To NOT let Alexa come and live with us?

[Blessingsatbedtime]

DB thinks she would be amazing and be a wonderful addition to the family, I think she would make our lives a misery. She comes from Amazon and I don't feel I need another woman running my home!

Most of the time I like Alexa but yesterday I had a battle with her - first of all she kept mishearing the name of my playlist so I gave up and just asked her to play Oasis, after a couple of songs I wanted to add a song to my playlist so I had this conversation with her:
Me: Alexa, add this song to my playlist "seen live"
Alexa: Ok what do you want me to add?
Me: Live Forever by Oasis
Alexa: Ok, added Live Forever to your shopping list
Me: FFS Alexa!

Because I'm working late and it would be nice to have the washing machine finish when I get home so I don't have to stay up till midnight waiting for it?

I'm glad that my son was home and hadn't gone out after putting a wash on, as the washing machine caught fire. He noticed smoke coming out of it and switched it off and put it outside.

Since then, we never leave the house while the (new) washing machine is on.

" it would be nice to have the washing machine finish when I get home "

But washing machines have had timers for decades. Up to 24 hours in advance in the case of my own.

Similarly, central heating controls have been on timers for decades, ours has four seperate time zones, so the house is warm when you need it anyway. And how difficult is it to flick a light switch or turn the tv/radio/pc etc. on to hear the news? And a kettle takes a couple of minutes to boil.

I can understand it could be useful for people with difficulty with mobility, but for fully able bodied people, no. I don't see the need, and I too find it all a bit sinister.

Yes, but if I am on my way home and want it to be warm when I get in, I can just hit boost outside of its program. Similarly, if we are out all day we can stop it going on.

I only have a dumbass washing machine so I don't know if the benefits of that.

My friend got one for Christmas then sold it on eBay ...
Felt like someone was listening in

I'm glad that my son was home and hadn't gone out after putting a wash on, as the washing machine caught fire. He noticed smoke coming out of it and switched it off and put it outside

Agree, an acquaintance (ex work colleague) had her house burn down due to a dryer being on when out just before Christmas past.

Personally think anyone who leaves an electric machine with a motor, a heater and water, running when they’re not there is insane.

She is shit. half of the time she ignores me. Sometimes she googles something for me without me even asking.

She can't understand us half of the time and plays the wrong songs. If her volume is set above 6 then she can't even hear us over it.

She has some uses, when she works.

Because I'm working late and it would be nice to have the washing machine finish when I get home so I don't have to stay up till midnight waiting for it? Not all of us have the luxury of being home to do these things.

Why don’t you put it on as you leave the house or as soon as you get in? You really do not need to stay up until midnight!

YANBU having my online activity monitored is one thing - I can measure what I type into my tablet/phone/computer and turn off the world when I want to.

Having my conversations listened to for commercial gain in the privacy of my own home...absolutely not.

I also refuse to have any smart appliances so the only thing my fridge/heating/bath/washing machine/cooker/TV responds to is an actual human being.

This^^ absolutely

I also think we are sleep walking into the unknown, so not a chance in this house we are definitely staying low tech.

Alexa and I have burping and farting competitions. Anyone listening in would assume we live in a farmyard!

my police aquaintences are outraged that they are not yet currently allowed to access the data from those devices when a 'crime' has been committed. they soon will be. But obvs there's nothing to worry about there because if you are one of the good guys then you wouldn't be worried about police monitoring your Alexa/dot/other online devices would you? Only the bad guys need to worry. The police would never misuse those powers. Just like they don't misuse stop and search. And Google and Amazon definitely wouldn't misuse the data they gather while you use your device. The rules - which I'm sure they're definitely following to the letter right now - about how they use the data might change a bit once we've got used to having them in our homes, but only, I'm convinced for our own good and convenience.
And, yes, I am one of those people who covers the camera on their laptop/PC when not using it.As do most people i know who work in IT security... and no we have not got an Alexa...

I got DP a Sonos with Alexa for Christmas (he's a Sonos devotee) and it's fabulous! I love asking her to play some Motown or whatever I'm in the mood for while I'm cooking. She's also great for ordering things, like more cat litter, without having to faff around online. And we probably use her for about 1% of what's she capable of. Got Hive but not synched it up yet.

Felt a bit sorry for her on New Years Eve, we had a party and as we got more merry everyone was drunkenly screaming their favourite songs at her. A late arriving guest said he could hear us down the street. She got very confused.

Just don't tell your dcs that Alexa can burp and fart

How does Alexa control the washing machine? Do you need a certain one? That would put me off, being restricted to certain, undoubtedly more expensive, models.

I know you can get wifi kettles now, so you can switch them on without getting off your arse, but until they can fill themselves with water, I'm not interested, because I won't remember to leave water in it and if I have to get up to put water in it, I can switch it on at the same time.

She lives here. My son is two. He says 'Falexa, play 'what does the fox say'

I'm too traumatised by the film Smart House to even consider it the computer becomes sentient and tries to control them, a lovely film for children indeed.

"Why don’t you put it on as you leave the house or as soon as you get in? You really do not need to stay up until midnight!"

I don't start it in the morning partly because of the fire risk, but mainly because I don't want stuff lying crushed in the machine all day until I get home. And I don't start it if I get home gone 10pm because that will mean staying up until midnight. Not everyone finishes work at 5.

Don't buy an Alexa show if you have BT Wi-fi they just won't connect, I've been back to Curry's with two this week. I was desperate for one and I'm so disappointed

The idea of the potential hacking risk really interests me. It's not just the data that can be sold/stolen to learn your patterns etc. I wonder if people can hack in and listen/record and use those recordings to blackmail people. How much would people pay to avoid having their private conversations etc made public or sent to their friends, family, and colleagues.

We're having the same disagreement. I say she’s not allowed over the threshold but he thinks she’d be a great addition

There's no chance I'm going to have a device in my house that records everything I say. Fuck that.

Noodles and anymajor I completely agree with you!

People manage to do their washing and remember to put the bins out without Alexa!

I already do quite enough free work for amazon