Amazon Echo Club - Page 257

DiapDealer · 07-21-2019, 02:48 PM

I honestly have no need to ask her questions. That novelty wore off very quickly for me. I just need her to do the things I instruct her to do.

issybird · 07-21-2019, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I honestly have no need to ask her questions. That novelty wore off very quickly for me. I just need her to do the things I instruct her to do.

I ask her lots of stuff when I'm reading, backgound things it would be much longer for me to look up and would mean I'd have to interrupt my reading as well.

"Alexa, when did Alexander I become tsar?"

"Alexa, which Americans won the Nobel in literature?"

"Alexa, how much is the euro worth?"

"Alexa, who was the British Prime Minister in 1863?"

She mostly can answer; sometimes she surprises me when she gets an obscure person right.

Catlady · 07-21-2019, 04:58 PM

I get annoyed when Alexa can't do something straightforward. My Dot was blinking yellow, so I asked it what that meant, and found out it was a notification. I told it to turn off notifications. Alexa couldn't do that, told me to go through the app. Which I did. But the Dot was still blinking yellow and wouldn't stop until I listened to the stupid notification. So right now the Dot is once again unplugged.

DiapDealer · 07-21-2019, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catlady

I get annoyed when Alexa can't do something straightforward. My Dot was blinking yellow, so I asked it what that meant, and found out it was a notification. I told it to turn off notifications. Alexa couldn't do that, told me to go through the app. Which I did. But the Dot was still blinking yellow and wouldn't stop until I listened to the stupid notification. So right now the Dot is once again unplugged.

You didn't have to listen to it.

"Alexa, delete all notifications"
"Delete all your notifications, right?"
"Right/Yes"

Turning off the various notifications in the Alexa app means you won't get any new notifications, but it won't delete the existing one(s) that are already flashing. Listening to them or deleting them removes the yellow flashing alert.

DiapDealer · 07-21-2019, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

I ask her lots of stuff when I'm reading, backgound things it would be much longer for me to look up and would mean I'd have to interrupt my reading as well.

"Alexa, when did Alexander I become tsar?"

"Alexa, which Americans won the Nobel in literature?"

"Alexa, how much is the euro worth?"

"Alexa, who was the British Prime Minister in 1863?"

She mostly can answer; sometimes she surprises me when she gets an obscure person right.

I realize a lot of people find it useful, but I always seemed to be able to stump her regularly. And if there's one thing that bugs me, it's hearing her repeatedly say "Hmmm. I don't know that."

Just knowing that she can't access Google's wealth of knowledge discourages me from even bothering. It's always been like pulling teeth when I've tried, so I guess I stopped trying. Now I just tell her stuff.

wodin · 07-22-2019, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I realize a lot of people find it useful, but I always seemed to be able to stump her regularly. And if there's one thing that bugs me, it's hearing her repeatedly say "Hmmm. I don't know that."

Just knowing that she can't access Google's wealth of knowledge discourages me from even bothering. It's always been like pulling teeth when I've tried, so I guess I stopped trying. Now I just tell her stuff.

About half the question I ask Alexa gets "Sorry, I don't know that" or "Sorry, I can't answer that". Then I pull out my phone and ask Google and nearly always get the answer.

As time goes on Alexa keeps getting smarter, but I don't think there will ever be a time when she actually catches up.

DiapDealer · 07-22-2019, 02:39 PM

I'm fine with Alexa not being my personal LMGTFY assistant. When I stopped asking her things, my frustration levels with her went way, way down. She hardly ever messes up an instruction I give her these days, so that's smart enough for me.

CRussel · 07-22-2019, 03:03 PM

I've resorted to forcing her into her Wikipedia skill for anything detailed -- "Alexa read me the wikipedia article on ____". But mostly I use smart home things -- "alexa, upstairs lights on", timers and remiders, music (rarely), and lists. Lots of lists. Oh, and as a replacement for wearing a watch.

ApK · 07-22-2019, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I'm fine with Alexa not being my personal LMGTFY assistant. When I stopped asking her things, my frustration levels with her went way, way down. She hardly ever messes up an instruction I give her these days, so that's smart enough for me.

I think it would be funny if Google programed their assistant to say "Let me Google that for you..." when you ask one of those kinds of questions. If they could make it says i with sass, bonus.

Tarana · 07-22-2019, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

I ask her lots of stuff when I'm reading, backgound things it would be much longer for me to look up and would mean I'd have to interrupt my reading as well.

"Alexa, when did Alexander I become tsar?"

"Alexa, which Americans won the Nobel in literature?"

"Alexa, how much is the euro worth?"

"Alexa, who was the British Prime Minister in 1863?"

She mostly can answer; sometimes she surprises me when she gets an obscure person right.

I do this as well. Also, when reading some stuff, they will list a song. I switch to my brother's account (as he has Amazon Music) and have the song played. Most are not to my taste, but it helps me to understand the character somewhat better. Why they never mention someone I like, such as Simon and Garfunkle, I'll never get.

OtinG · 07-24-2019, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

"Hmmm. I don't know that."

Totally agree. This is why I call her AI "Artificial Ignorance."

Personally I'm glad she isn't connected to Google because what ever I questions asked her would surely get sold on the dark web. It might still get sold there by Amazon, but I hope Jeff is not as greedy as Google an their minions of data miners.

OtinG · 07-24-2019, 11:07 AM

I think the most frustrating thing is using Alexa with the Fire TVs. In this case it isn't so much about her stupidity as it is her constant desire to sell me something rather than take me to the movie, TV show, or streaming channel I requested. She still has a high level of stupidity, but I can better deal with that than the constant sales pitches. It is like getting a commercial a large percentage of my commands. If I have the Search screen displayed and ask her to find something rather than type it in, then she does fairly well. If I'm on pretty much any other screen and ask her to go to a specific stream then I get more commercials than I get successful navigation.

DiapDealer · 07-24-2019, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OtinG

Personally I'm glad she isn't connected to Google because what ever I questions asked her would surely get sold on the dark web. It might still get sold there by Amazon, but I hope Jeff is not as greedy as Google an their minions of data miners.

I personally operate under the assumption that anything I ask any device connected in any way to the internet is available somewhere, in some way, to anybody who chooses to look hard enough. Whether or not someone makes money on that info is immaterial to me. Whether not that moneymaking effort constitutes greed is also of no concern to me. I give Jeff Bezos nor the Board of Directors of Google no thought whatsoever when availing myself of their services. Much like I give Proctor & Gamble no thought whatsoever when applying toothpaste to my toothbrush.

OtinG · 07-24-2019, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I personally operate under the assumption that anything I ask any device connected in any way to the internet is available somewhere, in some way, to anybody who chooses to look hard enough. Whether or not someone makes money on that info is immaterial to me. Whether not that moneymaking effort constitutes greed is also of no concern to me. I give Jeff Bezos nor the Board of Directors of Google no thought whatsoever when availing myself of their services. Much like I give Proctor & Gamble no thought whatsoever when applying toothpaste to my toothbrush.

Not me. Google has a proven track record of data mining, and they seem quite proud of that. I am not going to feed the monster any more than I have too. To each their own, of course. But IMO it is a no brainer to steer a wide path around a known offender, and that is what I try to do.

DiapDealer · 07-24-2019, 05:32 PM

The internet IS data mining. Use it, and your data will be mined. It's really as simple as that. But if anthropomorphizing Google as some sort of big baddie makes you feel better about handing your data to someone else (data that Google will merely get some other way), then have at it. No skin off my nose. Different strokes, as you mentioned. We all make corporations like Google richer just by accessing the internet and using devices that do.

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07-21-2019, 02:48 PM	#3841
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,682 Karma: 205039118 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I honestly have no need to ask her questions. That novelty wore off very quickly for me. I just need her to do the things I instruct her to do.

07-21-2019, 04:58 PM	#3843
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,419 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	I get annoyed when Alexa can't do something straightforward. My Dot was blinking yellow, so I asked it what that meant, and found out it was a notification. I told it to turn off notifications. Alexa couldn't do that, told me to go through the app. Which I did. But the Dot was still blinking yellow and wouldn't stop until I listened to the stupid notification. So right now the Dot is once again unplugged.

07-22-2019, 02:39 PM	#3847
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,682 Karma: 205039118 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I'm fine with Alexa not being my personal LMGTFY assistant. When I stopped asking her things, my frustration levels with her went way, way down. She hardly ever messes up an instruction I give her these days, so that's smart enough for me.

07-22-2019, 03:03 PM	#3848
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,297 Karma: 80074820 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	I've resorted to forcing her into her Wikipedia skill for anything detailed -- "Alexa read me the wikipedia article on ____". But mostly I use smart home things -- "alexa, upstairs lights on", timers and remiders, music (rarely), and lists. Lots of lists. Oh, and as a replacement for wearing a watch.

07-24-2019, 11:07 AM	#3852
OtinG Old Gadget Guy Posts: 1,913 Karma: 6854865 Join Date: Jun 2018 Device: Oasis 3, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPad mini 6, iPad Air 2020, Alexa Devices	I think the most frustrating thing is using Alexa with the Fire TVs. In this case it isn't so much about her stupidity as it is her constant desire to sell me something rather than take me to the movie, TV show, or streaming channel I requested. She still has a high level of stupidity, but I can better deal with that than the constant sales pitches. It is like getting a commercial a large percentage of my commands. If I have the Search screen displayed and ask her to find something rather than type it in, then she does fairly well. If I'm on pretty much any other screen and ask her to go to a specific stream then I get more commercials than I get successful navigation.

07-24-2019, 05:32 PM	#3855
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,682 Karma: 205039118 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	The internet IS data mining. Use it, and your data will be mined. It's really as simple as that. But if anthropomorphizing Google as some sort of big baddie makes you feel better about handing your data to someone else (data that Google will merely get some other way), then have at it. No skin off my nose. Different strokes, as you mentioned. We all make corporations like Google richer just by accessing the internet and using devices that do.

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