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From: JAB <noway@nochance.com>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
Subject: Re: OT: Is it just me ...
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2025 09:22:54 +0100
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On 14/04/2025 15:19, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Mon, 14 Apr 2025 11:10:44 +0100, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:
> 
>> ... who when I use voice commands holds it to my face like a walkie
>> talkie for no reason at all. Why do I do that?
> 
> Nope, it's just you.... boomer ;-)
> 
> I've no real appreciation of voice-commands. I usually find it --and
> the resultant output-- too low-information for my preference. I'm much
> happier going to a proper screen and finding my info using a keyboard
> or mouse; it's not much slower, and the results are more to my liking.
> But when I do use them, I just shout them into the air, like Captain
> Picard, and expect the robot slave to serve me at my whims. ;-)
> 
I generally don't use them as most of the time I find it easier to just 
do it manually - if I want to change the volume on the TV I'll just use 
the volume button on the remote.

I do use it for a few things though so finding a specific 
programme/film/channel on the TV and over on the mobile, location 
services and setting an alarm.

That reminds me I must change the setting on my phone so it goes back to 
using Google Assistant and not AI.

> Except I still need to go press the button first. I may accept
> voice-commands in my life, but I'll be damned if I allow an
> always-listening (always feeding corporate data-gobblers) to have full
> access to my life. Even Picard knew to double-tap his comm-badge first
> ;-)
> 
I don't trust them not to misuse the audio either, indeed Amazon have 
already been found to be keeping parts of it for 'training' purposes in 
breach of our data protection laws.

The one I think is frankly rubbish (it's even been tested as such) is 
that it secretly listens to your conversations so it can spoon-fed you 
adverts. Of course that's not say that they wouldn't do it if they 
thought they could get away with it. Oh no, we were talking about 
holidays and now we are seeing adverts from holidays companies - well 
yeh, as you've probably been searching for them online as well.

I also assume that most national security authorities have already 
developed technology to do just that, well not the adverts part*, as our 
one in the UK did, and tested out on a large scale, for activating webcams.

*Our economy isn't doing that well at the moment so maybe an idea for an 
additional revenue stream!