The platform I use for many of the websites I own, have created, and monitor, (Divi) recently released an update that includes AI. With the click of one button, the platform will review your site’s current content and will create a layout or “theme” — complete with page title, subtitle, and verbiage — based upon what it finds.
After breakfast with my hounds in my favorite spot, I gave it a whirl.
I created the new page on shelleyerwin.com. When I built the site a couple years ago, I chose a “mint-ish” green as the primary color. That green hue is used in the logo and is carried out throughout.
AI decided an army green would be great as an accent color for this newly generated page. Army green clashes horribly with what’s already there.
AI also chose a header image for the page that was a blurred cityscape with the headline: “Life in a Barn — Embrace Simplicity.” How did that happen?
AI isn’t perfect.
Many experts feel that as AI grows in popularity, the desire for human touch and interaction will become more valuable. I agree with that to a point — but think about this… we didn’t go back to snail mail once we created our first email account, did we?
AI could create a photo of a cornfield in July in Indiana.
But I can do that too… without AI assistance. ❤️
Now you know: Raindrops don’t actually fall in a teardrop shape. Air resistance flattens them into a hamburger bun shape as they fall.
Perry and I were talking last night about who invented coffee as a drink.
Because inquiring minds want to know, I asked my friend, Google, who wasn’t sure. I next asked ChatGPT and came away with the same results.
Best guess is that it was probably a goat herder.
Legend has it that Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder, noticed his goats were energetic after eating red berries from a certain tree. He reported his findings to a local monastery. The monks brewed a drink with the berries and found that consumption of the drink allowed them to stay awake during long hours of prayer.
I have a new appreciation for goat herders — and monks!
After one of the worst weeks ever, today will be a pool day. Coffee in hand, I plan to do as little as possible. After days in code working to fix a server challenge, I got a message on FB asking for a call regarding a website I created in 2011. Even without a calculator I know that’s been a long time.
Waste my time on a call? Nope. I responded on Facebook with the year I created the site and that I chose not to provide an RFP when asked at the time they did a rework… probably around 2016 or so. I got a response right away…
Practice retirement is back on. Yippee!
Now you know: Elephants stay cancer free as they have 20 copies of a key tumor-fighting gene; humans have just one.
Sad to admit this, but I didn’t take time to even shower until day #3 after my recent server breach. I’m now clean and smell amazing. Even Merida is happy things are almost back to normal.
My brain is full of code and my eyes are strained to the breaking point. I’m not sure which is causing my head to feel like it might explode. It might be a combination of the two.
A business model that works — but sucks.
Winning business model: Company A partners with Company B. Company B is a huge company with a bajillion customers. Company A secures the partnership for a low ball amount of money (maybe free) just to gain access to those bajillion customers. Then, Company A can gouge those bajillion customers for a bajillion dollars while providing less than stellar service.
I’m one of those gouged bajillion customers. The reason it works for Company B (my host company in this case) is because it requires a whole lot of extra work to take my business elsewhere. Sucks… but it works. 🙁
And finally, today is the first day of summer, y’all! 😎
Booyah! Let’s get this party started. The pool is calling my name and I deserve to spend some time doing nothing.
Now you know: Atropine (the drug used to dilate eyes) is made from the “Belladonna plant”. The name “bella donna” is derived from Italian and means “beautiful woman”, because the herb was used hundreds of years ago by women to dilate their pupils to make them appear seductive.
I’m no futurist, but I’ve been around a long time. I’m an online creator of sorts, and spend more time working with/reading about technological advances than the average person, but much less than a bajillion others.
Of course, everyone on that spectrum has an opinion on the future of the Internet because of AI, and I’m no different. While my viewpoint isn’t coming from an office in NYC, my thoughts on how AI will impact lives and businesses in the future might still be of interest to you.
Way back when… the Internet changed us.
If you’re reading this, it’s certainly changed you. Of course, it didn’t happen overnight. My non-expert prediction is that AI is going to produce the same drastic changes over time… totally upending everything. With Google’s AI answers rolled out, the shift has already begun.
Now you know: The internet began impacting society in the 1990s. By the year 2000, almost half of the population in the US was accessing information through the internet.
Too much to read note: The short answer is when you don’t pay registrar fees your website goes dark and your email account dies. The name servers are changed to direct to a generic page that offers your visitors a way to find your competitors. It’s often not just a case of paying the fee and the reconnect charge. There’s propagation time and more. The story of my recent experience continues below…
Our primary business website went dark two weeks ago.
My favorite brother owns a BUNCH of domain names — some were purchased decades ago. They weren’t all purchased by the same people so they span multiple accounts. It’s nearly impossible to manage at this point. When the domain renewal fee didn’t process for our main website, it was promptly shut down. No email, no website, a shitshow.
Everything changes over time.
Network Solutions is the registrar, and their domains have been controlled by web.com since 2011. Abdul was quick to take a current CC for payment but what came next was — and still is — a nightmare.
The domain that went dark was purchased by my now deceased sister-in-law using an email account that’s been gone since her death in 2005. I was added as a contact about 25 years ago using my previous married name and an email account through a company also out of business. No one was receiving renewal notices.
To get control of the domain again, I must be able to login to the account.
The password was too short so web.com required me to reset it. But the password reset goes to 2 non-existent email addresses so I contacted support. I was provided an email change request URL, filled out their form, provided a copy of my driver’s license, and two utility bills showing a current address. But my name hasn’t been what’s on file (or what’s on my driver’s license) for 24-years, so then they requested a copy of my marriage certificate.
One week later… TADA! Account change confirmed!
But still no login because it was not changed for the account I specified… but for another account I have with Network Solutions for other clients. Back to support and another 2-3 day wait for a response. Next, I received another account address change confirmed email — but it was for a non-existent account that’s one number off from mine. They screwed up! Back to support and another 2-3 day wait.
Here we are 2 weeks later…
I just received an email (because I’m listed as the technical contact with current info) that they’ve locked the domain for suspicious activity. It was just me trying to log in!
While the domain has been paid for 3-years and the website and email accounts are working, the domain name is still in limbo. It’s currently owned by a deceased person and controlled by a previous me that isn’t around anymore either.
On the brighter side — it’s not supposed to rain today. 🙂
Now you know: A study found that 25% of Labrador retrievers and 66% of flat-coated retrievers possess a genetic mutation that can lead to weight gain. Dogs with the gene face the “double whammy” of constant hunger while burning fewer calories. The Labrador has the highest levels of obesity among dog breeds.
