Beneath the spreading canopy of trees…
At a loss for words for your next sonnet? Needing quick inspiration? Of humanity’s many realms where ChatGPT continues its unabated march, the loveliness of poetry seems an unlikely target. Yet, here we are. With a few keystrokes and a phrase or two, a perfectly rhymed poem can be yours for the taking.
Check out https://aiepics.com/. I suggested the topic of “enjoying lemonade in the park” and here is what I got:
Beneath the spreading canopy of trees,
Amid the dappled light and the gentle breeze,
The heat of summer’s sun begins to fade,
As I sit and sip my lemonade.The tartness of the lemons on my tongue,
The sweetness of the sugar that I’ve strung,
The perfect blend of flavors in every sip,
Brings a smile to my face and joy to my trip.A melody of sounds fills up the air,
The whispering leaves rustle without a care,
The birds are singing their evening song,
As I savor the moments before long.The peacefulness of the park surrounds me,
The beauty of the nature astounds me,
This life is sweet and oh so grand,
With lemonade in my hand.
I don’t think Shakespeare is quite yet rolling in his grave…
Twitter – A News Subscription Model?
Mainstream news channels are slowly sunsetting. Amidst a trend of layoffs and bankruptcies occurring at a number of MSM companies, the tide of digital news is gravitating toward more personalized, decentralized channels which include platforms like Substack and Twitter.
The recent acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk is contributing to this exodus. Musk is betting on this trend. Furthermore he makes the point that established news producers and independent journalists can now reach audiences directly without relying upon the name brand recognition of mainstream channels. Moreover, citizen journalists and less known contributors are able to publish as well. He highlights the ability of consumers to interact with, critique, and call-out content creators on the Twitter platform, unlike MSM channels. This is also true of Substack.
A decentralized approach to news reporting will continue to disrupt mainstream media. The good news – this will create a more diverse approach to reporting. Detractors will claim this ushers in whole new levels of “fake news” and misinformation. Ultimately, any future model of news and digital information will rely on you, the consumer and your ability to think critically about what’s relevant, factual, and accurate.
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Passkeys – a passwordless solution?
Passkeys are a safer and easier replacement for passwords. With passkeys, users can sign in to apps and websites with a biometric sensor (such as a fingerprint or facial recognition), PIN, or pattern, freeing them from having to remember and manage passwords.
There are some limitations. Though passkeys work across multiple platforms and devices, currently they won’t sync across these platforms, unless you are in the Apple ecosystem.
This might be a turn off for many users, however this will undoubtedly change as the technology evolves. The lingering question – is this a step toward a more secure digital experience or a deeper integration between our personal identities and digital technology?
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Litespeed and Quic.cloud – a winning combination
In my never ending pursuit of a fast-performing website, I’m experimenting with the Litespeed cache plugin for WordPress and Quic.cloud CDN services. Both are available for free, though Quic.cloud offers paid plans for more robust services and features.
Tom Dupuis from Online Media Masters has written an excellent guide on how to configure and optimize these tools for your WordPress installation:
In this guide, we’re configuring LiteSpeed Cache + QUIC.cloud CDN. The “best” settings are different for each site and you should really go through each one yourself and test your results. What that said, this guide is intended to be more of a baseline.