diff --git a/2014/birken/Makefile b/2014/birken/Makefile
index 35e4a8375..13e5b7768 100644
--- a/2014/birken/Makefile
+++ b/2014/birken/Makefile
@@ -139,6 +139,14 @@ ${PROG}: ${PROG}.c
 alt: data ${ALT_TARGET}
 	@${TRUE}
 
+# Variables to control port and timing constant in alt code
+#
+PORT= 1701
+TIME= 500000
+
+${PROG}.alt: ${PROG}.alt.c
+	${CC} ${CFLAGS} -DNCC=${PORT} -DSTARDATE=${TIME} $< -o $@ ${LDFLAGS}
+
 # data files
 #
 data: ${DATA}
diff --git a/2014/birken/README.md b/2014/birken/README.md
index c168af240..92073487a 100644
--- a/2014/birken/README.md
+++ b/2014/birken/README.md
@@ -56,13 +56,13 @@ described by the author. See [configuration](#configuration) below.
 To specify the port to say, 31337, try:
 
 ```sh
-make clobber CDEFINE="-DNCC=31337" alt
+make clobber PORT=31337 alt
 ```
 
-To change the `STARDATE` timing constant, try:
+To change the timing constant, `STARDATE`, try:
 
 ```sh
-make clobber CDEFINE="-DSTARDATE=5000000" alt
+make clobber TIME=5000000 alt
 ```
 
 You can combine them both of course.
diff --git a/2018/poikola/README.md b/2018/poikola/README.md
index 07e3d0bdf..7f0f1e685 100644
--- a/2018/poikola/README.md
+++ b/2018/poikola/README.md
@@ -14,10 +14,11 @@ make
 
 ### Try:
 
-On terminal supports 24 bit color, has black background, and size at least 125x38, try:
+On a terminal that supports 24 bit color, has black background, and size at
+least 125x38, try:
 
 ```sh
-./prog
+./try.sh
 ```
 
 
@@ -54,16 +55,17 @@ make
 You can generate an A3 sized poster by _make docs_. This command creates a pdf
 file _poikola.pdf_.
 
-### What this entry does:
 
-#### Introduction:
+### Introduction:
+
 It was a starry night when my wife pointed her finger up and asked: "What is
 this star and may I have some Easter eggs?"
 
 So I had to sit down and solve those tricky questions with Nano and a C
 compiler.
 
-#### Little spoilers:
+
+### Little spoilers:
 
 Basically, the program draws animated ASCII art of the Big Dipper using Annie
 Jump Cannon's spectral classification system of stars and I think the colors of
@@ -74,7 +76,9 @@ some Easter eggs.
 
 The program has also at least three other functions, obvious and not so obvious.
 
-#### Technical jargon
+
+### Technical jargon
+
 This program has been tested on xterm and Konsole and also Linux virtual
 terminal. Color support in the terminal is not necessary, but the effect is
 better with it.
@@ -83,12 +87,14 @@ This entry has partial support for terminals with a white background but the
 best viewing experience is achieved when the terminal in use supports 24-bit
 colors, has a black background and the size is at least 125x38.
 
-Special note for Mac users: __Terminal__ does not work as expected; you might
-need xterm from XQuartz or some other working terminal. Thanks to [Dave
-Burton](/winners.html#Dave_Burton) for spotting this problem.
+Special note for Mac users: `Terminal.app` does not work as expected; you might
+need xterm from XQuartz (see [FAQ 3.7: How do I compile and use on macOS, an
+IOCCC winner that requires X11?](/faq.md#X11macos)) or some other working
+terminal. Thanks to [Dave Burton](/winners.html#Dave_Burton) for spotting this
+problem.
 
-The main reason for the header `unistd.h` is `getdelim()` but once I included it
-I also abused other functions and defines. This header is mutually exclusive
+The main reason for the header `unistd.h` is `getdelim(3)` but once I included it
+I also abused other functions and `#define`s. This header is mutually exclusive
 with _-std=c11_.
 
 The program was developed with little-endian machines; I tried to support
@@ -102,15 +108,25 @@ This program has been compiled with:
 4. Lego Mindstorms EV3 Intelligent Brick (Debian Jessie) with gcc and clang (in
 this case, compiling time with clang-3.5 12 seconds and with gcc 27 seconds)
 
+
+### Extra notes from the judges on the macOS Terminal.app problems:
+
+Depending on the settings of the terminal in Terminal.app the program might not
+show anything at all. In other cases it won't show all the colours right but
+mostly is okay. YMMV, as they say.
+
+
 ### Warnings and restrictions required by law:
+
 Please do not feed little babies chocolate.
 
-### Major spoilers:
-<div style="margin-bottom:61em;">&nbsp;</div>
 
-I incorporated the Fletcher 16 checksum algorithm into the source for security
-reasons; it might be challenging to make changes without breaking the main
-functionality of the code.
+### Major spoilers:
+
+I incorporated the [Fletcher 16 checksum
+algorithm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher%27s_checksum) into the source
+for security reasons; it might be challenging to make changes without breaking
+the main functionality of the code.
 
 The space after `#define p return` is necessary.
 
@@ -118,6 +134,7 @@ The computus (method to determine the date of Easter) uses an algorithm
 described in the journal Nature in 1876. It should be valid for Gregorian
 calendars.
 
+
 ### Some obfuscation techniques used:
 
 1. I tried to use meaningless or misleading variable names. For example, this
@@ -144,11 +161,23 @@ questions:
 ### Rot18 part
 
 Because the rot13 is too easy to decode with the plain eyes, I decided to use
-the Caesar cipher with the key 18.
+the [Caesar cipher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_cipher) with the key
+18:
 
     Lzw xajkl tsffwj ak wfugvwv mkafy AWWW 754 xdgslk gf dafw 47. Al ak hjaflwv
     gfdq gf dalldw-wfvasf esuzafwk.
 
+If you want to or must know and don't know how to decipher this, you might look
+at the [Caesar cipher decoder](https://www.dcode.fr/caesar-cipher). Find the
+text that says:
+
+```
+Manual decryption and parameters
+Shift/Key (number)
+```
+
+and enter 18 and then click the button that says: `DECRYPT (BRUTEFORCE)`.
+
 
 ## Copyright and CC BY-SA 4.0 License:
 
diff --git a/2018/poikola/try.sh b/2018/poikola/try.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..734a07eba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2018/poikola/try.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# try.sh - demonstrate IOCCC winner 2018/poikola
+#
+
+# make sure CC is set so that when we do make CC="$CC" it isn't empty. Doing it
+# this way allows us to have the user specify a different compiler in an easy
+# way.
+if [[ -z "$CC" ]]; then
+    CC="cc"
+fi
+
+make CC="$CC" all >/dev/null || exit 1
+
+# clear screen after compilation so that only the entry is shown
+clear
+
+
+clear
+read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to show code (space = next page, q = quit): "
+echo 1>&2
+less -EXF prog.c
+read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run program: "
+echo 1>&2
+./prog
diff --git a/thanks-for-help.md b/thanks-for-help.md
index bd5d4dfca..b0b464957 100644
--- a/thanks-for-help.md
+++ b/thanks-for-help.md
@@ -3677,7 +3677,8 @@ code](/2014/birken/README.md#alternate-code) that lets one redefine the port to
 bind to in case there is a firewall issue or there is some other reason to not
 have the default port. Remember that ports < 1024 are privileged. It also lets
 you redefine the timing constant `STARDATE` (see the author's remarks for more
-details).
+details on this macro). The Makefile was made to use variables so it's easier to
+redefine the port and timing constant.
 
 
 ## <a name="2014_deak"></a>[2014/deak](/2014/deak/prog.c) ([README.md](/2014/deak/README.md))
@@ -4037,7 +4038,15 @@ supposed to segfault :-)
 
 ## <a name="2019_poikola"></a>[2019/poikola](/2019/poikola/prog.c) ([README.md[(/2019/poikola/README.md))
 
-[Cody](#cody) added a missing rule to the Makefile.
+[Cody](#cody) added the `docs` rule to the Makefile that forms a PDF file. The
+rule requires the tool `pdflatex`.
+
+Cody also added the [try.sh](/2019/poikola/try.sh) script.
+
+[Dave Burton](/winners.html#Dave_Burton), during the preview period, noticed a
+problem where the macOS `Terminal.app` does not work properly for this program.
+We added some additional notes on what might happen (it varies depending on
+configuration).
 
 
 ## <a name="2019_karns"></a>[2019/karns](/2019/karns/prog.c) ([README.md](/2019/karns/README.md]))