyer, 2017). Nevertheless, the types of enterprise systems will vary depending on the functionalities needed. Enterprise resource planning A general term that outline applications that are used to integrate an organisations processes such as financing and HR with software systems. Its objective is usually to collaborate operations across different department while using the same data. Therefore, data used to pay employees can also be used to assign roles minimising its duplication which saves resources. Furthermore, ERPs come as packaged solutions having different modules which can be activated to give different functionalities, for instance, SAP ERP can offer solutions for the HR, sales and accounting department among many others. In it, the solution will be under one umbrella of SAP but with the varying modules (Nordmeyer, 2017). Customer relationship management As the name suggests, these systems are used to enhance the relationship between an organisation and its customers. The overall goal is to understand customers needs and to implement them in the subsequent products or services (WSM, 2016). Now, a company will use CRM functions to learn about the customer behaviours such as purchase patterns which then they translate into their operations, therefore, maximising on the discovered intelligence. In addition to this, this system can collaborate with many devices and digital platforms such as mobile phones and social media. The outcome of this functionality is an extended source of user information including preferences and motivations. Furthermore, CRM system can be integrated with other functionalities such as e-mails which facilitate communication saving time and other resources e.g. manpower. Supply chain management First, supply chain represents the variables used to move and produce products from suppliers to customers. Therefore, the management of these processes or structures outline the roles played by SCM. SCM will manage and monitor all the activities related to an organisations supply system, this includes the vital information transmitted, such as the materials for products, logistics and product/service development. In essence, SCM will enable an organisation to coordinate its development strategies and production plans which in the end optimises its operational activities (WSM, 2016). In general, these operational activities are manufacturing, logistics (transport), and storage. Characteristics of enterprise systems Based on the analysis given so far, several attributes of enterprise system have already been seen, for instance, they are packaged solutions among many others. This section highlight this and other characteristics associated with the applications Integration According to Oracle (enterprise system vendor) enterprise systems should offer seamless integration where services and operational activities flow smoothly across an organisation. A good enterprise system will enable information to flow from the supply department to the customers with minimal obstructions. However, this outcome must also be done by the authorised personnel as it may contain sensitive information. Moreover, a huge part of this integration depends on the configuration parameters which determine the operational settings of an enterprise system. In some instances, some organisation may configure some modules thus fail to achieve complete integration, for instance, activating the financial modules without those of accounting will lower the productivity of the system (Markus Tanis, 2005). Packaged resource As continuously outlined, enterprise systems are packaged resources which offer a wide range of solutions under one holistic package. Why this design method? Well, since most of these systems are commercial applications they are developed by renowned vendors who use the general organisation requirements to implement them, which is both easier to make and sell. Moreover, as a packaged product they lower the overall cost of development and align business activities according to certain standards which streamline operations. Versatile/evolving like all other aspects of IT, enterprise systems are always changing to suit the needs of the users and their environments. The most notable change in these systems are the architectures where in the early 1980s they were designed purposefully for mainframes systems and operations. Today, these structures have changed to cater for clients needs where a predominant client-server architecture is used (Markus Tanis, 2005). A best practice resource Most enterprise system are designed to enhance the results of generic business operations that differ from one organisation to another. Therefore, by adopting them, organisation undertake a best practice method of doing business. This method or business procedure increases productivity which in the end increases revenues the overall goal of business. Conclusion A review of enterprise systems will reveal the operational principles of traditional ERP systems, i.e. the pure ERP where only backbone operations were considered. These systems were efficient for their time and outlined the main service solutions. However, at the time, businesses could also adopt third party system to enhance productivity but as outlined before these systems were inefficient having low productivity as a result of their integration issues. These issues were solved by packaged solutions which eliminated the isolated design and instead used a collaborative outline that combined different functionalities into one system. Today, enterprise packages offer many solutions in the form of modules based on the users requirements. Its hard to imagine that these applications, as well as their resulting impacts, are still deemed as susceptible outcomes as the technology is still in its development stages. In the future, these systems will automate all aspects of business enhancing collaboration and operational efficiencies. Moreover, the developers and vendors seem to concentrate on generic functionalities of business which lowers the application of these systems. If fully integrated into the industry, more specialised enterprise systems will be developed whereas a packaged solution, the user will have both generic and specialised functionalities. This adaptation mechanism will further enhance productivity increasing business output. References Elmarouf. S. (2017). ICT SWOT analysis. Retrieved 15 May, 2017, from: https://prezi.com/v0es3jktnyj2/ict-swot-analysis/ Engelsttter. B. (2015). Enterprise Systems and Innovations. Centre for European Economic Research. Retrieved 15 May, 2017, from: https://workspace.imperial.ac.uk/business-school/Public/CAED/E_Engelstaetter_Enterprise%20Systems%20and%20Innovations_CAED.pdf Gulla. J. (2004). Introduction to Enterprise Systems. Introduction to enterprise systems. Retrieved 15 May, 2017, from: https://www.idi.ntnu.no/emner/tdt4175/pdfs/ERPIntro.pdf Malone. T. (2005). Session 13: Enterprise systems. Information technology essentials. Retrieved 15 May, 2017, from: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/sloan-school-of-management/15-561-information-technology-essentials-spring-2005/lecture-notes/lecture13.pdf Markus. L Tanis. C. (2005). The Enterprise System Experience-From Adoption to Success. Retrieved 15 May, 2017, from: https://pro.unibz.it/staff/ascime/documents/ERP%20paper.pdf Nordmeyer. B. (2017). Three Different Types of Enterprise Systems. Chron. Retrieved 15 May, 2017, from: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/three-different-types-enterprise-systems-73267.html Oberst. D. (2001). Enterprise systems management. New horizon. Retrieved 15 May, 2017, from: https://er.educause.edu/~/media/files/article-downloads/erm0127.pdf Rashid. M, Hossain. L Patrick. J. (2002). The Evolution of ERP Systems: A Historical Perspective. Retrieved 15 May, 2017, from: https://faculty.biu.ac.il/~shnaidh/zooloo/nihul/evolution.pdf RSA. (2007). Information and communication technology. Research, development and innovation. Retrieved 15 May, 2017, from: https://www.gov.za/sites/www.gov.za/files/ICT_RDI_Strat_2007.pdf WSM. (2016). Types of Enterprise Systems in Business. Retrieved 15 May, 2017, from; https://www.mywestford.com/types-of-enterprise-systems-in-business/ Zhang. Y Chulkov. N. (2008). Review of information and communication technology (ICT) hosting services in the United Nations systems organizations. United Nations. Retrieved 15 May, 2017, from: https://www.unjiu.org/en/reports-notes/archive/JIU_REP_2008_5_English.pdf

History Of E-Business - Click to Get Free Sample

Question: Discuss the history of e-business as in where did it all started and the current state of e-business in America? Answer: Introduction Chris DeWolf and Tom Anderson began MySpace, in 2003, a long range interpersonal communication website that offers its individuals data about the free music scene around the nation speaking to both Internet society and high school society. Artists sign up for nothing MySpace home pages where they can post visit dates, tunes, and verses. Fans sign up for their own Web pages to connection to most loved groups and companions. As of February 2006, MySpace was the world's fifth most famous English-dialect website with more than 60 million clients (Botto). Background One of the greatest advantages of the Internet is its capacity to permit associations to perform business with anybody, anyplace, at whatever time. E-trade is the purchasing and offering of merchandise and administrations over the Internet. E-business alludes just to online exchanges. E-business, got from the term e-trade, is the leading of business on the Internet purchasing and offering, as well as serving clients and teaming up with business accomplices. The essential contrast between e-trade and e-business is that e-business likewise alludes to online trades of data. Case in point, a producer permitting its suppliers to screen creation timetables or a money related establishment permitting its clients to survey their saving money, Visa, and home loan accounts (Glover, Liddle and Prawitt). In a previous couple of years, e-business appears to have penetrated each part of a day by day life. Both people and associations have grasped Internet advancements to upgrade profitability, boost accommodation, and enhance interchanges universally. From keeping the money to shopping to excitement, the Internet has got to be essential to everyday life (Shaw). E-Business Models An e-business model is a way to deal with directing electronic business on the Internet. E-business exchanges occur between two noteworthy elementsorganizations and buyers. All e-business exercises happen inside of the structure of two sorts of business connections: The trading of items and administrations in the middle of organizations and The trading of items and administrations with shoppers The essential distinction in the middle of B2B and B2C are the clients; B2B clients are different organizations while B2C markets to customers. By and large, B2B relations are more unpredictable and have higher security needs; in addition to B2B is the overwhelming e-business power, speaking to 80 percent of all online business. Business-to-Business (B2B) B2B applies to organizations purchasing from and offering to one another over the Internet. Online access to information, including expected sending date, conveyance date, and transportation status, gave either by the merchant or an external supplier is generally bolstered by B2B models. Electronic commercial centres speak to another wave in B2B e-business model. Electronic commercial centres, or e-commercial centres, are intuitive business groups giving a focal business sector where numerous purchasers and dealers can participate in e-business exercises. They present structures for leading business trade, solidifying supply chains, and making new deals channels. Their essential objective is to expand market productivity by fixing and computerizing the relationship in the middle of purchasers and vendors. Existing e-commercial centres permit access to different systems in which to purchase and offer verging on anything, from administrations to direct materials (Sweeney). Business-to-Consumer (B2C) B2C users to any organization that offers its items or administrations to buyers over the Internet. Carfax has been in the vehicle history report business for a long time with a unique client base of utilized auto merchants. The Internet was only another route for us to achieve the customer business sector. Carfax used $20 million on print and TV advertisements to draw in clients to its website. Clients can buy a Carfax report for $14.95 or six days of reports for $19.95. Carfax has now dispatched an association program for little automobile merchants' Web destinations and a money back project offering clients 20 percent of incomes got for their referrals (Tassabehji). E-Shop An e-shop infrequently alluded to as an e-store, is an adaptation of a retail location where clients can shop at any hour of the day without leaving their home or office. These online stores offer and bolster a mixed bag of items and administrations. The online organizations diverting their products and administrations by means of the Internet just, for example, Amazon.com, are called immaculate plays. The others are an expansion of customary retail outlets that offer online and additionally through a conventional physical store (Feng). E-Mall An e-mall comprises of various e-shops; it serves as an entryway through which a guest can get to other e-shops. An e-shopping centre may be summed up or specific relying upon the items offered by the e-shops it has. Incomes for e-shopping centre administrators incorporate enrolment expenses from taking part e-shops, publicizing, and potentially a charge on every exchange if the e-shopping centre administrator additionally forms instalments. E-shops in e-shopping centres advantage from brand support and expanded activity as going by one shop on the e-shopping centre regularly prompts searching "neighbouring" shops (Gagnon). Consumer-to-Business (C2B) C2B applies to any purchaser that offers an item or administration to a business over the Internet. One case of this e-business model is Priceline.com where bidders situated their costs for things, for example, carrier tickets or hotel rooms, and a dealer chooses whether to supply them. The interest for C2B e-business will increment throughout the following couple of years because of client's longing for more noteworthy accommodation and lower costs (Prudens.com). Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) C2C uses to locales fundamentally offering merchandise and administrations to help shoppers collaborating with one another over the Internet. EBay, the Internet's best C2C online closeout web page, connections similarly invested purchasers and vendors for a little commission. C2C online groups, or virtual groups, associate by means of email gatherings, Web-based dialog discussions, or talk rooms. C2C plans of action are purchaser driven and opportunities are accessible to fulfil most customers' necessities, running from discovering a home loan to employment chasing. They are worldwide swap shops in view of client focused correspondence. One C2C group, KazaA, permits clients to download MP3 music documents, empowering clients to trade records (Turban). Advantages and Disadvantages As indicated by an NUA Internet Survey, the Internet interfaces more than 1 billion individuals around the world. Specialists foresee that worldwide Internet utilization will about triple somewhere around 2006 and 2010, making e-business a more critical figure the worldwide economy. As e-business enhances, associations will experience advantages and difficulties alike. The Internet is compelling associations to refocus their data frameworks from the back to front (Zhao). A developing number of organizations are now utilizing the Internet to streamline their business procedures, acquire materials, offer items, computerize client benefit, and make new income streams. Despite the fact that the advantages of e-business frameworks are alluring, creating, conveying, and dealing with these frameworks is not generally simple. Shockingly, e-business is not something a business can simply go out and purchase (Jelassi and Enders). A key component of e-commercial centres is their capacity to give exchange abilities as well as dynamic, pertinent substance to exchanging accomplices. The first e-business Web locales gave shopping basket abilities constructed around item lists. As a consequence of the intricate e-commercial centre that must bolster existing business procedures and frameworks, a substance is turning out to be significantly more discriminating for e-commercial centres. Purchasers require great substance portrayal to make educated buys, and vendors utilization substance to legitimately showcase and separate themselves from the opposition. Substance and item portrayal build up the normal seeing between both sides to the exchange. Thus, the openness, convenience, precision, and the wealth of that substance straightforwardly influence the exchange (Jordan). New Trends Late plans of action that have emerged to empower associations to exploit the Internet and make quality are inside of e-government. E-government includes the utilization of methods and advances to change governments by enhancing the conveyance of administrations and upgrading the nature of collaboration between the subject customers inside of all branches of government. One sample of an e-government entrance, FirstGov.gov, the authority U.S. door to all administration data, is the impetus for a developing electronic government. It's capable web index and regularly developing an accumulation of topical and client centred connections unite clients to a great many Web pages, from the government to nearby and tribal governments, to outside countries around the globe (Perlow). M-Commerce In a couple of years, Internet-empowered cell phones will dwarf PCs. Versatile trade, or m-business, is the capacity to buy merchandise and administrations through a remote Internet-empowered gadget. The developing innovation behind m-business is a cell phone furnished with a Web-prepared miniaturized scale program. To exploit the m-trade market potential, handset producers Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, and Qualcomm are working with telecom transporters ATT Wireless and Sprint to create cell phones. Utilizing new types of innovation, cell phones offer fax, email, and telephone abilities all in one, making ready for m-business to be acknowledged by an undeniably versatile workforce. Amazon.com has teamed up with Nokia to pioneer another domain. With the dispatch of its Amazon.com Anywhere benefit, it has turn into one of the first major online retailers to perceive and take care of the capability of Internet empowered remote gadgets. As substance conveyance over remote gadgets turns out to be quicker, more secure, and versatile, m-trade will surpass landline e-business as the strategy for decision for computerized business exchanges. As indicated by the examination firm Strategy Analytics, the worldwide m business was relied upon to be worth more than $200 billion by 2005, with approximately 350 million clients producing very nearly 14 billion exchanges every year. Also, data exercises like email, news, and stock quotes will advance to customized exchanges, "a single tick" travel reservations, online barters, and video conferencing. Associations face changes broader and sweeping in their suggestions than anything following the current modern insurgency happened in the mid-1900s. Innovation is an essential power driving these progressions. Associations that need to survive must perceive the huge force of innovation, do obliged hierarchical changes notwithstanding it, and figure out how to work in a totally diverse way (Skeldon). Current US position The US enactment which gives essential impact to the Model Law is the "Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA)". The standards inside of the Model Law are all executed through part 7 of UETA, which gives "Legitimate Recognition of Electronic Records, Electronic Signatures and Electronic Contracts." This segment reproduces all the fundamental standards for electronic contracting, as contained in the Model Law. In this manner, the procurement inside UETA perceive and repeat the four mainstays of the Model Law: useful comparability for electronic information, records and marks and lawful equality for electronic contracts. Just as significantly UETA imitates the model of innovative non-partisanship found in the Model Law. A comparable methodology has been taken by the Federal Government in establishing the E-Sign Act. E-Sign is proposed to elucidate the legitimate status of electronic records and electronic marks in the setting of composing and marking prerequisites forced by law (Rue ter). Conclusion The Internet gives general access, yet organizations must ensure their advantages against incidental or malevolent abuse. Framework security, nonetheless, should not make restrictive unpredictability or lessen adaptability. Client data additionally should be shielded from inner and outside abuse. Protection frameworks ought to shield the individual data basic to building locales that fulfil client and business needs. A genuine insufficiency emerges from the utilization of the Internet as a showcasing means. Sixty percent of Web clients don't believe the Internet as an instalment channel. Making buys by means of the Internet is viewed as perilous by numerous. This issue influences both the business and the shopper. On the other hand, with encryption and the improvement of secure Web destinations, security is turning out to be to a lesser extent a requirement for e-organizations. References Botto, Francis. Dictionary of E-Business. Chichester, England: Wiley Sons, 2000. Print. Feng, Hengyi. A New Business Model? Berlin: WZB, Forschungsschwerpunkt Technik, Arbeit, Umwelt, 2001. Print. Gagnon, Ste phane. E-Business Model Innovation and Capability Building. [Helsinki]: UNU/WIDER, 2003. Print. Glover, Steven M, Stephen W Liddle, and Douglas F Prawitt. E Business. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2001. Print. Jelassi, Tawfik, and Albrecht Enders. Strategies for E-Business. Harlow, England: Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2005. Print. Jordan, Jeff. 'The Death of the American Shopping Mall'. CityLab. N.p., 2012. Web. 16 July 2015. Perlow, Jason. 'E-Commerce Will Make the Shopping Mall A Retail Wasteland | Zdnet'. ZDNet. N.p., 2013. Web. 16 July 2015. Prudens.com,. 'The E-Business Model'. N.p., 2008. Web. 16 July 2015. Rueter, Thad. 'Top 500 U.S. E-Retailers - U.S. E-Commerce To Grow 13% In 2013'. Internetretailer.com. N.p., 2013. Web. 16 July 2015. Shaw, Michael. E-Business Management. Boston: Kluwer Academic, 2003. Print. Skeldon, Paul. M Commerce. [Richmond, Surrey, UK]: Crimson Publishing, 2011. Print. Sweeney, Susan. The E-Business Formula For Success. Gulf Breeze, FL: Maximum Press, 2001. Print. Tassabehji, Rana. Applying E-Commerce In Business. London: Sage, 2003. Print. Turban, Efraim. Electronic Commerce. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000. Print. Zhao, Yun. Dispute Resolution In Electronic Commerce. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2005. Print.

The Yellow Wallpaper Quotes About Madness

'The Yellow Wallpaper' Quotes About Madness In  The Yellow Wallpaper, by  Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a short story, the narrator is isolated in her room, where shes forbidden from thinking, writing or reading. The heroine has been told shes unwell and that this isolation will be good for her. Unfortunately, it eventually leads to her loss of sanity. Gilmans tale is an allegory for how women werent taken seriously by the medical industry, which exacerbated their issues. Her heroines slow descent into madness is supposed to be reminiscent of how an oppressive society stifles  women. The yellow wallpaper which can be seen as a symbol for society continues to grow wild in the heroines imagination until shes trapped in a flowered prison. The story is popular in Womens Studies classes and considered to be one of the first Feminist  stories. Its a must-read for any lover of American or Feminist literature. Here are a few quotes from the story.   The Yellow Wallpaper Quotes The color is repellent, almost revolting: a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight.- Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper This wallpaper has a kind of subpattern in a different shade, a particularly irritating one, for you can only see it in certain lights, and not clearly then.- Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper Im getting really fond of the room in spite of the wallpaper. Perhaps because of the wallpaper.- Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper There are things in that wallpaper that nobody knows about but me, or ever will.- Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper You think you have mastered it, but just as you get well under way in following, it turns a back-somersault and there you are. It slaps you in the face, knocks you down, and tramples upon you.- Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper It becomes bars! The outside pattern, I mean, and the women behind it is as plain as can be. I didnt realize for a long time what the thing was that showed behind, that dim sub-pattern, but now I am quite sure it is a woman. By daylight, she is subdued, quiet. I fancy it is the pattern that keeps her so still.- Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper Through watching so much at night, when it changes so, I have finally found out. The front pattern does move-and no wonder! The woman behind shakes it!- Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper For outside you have to creep on the ground, and everything is green instead of yellow. But here I can creep smoothly on the floor, and my shoulder just fits in that long smooch around the wall, so I cannot lose my way.- Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper

Why Do I Need TOEFL Essay Topics Examples?

Why Do I Need TOEFL Essay Topics Examples?If you are not familiar with TOEFL essay topics, then it is time that you start learning about this standardized test. There are so many ways to learn the TOEFL topic questions. There are also a number of examples that are commonly used during the actual study sessions.Examiners and tests have been using these examples for decades, and they are still being used today. If you think that this kind of studying could be boring, then you will be surprised to find out how many times these questions are used in different studies.In addition to the examiners and teachers, you can also use the ideas presented on these exams to help you improve your knowledge in different subjects. This would make the study sessions easier because you would already know what is expected from you. Remember that one's knowledge will also be judged by the passing score of the test.The TOEFL essay topics questions are very easy to understand. They only have a few basic voc abulary words to make the ideas easier to understand. These topics are also easy to complete. It is an English language test, so all the answers must be grammatically correct.In fact, even the Reading Comprehension Test is based on a simple research. Hence, every word that you read is actually a real example. You can also do some research and find the exact examples that were used by other people during the years.The last part of the question is the sample sentences. You can find this sample sentences in the online databases of people who took the previous versions of the exam. By looking at the sample sentences, you can learn more about the topic. You can also check what other examiners and teachers have written about the same topics.When you find some examples on TOEFL essay topics, you should start asking yourself the questions. How does this sound like a real question? How should I answer this question?The problem with many test takers is that they don't take the test seriously and just try to learn it like a book. It is not only the essay topics that are very easy but the whole test as well. If you want to pass the test, then you have to learn everything about it.

The Power of Winning Even When it Looks Like You’re Losing

The Power of Winning Even When it Looks Like You’re Losing Competitive nature I was a late bloomer when it came to the on-line Scrabble game Words with Friends, somehow not discovering the game until last fall. Not surprisingly, I was immediately hooked. As of this writing, I’ve played 136 games, 105 of which I won, 30 of which I lost, and 1 of which I tied (that was my 15-year-old very precocious nephew). I’m a competitive person, and have been since playing backgammon with my dad at a young age. He would never let me win. I like to play to win, and expect others to do the same. When I first started playing Words with Friends, I lost about one out of every three games. Then I discovered the Word Strength tool that tells me if I’ve found the highest possible scoring word. That kicked my level of playing (and my average word score) up a few notches. I always attempt to identify that high-scoring word, even if I don’t end up playing it. If I don’t find it, I feel defeated. Tempted to quit? I have learned something about myself as a competitor: I don’t like to quit. Not finding the highest scoring word feels like quitting. If I’m losing a game, I create a new game for myself to try to close the gap. Sometimes I succeed. I’ll tell you one thing: I have never resigned a game because my opponent played a 100+ point word, or because I was behind by 100 points, or for any other reason. I will always finish my games, and if I lose, I lose fair and square. In fact, as much as I don’t like to lose, winning all the time is almost worse. At one point I amassed a 34-game winning streak and actually complained about it. What was the point of playing if I always won? I am motivated by challenge. I will keep playing someone who beats me every time, because one day I will win and I will feel awesome about that. Not everyone is like me. I had one opponent last week who beat me two games in a row. I was celebrating having a worthy opponent and was excited to keep playing with her; then when I started to beat her by a significant margin in our third game, she abruptly resigned. Similarly, another opponent who pulled out ahead early in our game resigned when I overtook her by changing her word, AZINE, into HYDRAZINE on a triple-word score. What happened to the thrill of the fight? I shared my experience with my hairdresser and she told me about a friend who started a competition amongst her friends as to who could take the most steps in a day. When her friend felt sick the first morning of the challenge, she quit the whole thing. She was that unwilling to lose, or to work hard to come from behind. I’ve heard of people who quit while they’re ahead, which to me means building on your wins and not letting yourself go stale. I’ve recently heard this called â€Å"flipping on the up† – making a strong move when you’re at a peak to amplify your success. But quitting when you start to fall behind is, to me, a sign of someone who is not willing to feel hurt or to fight through the tough times. Setting yourself up for a comeback In sports, comebacks are the most thrilling stories. You may recall the 2004 Boston Red Sox, the first team ever to come back from a 0-3 record in the American League Championship- and to then clinch the World Series in a sweep. This was their first World Series win in 86 years. Similarly, in the resume writing world, some of the most powerful bullets are the ones that report a turnaround. Someone who pulled a company, a department or a team out of a slump is a valuable person to have around. That’s a person who doesn’t let bad news get them down. From what I can tell, the best way to stay motivated to win when you’re losing is to believe it’s possible to win- and at the same time that there’s a real possibility of losing. Convincing yourself there’s no way you’ll win will not motivate you, and thinking you’ll always win will also not motivate you. Studies show that teams who are slightly behind are actually more likely to win than the ones slightly ahead. That’s the point where the possibility of winning is real, and so is the possibility of losing. That edge is what gets the adrenaline going and pushes people into high gear. How do you respond when you start falling behind? Do you quit while you’re ahead and use your success to reach your next goal, or do you quit when you think you will lose? How does this show up in your life? Invite me So†¦ Who wants to play Words with Friends with me? Invite me at brandyesq.

German and Germans class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

German and Germans class - Essay Example 308) this attack on a civilian ship severely tested Wilson’s resolve but America remained steadfastly opposed to joining the war until some 22 months later. The sinking of the Lusitania, and the ensuing diplomatic row about U-boat attacks on civilian and supply ships was, not, therefore sufficient reason to justify American entry into the war. One of the main reasons why America entered the war was to protect its own financial interests: â€Å"By September 1916 Britain was purchasing American goods at a rate of over $210 million per month, and France at $38 million per month. (Burk, 1985, p. 14). While Germany also had lucrative trade deals with the United States, it was nothing like at this level, and so America had to think about the possible impact on its own position if the British and their allies should finally lose the war. There would be no possibility in the short term for these colossal debts to be paid back, and this would be bound to have a detrimental effect on the American economy for decades to come. It made financial sense, and indeed it was regarded as a matter of urgent expediency, for America to make sure that the British were on the winning side in this brutal war, and so there were very sound financial reasons why America had to step in and make sure that this would be the final outcome of the war. A further factor must also be considered, and that is the so-called â€Å"Zimmerman note† or â€Å"Zimmermann telegram† which was a piece of diplomatic correspondence sent by German diplomat Zimmermann to the Mexican ambassador, offering territorial inducements for Mexico to join the war on the German side. The proposal was, that Mexico would distract America with a war on its doorstep, while Germans, assured of victory, would recompense Mexico for its efforts with lands taken from the southern states of America. The telegram was secretly decoded by the British

Greek Mythology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Greek Mythology - Essay Example This is why a bull is specially remembered when this cult is mentioned because it is thought that it was the assumption of this shape that actually brought down the end so swiftly on Dionysius. It is stated in a legend that Apollo went to the city of Delphic when he was just a four year old boy to kill a huge serpent because it had, according to legend, molested the mother of Apollo and he wanted to avenge the mistake committed by the serpent. The serpent was not any normal serpent in fact it was the son of Gaia and he sent holy verses by means of fissures in a rock, these fissures were inhaled once by the priestess, pythia and this inspired her to let every know what these cryptic verses meant and hence she wrote down the Delphi oracle which gave a voice to these cryptic verses. Since, Apollo killed the great serpent he was able to take his place. Apollo had numerous affairs; at Delphi he learned archery, music and singing and was very good at it. The first temple to Apollo built by the Romans was in 432 B.C.