8 ms·

Let me just hand my credit card to the car salesman and tell him "buy me a car." I mean, the only thing advertisers want more than your attention is the ability

by Retra 8y ago

Let me just hand my credit card to the car salesman and tell him "buy me a car." I mean, the only thing advertisers want more than your attention is the ability to make your purchases for you. People shouldn't buy things through Alexa because they shouldn't trust the people who made it. They made it to make a profit, and it'll do that or die trying. It's not there to make your life easier.

stryk 8y ago
I'd take it even one step further and say people shouldn't even have an Alexa (or Google Home, et. al.) in their home at all. There are so many downsides, and after you get past the "cool new technology" factor there are relatively little upsides. It would be better, more worthwhile, and a hell of a lot more interesting to research and figure out how to create your own "voice assistant" type of device that's hosted locally and doesn't transmit everything that's said in your home back to some company's servers. [and don't give me any of that 'they're not listening to everything' crap -- that's bullshit. if things can be abused they will be]
- sturgill 8y ago
  First world problems, but “Alexa, broadcast ‘dinner is ready’” is just amazing. Or, “Alexa, drop in on [child’s] room” to remind them about X. Also timers, light switches, and playing music to the surround sound from a Bluetooth connection to the receiver... We didn’t own one when we lived in Brooklyn, but they are all over my house in the suburbs. I don’t apologize for my love fest. But I won’t use it to order anything. Add something to lists? Definitely. Make a purchase decision? Ha!
  - Bizarro 8y ago
    Alexa is worth it just to turn off/on light switches, get the time and weather occasionally.....really turning on and off the lamps in various rooms is very convenient though.
    - stryk 8y ago
      You're willing to give up the personal privacy of you, your family, and any guests in exchange for turning off light switches without getting up?
      - sturgill 8y ago
        With three kids, a two story house plus basement? Yes. And I imagine you probably carry a listening device with built-in locator that surveillance states can use to track your every move any way. All for the convenience of being able to make phone calls (or, more ironically, check Facebook). At this point in the game, privacy is an illusion. So I might as well enjoy telling Alexa to “turn off the basement lights” on my way to bed every night.
        bopbop 8y ago
        The answer to stopping ubiquitous pervasive surveillance probably isn't installing more ubiquitous pervasive surveillance. It's clear many people feel there are benefits to owning one of these devices, but it does seem all of the benefits you are listing can be achieved without making such a sacrifice to a giant multinational conglomerate with a poor history of user rights and privacy. With your comment “Alexa, drop in on [child’s] room”, the point that immediately came to mind is that Alexa doesn't drop in. Alexa is always there. I guess a lot of it will come down to whether you believe that: a) Amazon will honour whatever promise they have with the consumer not to monitor them/keep records of your communications safe b) That normalising such devices will not lead to their expanding use in direction you do NOT agree with in the future c) That the device, system and amazon servers your and your families information is stored in is secure from being taken control over by third parties. Personally, I think b is the biggest concern, as I believe arguments similar to yours (you already carry a smartphone) will be replaced in the future with (you are already recorded by alexa) to justify further things I would consider to be beyond reasonable in a free democratic society (whats wrong with a little facial recognition, etc).
      - grkvlt 8y ago
        How exactly is using Alexa giving up personal privacy? The device isn't recording your conversations you realise?
- skgoa 8y ago
  > "voice assistant" type of device that's hosted locally and doesn't transmit everything that's said in your home back to some company's servers. Apple will sell you exactly this and it even comes with much better speakers than the other "intelligent speaker" products. But it's Apple, so every "tech person" on the internet must hate it.
  - walterbell 8y ago
    Isn't Siri cloud-based for HomePod?
gh02t 8y ago
I mean, it doesn't have to be like that. There's plenty of profit to be made in offering a convenient product that makes your life easier without being evil, because if it makes your life easier then people inherently will want it. The problem is that the [awkward] ergonomics of ordering things through voice doesn't pair well with the way Amazon works. I think that's maybe why Amazon has seemingly decided to put more emphasis on home automation instead of shopping and rely more on the halo effect keeping you in their ecosystem. I think they launched the Echo not really knowing how people would use them and are evolving them as they go.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
ars 8y ago
I can see value in adding things to your shopping cart for later review.

by Retra 8y ago

stryk 8y ago

I'd take it even one step further and say people shouldn't even have an Alexa (or Google Home, et. al.) in their home at all. There are so many downsides, and after you get past the "cool new technology" factor there are relatively little upsides. It would be better, more worthwhile, and a hell of a lot more interesting to research and figure out how to create your own "voice assistant" type of device that's hosted locally and doesn't transmit everything that's said in your home back to some company's servers. [and don't give me any of that 'they're not listening to everything' crap -- that's bullshit. if things can be abused they will be]

sturgill 8y ago
First world problems, but “Alexa, broadcast ‘dinner is ready’” is just amazing. Or, “Alexa, drop in on [child’s] room” to remind them about X. Also timers, light switches, and playing music to the surround sound from a Bluetooth connection to the receiver... We didn’t own one when we lived in Brooklyn, but they are all over my house in the suburbs. I don’t apologize for my love fest. But I won’t use it to order anything. Add something to lists? Definitely. Make a purchase decision? Ha!
- Bizarro 8y ago
  Alexa is worth it just to turn off/on light switches, get the time and weather occasionally.....really turning on and off the lamps in various rooms is very convenient though.
  - stryk 8y ago
    You're willing to give up the personal privacy of you, your family, and any guests in exchange for turning off light switches without getting up?
    - sturgill 8y ago
      With three kids, a two story house plus basement? Yes. And I imagine you probably carry a listening device with built-in locator that surveillance states can use to track your every move any way. All for the convenience of being able to make phone calls (or, more ironically, check Facebook). At this point in the game, privacy is an illusion. So I might as well enjoy telling Alexa to “turn off the basement lights” on my way to bed every night.
      - bopbop 8y ago
        The answer to stopping ubiquitous pervasive surveillance probably isn't installing more ubiquitous pervasive surveillance. It's clear many people feel there are benefits to owning one of these devices, but it does seem all of the benefits you are listing can be achieved without making such a sacrifice to a giant multinational conglomerate with a poor history of user rights and privacy. With your comment “Alexa, drop in on [child’s] room”, the point that immediately came to mind is that Alexa doesn't drop in. Alexa is always there. I guess a lot of it will come down to whether you believe that: a) Amazon will honour whatever promise they have with the consumer not to monitor them/keep records of your communications safe b) That normalising such devices will not lead to their expanding use in direction you do NOT agree with in the future c) That the device, system and amazon servers your and your families information is stored in is secure from being taken control over by third parties. Personally, I think b is the biggest concern, as I believe arguments similar to yours (you already carry a smartphone) will be replaced in the future with (you are already recorded by alexa) to justify further things I would consider to be beyond reasonable in a free democratic society (whats wrong with a little facial recognition, etc).
    - grkvlt 8y ago
      How exactly is using Alexa giving up personal privacy? The device isn't recording your conversations you realise?
skgoa 8y ago
> "voice assistant" type of device that's hosted locally and doesn't transmit everything that's said in your home back to some company's servers. Apple will sell you exactly this and it even comes with much better speakers than the other "intelligent speaker" products. But it's Apple, so every "tech person" on the internet must hate it.
- walterbell 8y ago
  Isn't Siri cloud-based for HomePod?

gh02t 8y ago

I mean, it doesn't have to be like that. There's plenty of profit to be made in offering a convenient product that makes your life easier without being evil, because if it makes your life easier then people inherently will want it. The problem is that the [awkward] ergonomics of ordering things through voice doesn't pair well with the way Amazon works. I think that's maybe why Amazon has seemingly decided to put more emphasis on home automation instead of shopping and rely more on the halo effect keeping you in their ecosystem. I think they launched the Echo not really knowing how people would use them and are evolving them as they go.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

ars 8y ago

I can see value in adding things to your shopping cart for later review.