In the world of business, knowing your competitors’ strategies before competing is crucial in plans to win the battle. With this knowledge, you can always stay ahead of your competitors.  The Internet is a gateway to an array of competitive intelligence.  Let me share a few with you.

SpyFu.com

SpyFu allows you to spy on your online competitors. All you have to do is type in the keywords to know what your competitors are up to. This competitive research tool monitors approximately 4.5 million domains. Be prepared to find information how much your competitors are paying for and advertisement and the total number of clicks received for their ads.  And the best part is you get to enjoy this information at no cost.

Google Alerts

Again at no cost, employ Google to be your faithful spy.  Sign-up for Google Alerts and enter the keywords to what you would want to track. Thereafter, based on your preferred notification frequency you will have updated competitive intelligence sent to your mailbox. Not only does it monitor your competitor’s movement, you could also have first hand knowledge about what is being said about your own company.

Way Back Machine

Way Back Machine, a tool that allows you to see the history of your competitors. Observe what has changed and the things that have stayed consistent through the years. You may be able to gain insights to what strategy works and what does not. You can also review the changes of your own company. This is one convenient way of obtaining internal information when the predecessors have left the company. Learning from experience will save you from unnecessary strategy misfortunes.

Niche Watch

By typing detailed technical information on Niche Watch, you will get the top 20-competitor analysis.  The analysis includes information such as the number of backlinks to the page and to the domain, number of pages indexed in Google, keyword occurrences and page rank, all in anchor, all in title and text rank for both domain and webpage information

Popularity: 1% [?]

Conventional social networking has been replaced slowly by social networking sites. Making friends no longer stays in the boundary of schools. Circle of friends is spreading to every part of the world by just a click on the buttons displayed. The main function of social networking sites is to connect people from around the world who share common friends, fraternity and even interests.
The current most popular social networking site is Facebook, a site that becomes an overnight serendipitous craze among young people. The best feature in Facebook is online games that lured people to sign up. Before Facebook appeared, it was Friendster and MySpace that ruled the online communities. Mass migration of online users to sites with better quality music and video capability is inevitable since users are only seeking for entertainment. Furthermore, young people always love fresh new interesting sites to pass their leisure time.
Virtual communities in online universe serve as huge market for lucrative business. Sites with high portfolio attract giant advertising companies to invest in such sites. The exponential increment of users of social networking sites cannot be ignored by far-sighted business people. Popular users of social networking sites like Xanga and Blogger are endorsed to boost business sales. In some bizarre cases, this also creates a path for fortunate users into entertainment business.
Although social networking sites seems like the best rendezvous for old friends, it is a myth that social networking sites strengthen relationships. Rumours are easily circulated in such sites to tarnish one’s reputation. In some extreme cases, online scams are mushrooming to dupe gullible people. Even spreading computer- corrupting virus is possible through the sites.
Therefore, it is up to the users’ judgment on whether social networking sites are harmful or not. The long- term success of such sites is determined by users whether they here to stay or just a fad.

Popularity: 3% [?]

The subject on whether sex offenders’ public records is ethical is open for debate. Some people protested because it seems like a euphemism for eternal humiliation and is morally unacceptable. Violation of privacy of identity by putting the name and the case of the offender into data record is also widely argued. Many people believed that sex offenders deserved it since sex crime is not a laughing matter as it leaves incurable scar to the victims.
It is true that people make mistakes in their lives. But we should also give chance to the former criminals to change for betterment. However, when the mistake ruined one’s life and could be avoided if the person had better control of him or herself, it is best to let the public know the harmful things that the person  could do if someone’s child is left alone with the former sex offender. The sympathy should be with the victim, and not the sex offender.
Committing sex offence cannot be tolerated in any circumstances even when the offender was still at a tender age. The effects of the sexual crimes are irreversible and the sex offender should understand that he or she will always face prejudice in the future even if there are no public record of his or her crimes. Habitual sex offenders do not deserve the confidentiality of their despicable act. Therefore, public have the right to be alerted of potential sexual threat posed by the criminals in public record.
Liberal countries like the U.S. has set up a government body called National Sex Offender Public Registry as a measure to let public know about the background of the people around them. Sex offender public record is also preferred by employers to screen the background of their employees. It is also a step to help to reform a sex criminal into a better person in the future.
Hence, exposing sex offender in public record is rather a safety precaution.  People must remember that there is always the possibility for the re-offending of the crime.

Popularity: 6% [?]

The Internet has become one of the latest places to meet people. Whether you are looking for a casual friend or a romantic interlude, it can all be found on the worldwide web. Places like Facebook and Myspace give you a forum to express yourself to others, and the number of matchmaker sites these days is overwhelming.

If you have ever spent any time meeting and greeting on the web, you know that most people are not exactly what they make themselves out to be. Some of them have gone so far as to create an entire alternate identity.

Despite the dangers, the rewards of meeting online can be great. You have the opportunity to get to know others from all over the world. You make new and interesting friends from places you may never have visited.  It provides an excellent opportunity for us to share our cultures and open our minds to new possibilities.

Who is really behind that screen name?

When you make new friends online, how do you know if they are trustworthy?  Can you really afford to get close to them, or are Internet friendships best kept very casual?

As with any new relationship, go slowly and proceed with caution.  Keep the topics of conversation neutral and safe – never discuss anything personal with someone you do not know. Be instantly suspicious if your new friend begins questioning you about your finances.

If you have been conversing with someone for a while and feel a connection, you may decide you want to take the friendship a step further. You may begin to share more personal details of your life, or you may begin making plans to meet each other in person.

Take smart measures to protect yourself

Before taking this step towards increased intimacy, be sure to reasonably protect yourself.  First of all, try to validate your new friend’s identity and ensure they really are who they say they are. Search records from the Department of Motor Vehicles in your friend’s area and see if you can locate a license or identification card that matches the name, date of birth, physical description, and address of your new friend. If you cannot find a matching motor vehicle record, try voter registration records.

One of the best ways to protect yourself is to conduct an online background check of your friend. Any court documents from judgments, divorces, or lawsuits should contain some sort of identifying information you can verify.  Criminal history checks will normally provide you with a date of birth and physical description, including any major scars or tattoos.

There are also specialized background check companies, such as Net Detective, who for a small fee, give you the ability to search all of the above records and more. You must do a little sleuth work of your own, though, and find out some important key identifiers from your new friend so you will know when you have found him or her.

Meeting on the Internet can be exciting. You must just ensure you go about it prudently, and protect yourself until you have solid facts reinforcing your ability to put your trust into your new friend.

Popularity: 6% [?]