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Alfred's Serif Users' Forums → Posts by Alfred
If someone says they will meet you just after midnight on Monday, the actual meeting time would be early Tuesday morning.
Yes, but … what if someone says they will meet you on Monday, just after midnight?
Thanks, Karen. I greatly appreciate the support of all the regular visitors here.
Sheesh! Thanks for your kind words, Lon!! 
Still, it's keeping me out of mischief.
That has to be the main thing, surely? 
I click on the frame/picture and then usually go to the Layers Tab, click on the little arrow to the right of the frame/image I want to play with so it opens the item into its component parts, and then click on the Picture.
Doesn’t the ‘Select Cropped Item(s)’ thingy [technical term™] do the same job? 
[So, Petrarchan is stated. I looked it up. The rhyme scheme of the sonnet that Bing Chat AI does not seem to fit. There are other features of a Petrarchan sonnet too but I am not sufficiently knowledgeable to know if they fit. So, although the sonnet that Bing Chat AI has produced is pleasant to read, is it in fact in the format that it is purported by Bing Chat AI to be?]
I looked it up, too, in a couple of places. Although the sestet (the last six lines) is quite variable, it seems that the rhyming scheme of the initial octave should be ABBAABBA.
This one's just a stock digikit, but it gets the job done. She's more brave than I am.
She’s more brave than I am, too! Nicely “scrapped”.
I must be the oldest here rapidly approaching 82.
It’s not a particularly closely guarded secret — in fact, it’s not a secret at all! — that Geoff (GB) is several years older than you, Eric.
Now, in the space of just a couple of days, I'm back with old familiar software. It's just the best, and I slammed together a CA sample layout today, just to prove that it could still be done.
Very nice indeed, Lon. Thanks for sharing! 
Good to see some familiar names here, and thanks so much for the help Alfred. You da man!!!
Good to see you here, Lon, and thanks for your kind words!
One use that my wife has is to identify plants in her garden. When something blows in on the wind and starts to grow in the garden (a volunteer), she takes a picture and finds out what it is. Or so she thinks.
I think bird watchers can now identify birds this way.
I have a nice app on my iPad for that kind of thing: Seek, by iNaturalist. I don’t remember where I read about it, and I don’t use it often, but I’ve had it for well over a year.
Thanks for joining us here, Dennis!
The main problem with WebPlus X8 is that it only produces fixed page layouts, so you can’t use it to create truly responsive or adaptive pages to suit different viewing devices. The best you can do is to create a ‘desktop’ site and a ‘mobile’ site, using the redirection feature in WPX8 to display the most appropriate version.
Bard did indeed do amazingly well with its “general insights” about the shield/crest, so I’m quite surprised that it performed rather poorly when trying to describe the colours!
Google Bard’s response (draft 3):
(Verse 1)
February wind, whispers through the trees
Bare branches bend, like shivering knees
Sun hides its face, behind a cloak of gray
But wait, a tiny bird starts to sway(Chorus)
February, oh February, you can be so cold
But beneath the frost, a story untold
A promise of warmth, a whisper of green
Spring's on its way, though it's barely seen(Verse 2)
Snowflakes swirl, a dance upon the ground
Children's laughter, echoes all around
Snowballs fly, cheeks rosy red and bright
A winter wonderland, beneath the pale moonlight(Chorus)
February, oh February, you can be so cold
But beneath the frost, a story untold
A promise of warmth, a whisper of green
Spring's on its way, though it's barely seen(Bridge)
Days grow longer, shadows start to shrink
Melting icicles, on the window's brink
Seeds stir silently, beneath the frozen earth
Waiting for the sun to bring them back to birth(Chorus)
February, oh February, you can be so cold
But beneath the frost, a story untold
A promise of warmth, a whisper of green
Spring's on its way, though it's barely seen(Outro)
So hold on tight, when February blows
Remember the bloom, that soon it bestows
For even in winter's grip, hope takes its stand
February's heart, holds spring in its hand
Google Bard’s response (draft 2):
(Verse 1)
February wind, whispers low and keen,
Barren branches shiver, painted silver sheen.
Groundhog peeks, a shadow hides the light,
Six more weeks of winter, holding on so tight.(Chorus)
But February's heart, it beats a secret rhyme,
Beneath the frost and ice, a promise of springtime.
Days grow longer, sun climbs higher in the sky,
Whispers of green dreams, as the snowdrifts slowly die.(Verse 2)
Snowflakes dance and twirl, a fleeting ballerina's grace,
Cradled in the silence, a world transformed in place.
Frozen pond reflects the moon's pale, gentle glow,
A hush falls over all, as the world begins to slow.(Chorus)
But February's heart, it beats a secret rhyme,
Beneath the frost and ice, a promise of springtime.
Days grow longer, sun climbs higher in the sky,
Whispers of green dreams, as the snowdrifts slowly die.(Bridge)
Tiny bulbs awaken, deep beneath the ground,
Seeds stir in slumber, waiting to be found.
A robin's melody, a brave and hopeful song,
Carries on the wind, where winter won't stay long.(Chorus)
For February's heart, it beats a secret rhyme,
Beneath the frost and ice, a promise of springtime.
Days grow longer, sun climbs higher in the sky,
Whispers of green dreams, as the snowdrifts slowly die.(Outro)
So bundle up and wait, for the change that's coming soon,
February's promise, whispered in the afternoon.
Spring is on the way, with blossoms yet unseen,
But February's heart, knows what lies between.
Prompt (adapted from William’s prompt to Bing Chat AI):
Please write a song about February, noting that February can be cold, there may be snow, yet February leads to spring.
Google Bard’s response (draft 1):
(Verse 1)
February wind, whips across the plain,
Bare branches rattle, like an icy chain.
Sun peeks shyly, then hides again,
Snowflakes swirling, painting white the glen.(Chorus)
But hush, don't shiver, though the days are short,
There's a secret whispered, by the chickadee's report.
Beneath the frozen ground, a promise sleeps,
Of warmer breezes, where green life leaps.(Verse 2)
Groundhog peeks out, shadow in his sight,
Six more weeks of winter, or is spring in flight?
Don't be fooled by tricksy shadows play,
For even February shows the coming day.(Chorus)
So hush, don't shiver, though the days are short,
There's a secret whispered, by the chickadee's report.
Beneath the frozen ground, a promise sleeps,
Of warmer breezes, where green life leaps.(Bridge)
Tiny shoots are pushing, 'neath the frosted pane,
Seeds are dreaming, of sweet sunshine rain.
Birdsong faint and distant, whispers on the breeze,
Hints of daffodils, carried on the trees.(Chorus)
So hush, don't shiver, though the days are short,
There's a secret whispered, by the chickadee's report.
Beneath the frozen ground, a promise sleeps,
Of warmer breezes, where green life leaps.(Outro)
February whispers, spring is on its way,
Soon the ice will melt, and flowers start to sway.
So hold on tight, to hope that lies within,
And watch the magic, as the world begins.
Thanks for the recommendation and the link, Paul.
From an article in The New York Times:
Native to the tropics, these pollinators are taking a lead role in one of the latest efforts to conserve the Amazon rainforest.
Alfred wrote:William wrote:The song seems to blend the information in the prompt with Northern Hemisphere presumption.
William
It does indeed! I wonder how that flaw crept in.
I don't see it as a flaw. It knows William's location and responds accordingly while also trying to response to the prompt.
You’re right, of course. I overlooked the fact that William had written:
Please write that February can be cold, there may be snow, yet February leads to spring.
February is International Correspondence Writing Month, or InCoWriMo for short (cf. NaNWriMo).
Find out more at incowrimo.org.
The song seems to blend the information in the prompt with Northern Hemisphere presumption.
William
It does indeed! I wonder how that flaw crept in.
Over three weeks later ...
Please write a song about February. Please write that February can be cold, there may be snow, yet February leads to spring. Please include a bridge in the song. In the bridge please write about daffodil bulbs hidden beneath the ground will soon put forth their green stems and yellow flowers.
You request is clearly geared towards a description of February in the northern hemisphere. I’d be interested to see the result if you ask it to write that February can be hot and that autumn is approaching.
I have experimented with being rude to ChatGPT 3.5 and my conclusion was that the AI did not like it and wound up wasting my time with lectures about communicating in a more constructive, courteous manner. But, you are right Alfred, that saying "please" is not necessary. Respectful, Clear, direct and to the point will do.
An interesting experiment! Thank you, Paul.
I had never known of an okapi until I went to Bristol Zoo in my early teens and they had two okapi.
A male and a female. I remember one of them licking with a huge tongue a bright blue cylinder that was mounted high up. The keeper said it contained copper for them.
I have ever since been interested in them.
Today I learned that okapis are the only known mammals that can lick their own ears! Their tongues are 35 to 45 cm (14 to 18 in) long.
Alfred's Serif Users' Forums → Posts by Alfred
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