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Help[Opinions] Re: Alexa
in reply to a message by namesarecool285
Well, they picked Alexa as the voice assistant name for good reason. It's likeable - I think so, anyway. Pretty and smart. Not robotic.
I agree with you that people will tease names in high school and Alexa is not worse than a lot of others.
I think the usage of Alexa for babies plummeted because the voice assistant, and the associations added to the name by marketing the voice assistant are all negative. Some people still are joking and meming sometimes by saying, "Alexa, show me ___ ..." and if people were actually using the voice assistant with the name Alexa, it really would be a bother, because the thing would respond when the person was addressed.
However, I think it'll all blow over. The Amazon system has well and truly flopped, and righteously so because it is awful. They can't make any money off it. (It's already pretty unfashionable to have one, don't you think? Like having CRTs in the 10s) So in 10-20 years it'll just be a dated joke ... one that kids are born not knowing, and are less and less likely to get taught.
But Alexa will still be a good name for people.
- mirfak
I agree with you that people will tease names in high school and Alexa is not worse than a lot of others.
I think the usage of Alexa for babies plummeted because the voice assistant, and the associations added to the name by marketing the voice assistant are all negative. Some people still are joking and meming sometimes by saying, "Alexa, show me ___ ..." and if people were actually using the voice assistant with the name Alexa, it really would be a bother, because the thing would respond when the person was addressed.
However, I think it'll all blow over. The Amazon system has well and truly flopped, and righteously so because it is awful. They can't make any money off it. (It's already pretty unfashionable to have one, don't you think? Like having CRTs in the 10s) So in 10-20 years it'll just be a dated joke ... one that kids are born not knowing, and are less and less likely to get taught.
But Alexa will still be a good name for people.
- mirfak
This message was edited 7/23/2023, 11:03 AM
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I know a lot of people, including myself, that use Alexa. It's useful, especially for someone with ADHD. In fact not having Alexa in DC was incredibly frustrating.
But then we had a CRT TV up until COVID. We tend to be Luddites overall
I know a lot of people, including myself, that use Alexa. It's useful, especially for someone with ADHD. In fact not having Alexa in DC was incredibly frustrating.
But then we had a CRT TV up until COVID. We tend to be Luddites overall
This message was edited 7/23/2023, 8:40 PM
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Oh, I'm not exactly on the cutting edge myself. I will never speak to a machine at all, unless I'm forced to. When some automated system on a phone call asks me to "enter or say" a number, I pull up the keypad and key that sucker in.
Just saying, the echo thing isn't a very successful product overall, it's not expanding - and so I think the human Alexas of the world will see their problems decline in the future.
Do you say "Alexa" or do you use a different wake-word? Personally I'd change it but if you didn't think of that before, it's probably too late to change the habit.
Question for anyone - if you HAD to use a voice assistant, and address it with something other than "computer," or the name of a company associated with it, or any corporate-assigned name like Alexa, Siri, or Cortana - what would you use as the "name" or wake-word?
Just saying, the echo thing isn't a very successful product overall, it's not expanding - and so I think the human Alexas of the world will see their problems decline in the future.
Do you say "Alexa" or do you use a different wake-word? Personally I'd change it but if you didn't think of that before, it's probably too late to change the habit.
Question for anyone - if you HAD to use a voice assistant, and address it with something other than "computer," or the name of a company associated with it, or any corporate-assigned name like Alexa, Siri, or Cortana - what would you use as the "name" or wake-word?
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We use Alexa for mine (living room), computer for Xander's (office), aha Echo for M (her room, used only for music.,)
I was really against Alexa up to a few years ago. M really wanted one and her grandparents asked if there could get her one. I said yes reluctantly - and the damn thing has helped.
It's got our calendar, reminders, and routines. If allows me to keep up with things, and the morning reminders get us out of the house. And it lets M contact us if she needs to - she doesn't have a phone yet and if old enough to be left alone.
Alexa is all I do, no other smart home tech. Too much could go wrong, and Alexa invades my privacy enough.
I was really against Alexa up to a few years ago. M really wanted one and her grandparents asked if there could get her one. I said yes reluctantly - and the damn thing has helped.
It's got our calendar, reminders, and routines. If allows me to keep up with things, and the morning reminders get us out of the house. And it lets M contact us if she needs to - she doesn't have a phone yet and if old enough to be left alone.
Alexa is all I do, no other smart home tech. Too much could go wrong, and Alexa invades my privacy enough.
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