On 11/10/2023 02:31, Graham. wrote:
> Isn't there some sort of rule about not deliberately triggering smart
> speakers, on mass, especially in the name of advertising as in this
> current "Heart" Radio campaign?
> --

Is it possible to block certain words so it does not respond to them?

Or change the trigger word to activate ALEXA, if everyons used different
words then would not be possible to misuse for advertising purposes.

Fortunately I never hear any radio adverts!

In message <ug5gnr$1mmut$1@dont-email.me> at Wed, 11 Oct 2023 07:52:42,
JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> writes
>On 11/10/2023 02:31, Graham. wrote:
>> Isn't there some sort of rule about not deliberately triggering smart
>>speakers, on mass, especially in the name of advertising as in this
>>current "Heart" Radio campaign?
>> --
>
>
>Is it possible to block certain words so it does not respond to them?
>
>Or change the trigger word to activate ALEXA, if everyons used
>different words then would not be possible to misuse for advertising
>purposes.
>
>Fortunately I never hear any radio adverts!
>
I'm pretty certain the trigger word can be changed - though I don't know
whether to anything, or only one of a fairly small list. Nor whether the
units remember the change if power is removed: these days that should be
the default (with a reset button), but it wouldn't surprise me if it
isn't.
>
But most people won't change the default. Legislation/regulation could
go either way: saying the default word should not be broadcast could be
seen as a free speech infringement (comedians often do a sketch about
Alexa for example), but protecting it is forcing people to change the
default. (The latter - i. e. the current situation - is likely to
remain, and it's like expecting people to have the ability to use an
"app" for all sorts of things: basically, to those who don't want to, or
can't, "tough".)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Look out for #1. Don't step in #2 either.

0On Wed, 11 Oct 2023 10:28:42 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"
<G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:

>>Is it possible to block certain words so it does not respond to them?
>>
>>Or change the trigger word to activate ALEXA, if everyons used
>>different words then would not be possible to misuse for advertising
>>purposes.
>>
>>Fortunately I never hear any radio adverts!
>>
>I'm pretty certain the trigger word can be changed - though I don't know
>whether to anything, or only one of a fairly small list. Nor whether the
>units remember the change if power is removed: these days that should be
>the default (with a reset button), but it wouldn't surprise me if it
>isn't.

During my brief experience with one of these gadgets before the
novelty wore off (some time ago so it's possible the situation has
changed by now) I discovered that the wake word could be changed but
only to one of a very small prescribed list. It did occasionally
respond to something it had misheard from the TV, so I guess it would
be possible for a broadcaster to include a definite command.

For maximum amusement or annoyance (depending on your view) a command
such as "Alexa, what's factorial one hundred?" used to keep it
occupied for a while, but after a while they changed the format of
replies to something a lot shorter.

One of my grandsprogs has discovered how to make Alexa invoke a
selection from a huge repertoire of fart noises. Yes, really. Somebody
has actually gone to the trouble of programming this, and goodness
knows what else.

Rod.

In message <skucii5mvllkskl8bhghr5dl8ut2ehp855@4ax.com> at Wed, 11 Oct
2023 11:56:25, Roderick Stewart <rjfs@escapetime.myzen.co.uk> writes
[]
>During my brief experience with one of these gadgets before the
>novelty wore off (some time ago so it's possible the situation has

Having visited people who have one (actually several), I found it quite
useful - mainly for things I'd normally use Google for (e. g.: Alexa,
who sang xyz, or Alexa: how tall/old is abc); to the extent that I'd be
quite pleased if someone bought me one, though I haven't felt any urge
to buy myself one. In what way did you find the novelty wore off? I can
see you'd fairly soon stop using it just for the sake of it - I did; but
as I say, I found it useful. Also "Alexa: remind me at XX about YY" was
easier than setting up such things on the computer.

>changed by now) I discovered that the wake word could be changed but
>only to one of a very small prescribed list. It did occasionally
>respond to something it had misheard from the TV, so I guess it would
>be possible for a broadcaster to include a definite command.

I wondered if one could try "Alexa: say Siri" and vice versa, but I
don't think we ever got round to trying it. (Thinking about it, saying
that would wake up Siri anyway.)

Being triggered by something broadcast reminds me - I used to have one
of those whistle keyrings - if you forgot where you'd left your keys,
you whistled, and it beeped to help you find them. (They were - are, I'm
sure you can still get them - about the shape and size of a large memory
stick.) But I found certain things set it off - Margaret Thatcher's
voice being one of them. Since it dangled from the ignition in the car,
and she was often on in commute time, it tended to run down its cell
rather quickly.
>
>For maximum amusement or annoyance (depending on your view) a command
>such as "Alexa, what's factorial one hundred?" used to keep it
>occupied for a while, but after a while they changed the format of
>replies to something a lot shorter.

A lot of speech-synthesis software defaults to reading out numbers in
normal speech form - X million, Y thousand, Z hundred and ... which is a
pain when it's something like a telephone number.
>
>One of my grandsprogs has discovered how to make Alexa invoke a
>selection from a huge repertoire of fart noises. Yes, really. Somebody

I'd be surprised if "Alexa: make a fart noise" doesn't work; possibly
even just "Alexa: fart". Certainly things like "Alexa: tell me a joke"
or "Alexa: sing to me" do.

>has actually gone to the trouble of programming this, and goodness
>knows what else.
>
>Rod.

A lot of that, of course, is back at base, not inside the little
cylinder. This isn't a fact that they draw your attention to - they like
you to think Alexa does it itself, much like the mobile operators like
you to think your 'phone and your 'phone service are the same thing. If
you turn off your router, you'll find Alexa is a lot dumber - I _think_
it will still respond for some things (maybe it can still tell you the
time for example), but most it will just apologise that it can't tell
you that right now, or similar.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Sometimes I believe we made up god just to have someone to blame for our
mistakes - "Sarah Sidle" (Jorja Fox), CSI