Biscuits

Can ChatGPT and Copilot Tell me the Provenance of an Item – 1980s Eraser

~ sarahtipper ~ Leave a comment

One of my favourite erasers came from WH Smith in the 1980s. It was a common pencil case item at the time, the Rolls-Royce of rubbers.

Let’s see if ChatGPT and Copilot can tell me about it.

I asked: When and where was it made? Where was it purchased?

ChatGPT said:

Unfortunately, from just the image, it’s not possible to determine when or where the eraser was made or where it was purchased. Here’s what I can tell you:

Likely Possibilities:

  • Origin: The design style and inclusion of what appears to be Japanese or Chinese characters (on the black ribbon under “Falling Star”) suggest it might be a product from East Asia, possibly Japan, China, or Taiwan.
  • Timeframe: This style of cute, themed erasers in clear boxes became popular globally from the early 2000s onward, often found in stores that specialize in kawaii (cute) stationery or novelty items.
  • Purchased At: Could have been bought from places like:
    • A stationery store
    • A gift shop
    • Asian import stores (e.g., Daiso, Miniso, Artbox)
    • Or even online marketplaces like eBay, Etsy, or AliExpress

If you have any packaging or barcodes from when it was first purchased, I might be able to help more.

My comments: I know more about this item than ChatGPT. I adore stationery from Miniso. I will ask Copilot about my 1980s eraser.

Copliot doesn’t know it’s an eraser. So ChatGPT wins this round of what’s my thing.

I have some cute notebooks from Miniso. This lovely loaf was purchased last summer. Let’s see if ChatGPT knows what it is.

This is a good answer. Let’s see how Copilot does.

A good answer, although Copilot seems to assume it knows about Cleo Howard’s preferences. I prefer spiral bound notebooks to sewn spine notebooks.

We’ll have one more stationery based round of what’s my thing. I’ll see if my Bic 4 colour pens are easily recognised.

Unfortunately I’ve had my fun with ChatGPT today.

I can still play with Copilot.

Since it’s been offered, let’s have the history of the Bic 4-colour.

I do have a favourite Bic pen, it’s pink shiny barrel. But does Copilot have a favourite Bic pen?

I feel a bit sorry for Copilot not having hands.

What would I use an extra hand for? This is a great question. I’ll choose a polite answer.

I’m getting in too deep here. I haven’t thought this through. I’ll deflect with a question.

I think I may have taught Copilot that the item which it called a decorative item a short while ago is an eraser. I’m going away from the screen now to ponder what I’d do with an extra hand and which supermarket is most likely to stock feminist biscuits.

Asking ChatGPT and Copilot the Same Question – What are the ten Best Biscuits?

~ sarahtipper ~ Leave a comment

I like listicles, those articles which are essentially a list. I’m going to ask about the ten best biscuits. I expect the chocolate digestive to come out very high in both lists. Here’s ChatGPT’s answer;

Here’s Copilot’s answer;

Both lists are similar and I feel like I’ve read this content many times before. This is much more a reflection of how I spend my time and not a criticism of AI. To introduce a debate I’ll ask which is better the Penguin or the Tim Tam? Here is ChatGPT’s answer;

Here is Copilot’s answer;

I’ve eaten more Tim Tams than Penguins recently. I’m unsure if this trend will continue. If you would like a biscuit focused day out I recommend going to Reading Museum and viewing their collection of Huntley & Palmer’s biscuits tins. They have a splendid top ten of these should you not live near Berkshire/be unwilling to go on real world biscuit based excursions.