On March 9, 2017 at 16:25, chris-L5S said...
I asked her about the DEA, her response " I am afraid I can't answer that".
Language.
Before you wonder about the DEA, etc., you should ponder the language skills of the person(s) who created the device's program.
This phrase is ambiguous to speakers of American English, perhaps to everyone. It can mean "I'm not allowed to answer that," or "I will not answer that," with an implied "even though I know the answer." It might mean "I know the answer but I don't know how to express it."
The "I am afraid" was probably stuck in there by someone who felt that would make the machine's response feel more friendly.
On March 9, 2017 at 20:39, MNTommyBoy said...
The Alexa snooping thing must be quite a conundrum for the stereotypical, wanna be, lazy, computer hacker living in their parents' basement. They so badly want voice control to order pizza, adjust lights etc, but just can't do it!
Think for a moment, too, about how life turns to hell for any person named Alexa!
EDIT:
The site
[Link: babynamewizard.com] shows graphically that the name Alexa peaked in popularity in the US in about 1990 at a rate of about 4200 per million. Today's naming rate of Alexa is 2500 per million (1 in 400). Among 17 year old girls in the US, then, 4.2 per thousand (1 in 238) Alexas are likely to be confused with the other Alexa.
Last edited by Ernie Gilman on March 11, 2017 14:52.
