108 ms·

This comment is just flamebait. These devices aren't just switch replacements, they're (primitive) ai assistants and provide much more functionality than just r

This comment is just flamebait. These devices aren't just switch replacements, they're (primitive) ai assistants and provide much more functionality than just rexplaining a switch. As an example, they can be used to schedule lights based on sunrise/sunset without changing any circuitry (which wouldn't be allowed in a rental for example). > then you deserve whatever ill this device brings. Complete nonsense. You're saying that by using one of the most popular consumer devices, a child deserves to be electrocuted? (Which is what the thread were talking about has suggested)

rglullis 5y ago
> provide much more functionality than just replacing a switch. There are alternatives that provide the desired functionality without the undesired bits, and convenience should not be an excuse to accept products that violate your freedoms and privacy. > deserves to be electrocuted Deserve what it comes is not the right idea, but they are definitely partly responsible for it.
- pharke 5y ago
  What are the alternatives? I'm seriously not aware of any that fulfill all of the abilities that an Alexa or Google Home has. I can imagine an offline version that does most of what they do but as far as I know they don't exist.
  - scubbo 5y ago
    I'm not the person that you responses to, but Home Assistant offers most of the automation capabilities that the Alexa platform does. I haven't yet looked into the speech-to-text interface alternatives described here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29561452 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29561452
  - troyvit 5y ago
    Mycroft.ai is what you're looking for. They're taking pre-orders now: https://mycroft.ai/blog/pre-order-your-mark-ii-shipping-starts-19th-sept-2022/ https://mycroft.ai/blog/pre-order-your-mark-ii-shipping-star...
midasuni 5y ago
In the U.K. if you do as Amazon suggested nothing would happen - if the plug is in enough to be in contact with the socket’s terminals, the exposed metal is insulated Defence in depth. Sure Amazon shouldn’t be telling 3 year olds to stick their fingers in sockets, but sockets shouldn’t kill 3 year olds if they do.
- maccard 5y ago
  Amazon doesn't just operate in the UK though.
- barbazoo 5y ago
  North American power sockets and plugs are a death trap. My 9 month old started to be interested in plugs and would try to pull them out, exposing the two prongs. It's insane. I started adding a bit of electrical tape to the base of the prongs to the nightlights that necessarily need to be on ground level but why this is the way it is, I don't know. I must be exaggerating the risk, otherwise the industry would be insane. I can't speak for the UK plugs but they sound similar to the "EU" ones where this just wouldn't be possible due to the design of the sockets and plugs.
  - maccard 5y ago
    UK plugs are three pronged, with the earth on top and live/neutral on the bottom. The earth is longer than the other two pins and inside the socket is a switch that opens the live and neutral sockets when the earth pin is inserted. The live and neutral pins are insulated up to the point where they are exposed when connected to the mains, and the flex comes out the bottom of the plug meaning its borderline impossible to accidentally unplug by pulling on the cord. It's really quite clever.
    - barbazoo 5y ago
      That sounds quite a bit safer than the NA and even the other European ones. How practical is that I wonder? Does every appliance have a ground wire? That's certainly not the case in NA, even in the EU.
bambax 5y ago
I agree that my comment is over the top and stupid. There's just something that rubs me the wrong way about accepting these things into your home and then complaining it does something you don't like. But it's stupid because the same can be said about most tech developments. I don't think I can change the way I think about these things; but I can certainly refrain from expressing it.
- maccard 5y ago
  > There's just something that rubs me the wrong way about accepting these things into your home and then complaining it does something you don't like. But it's stupid because the same can be said about most tech developments. You can legitimately criticise these devices, or even other non tech devices when you make a decision to introduce one into your home. I don't require every item in my home to be free of stupid criticism to use it. > I can certainly refrain from expressing it. You should express it, openly and loudly, but constructively. Telling people they deserve whatever is coming to them for introducing a device to their home isn't going to make anyone feel differently, but providing alternatives and talking about why they're a bad idea might.

rglullis 5y ago

> provide much more functionality than just replacing a switch. There are alternatives that provide the desired functionality without the undesired bits, and convenience should not be an excuse to accept products that violate your freedoms and privacy. > deserves to be electrocuted Deserve what it comes is not the right idea, but they are definitely partly responsible for it.

pharke 5y ago
What are the alternatives? I'm seriously not aware of any that fulfill all of the abilities that an Alexa or Google Home has. I can imagine an offline version that does most of what they do but as far as I know they don't exist.
- scubbo 5y ago
  I'm not the person that you responses to, but Home Assistant offers most of the automation capabilities that the Alexa platform does. I haven't yet looked into the speech-to-text interface alternatives described here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29561452 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29561452
- troyvit 5y ago
  Mycroft.ai is what you're looking for. They're taking pre-orders now: https://mycroft.ai/blog/pre-order-your-mark-ii-shipping-starts-19th-sept-2022/ https://mycroft.ai/blog/pre-order-your-mark-ii-shipping-star...

midasuni 5y ago

In the U.K. if you do as Amazon suggested nothing would happen - if the plug is in enough to be in contact with the socket’s terminals, the exposed metal is insulated Defence in depth. Sure Amazon shouldn’t be telling 3 year olds to stick their fingers in sockets, but sockets shouldn’t kill 3 year olds if they do.

maccard 5y ago
Amazon doesn't just operate in the UK though.
barbazoo 5y ago
North American power sockets and plugs are a death trap. My 9 month old started to be interested in plugs and would try to pull them out, exposing the two prongs. It's insane. I started adding a bit of electrical tape to the base of the prongs to the nightlights that necessarily need to be on ground level but why this is the way it is, I don't know. I must be exaggerating the risk, otherwise the industry would be insane. I can't speak for the UK plugs but they sound similar to the "EU" ones where this just wouldn't be possible due to the design of the sockets and plugs.
- maccard 5y ago
  UK plugs are three pronged, with the earth on top and live/neutral on the bottom. The earth is longer than the other two pins and inside the socket is a switch that opens the live and neutral sockets when the earth pin is inserted. The live and neutral pins are insulated up to the point where they are exposed when connected to the mains, and the flex comes out the bottom of the plug meaning its borderline impossible to accidentally unplug by pulling on the cord. It's really quite clever.
  - barbazoo 5y ago
    That sounds quite a bit safer than the NA and even the other European ones. How practical is that I wonder? Does every appliance have a ground wire? That's certainly not the case in NA, even in the EU.

bambax 5y ago

I agree that my comment is over the top and stupid. There's just something that rubs me the wrong way about accepting these things into your home and then complaining it does something you don't like. But it's stupid because the same can be said about most tech developments. I don't think I can change the way I think about these things; but I can certainly refrain from expressing it.

maccard 5y ago
> There's just something that rubs me the wrong way about accepting these things into your home and then complaining it does something you don't like. But it's stupid because the same can be said about most tech developments. You can legitimately criticise these devices, or even other non tech devices when you make a decision to introduce one into your home. I don't require every item in my home to be free of stupid criticism to use it. > I can certainly refrain from expressing it. You should express it, openly and loudly, but constructively. Telling people they deserve whatever is coming to them for introducing a device to their home isn't going to make anyone feel differently, but providing alternatives and talking about why they're a bad idea might.