Resistance is futile... ALEXA!

Will you eventually replace your analog sound system with digital music streaming?

  • Yes

    Votes: 9 15.5%
  • No

    Votes: 49 84.5%

  • Total voters
    58
  • Poll closed .
The dot is nice for some background listening when I don't want to fire up the bigger systems for just a few minute's listening (like in the few minutes between shower/leave for work).
I can ask it the weather forecast during that time too.

What it's also nice for is an app known as HouseBand that lets me control the JRiver software that feeds those bigger systems from a 24/7 PC music server.
"Computer (I renamed it), play the houseband dinner playlist"
"Computer, next song."


It also notifies me if there's a response to a question I've asked in the Amazon community, and will read it to me if commanded.
It also acts as an intercom between rooms in the house.

A cool gadget, if you ask me (and my use hasn't even scratched the surface of what it can do).
 
The convenience of being able to play just about any album or genre of music or any radio station just by asking have made our household converts to ECHO streaming.
 
I just saw the poll. My answer was no. I still like the occasional vinyl album...probably nostalgia, but for whatever reason, the turntable stays put.
 
Augment, possibly, but replace? Not while I'm still able to change a record.

I've updated my resume, so that the fourth and last bullet point under SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS reads:

* Never on Facebook.

:D
 
I bought the original Amazon Echo a few years back, thinking that Amazon was onto something. Since then we've received a couple of Echo Dots as gifts, and have strategically placed them around the house to use to access general information, and as intercoms. It's nice to not have to stop what I'm doing, and go down two stories to talk to my kids about getting ready for the next sporting event or dinner plans, etc.

For my kids, the Echo is their choice for listening to tunes. It's easy, and fast, and that's what they want.

Not for me though.
 
All formats have their place and it's very compelling to have streaming on hand for those times when firing up the TT is not desired. As for big brother - - since the 1980's we have lived in a world more and more under surveillance. Whether cameras, "shot" monitors", eyes in the sky, etc. If you don't like devices in your home then don't have them. But don't for a moment think it's making you any safer or more anonymous. Those days are long over and the older I get the more I'm glad I grew up in a time when you could still boff your gf on a warm Summer's night out in the "open" (or just about everything else we did and / or "got away with) and not have to worry about being on the Internet 15 minutes later.

I believe the issue of "privacy" is a real concern for us older generations that became accustomed to and learned early on... "personal space is personal". Seems here in the 21st Century, the value of this is diminished by all kinds of active watching.. by human and silicon based intelligence.

I am not totally against this intrusion, deliberate or incidental, given the real threats out there.. just not sure to what end (if there is one), its all going :dunno:.

By the way, the Echo Dot does in fact record.. and restate every request given it. The requests are stated line-by-line on your Amazon account under "preferences".

My house unit is now kept with the speaker function "off" :thumbsdown:and the wife is duly informed. Her opinion of this little marvel seems to have changed :rflmao:
 
I believe the issue of "privacy" is a real concern for us older generations that became accustomed to and learned early on... "personal space is personal". Seems here in the 21st Century, the value of this is diminished by all kinds of active watching.. by human and silicon based intelligence.

I am not totally against this intrusion, deliberate or incidental, given the real threats out there.. just not sure to what end (if there is one), its all going :dunno:.

By the way, the Echo Dot does in fact record.. and restate every request given it. The requests are stated line-by-line on your Amazon account under "preferences".

My house unit is now kept with the speaker function "off" :thumbsdown:and the wife is duly informed. Her opinion of this little marvel seems to have changed :rflmao:
You can manually delete the requests.
 
It works for some, my kids stream alot. For me I definitely don't want any kind of alexa,dot et.al in my house.
 
I still have foil hats for sale

Just because I'm paranoid does not mean they aren't out to get me (but mostly my money).

As for big brother - - since the 1980's we have lived in a world more and more under surveillance. Whether cameras, "shot" monitors", eyes in the sky, etc. If you don't like devices in your home then don't have them. But don't for a moment think it's making you any safer or more anonymous. Those days are long over and the older I get the more I'm glad I grew up in a time when you could still boff your gf on a warm Summer's night out in the "open" (or just about everything else we did and / or "got away with) and not have to worry about being on the Internet 15 minutes later.

I'm certainly not going to make it easy for the data collectors/salesmen to trade my info for cash, which is exactly what google, facebook, and countless others have been caught doing.

I for certain do not wish to derail this fine thread, but everyone here that can read should go back and re-read "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley and especially George Orwell's "1984". Then, once that is complete, read "Animal Farm" by Orwell.

I do not mean this as an insult or barb, it's just my personal mantra - "convenience" is often not worth what it costs to have it. I don't facebook, I don't even leave my location on with my cellphone, and in fact, have conducted a few "experiments" by stating within earshot some random thing I might want.

That cellphone hears all, is what I have learned. Let's face it, it's a microphone. Since nobody would agree to being chipped, they turned the chip into a gadget, and then created the need, so that we clamor for it. I'm as guilty as anyone, so no offense meant.

Let's be honest - just exactly how crucial is a cellphone? I lived about 28 of my years blissfully unaware that I needed it.
 
Narcissistic is a great word for this thread. Amazing how many people think they are of such high interest to others.
Honestly, no one really cares about you as an individual. They care about group-think.
How many people like Twinkies? How many people search for the term Kardashian? How many people will buy Tide versus Dreft? It's NOT "Is Fred Stevens going to buy Dreft or Tide?" or "Will Sally Jantz buy a Toyota or a Ford?"

As for not feeding your info to others so that they can sell it for cash, those who are against the practice may want to boogie on down the road. It happens all over the 'net.
Even here, on this forum. There's six individual trackers watching me on this page as I type. Not to mention twenty different advertising scripts...
 
Narcissistic is a great word for this thread. Amazing how many people think they are of such high interest to others.
Honestly, no one really cares about you as an individual. They care about group-think.
How many people like Twinkies? How many people search for the term Kardashian? How many people will buy Tide versus Dreft? It's NOT "Is Fred Stevens going to buy Dreft or Tide?" or "Will Sally Jantz buy a Toyota or a Ford?"

As for not feeding your info to others so that they can sell it for cash, those who are against the practice may want to boogie on down the road. It happens all over the 'net.
Even here, on this forum. There's six individual trackers watching me on this page as I type. Not to mention twenty different advertising scripts...

Yep
 
Alexa "listening" to your conversation is fairly low on the list. Bottom line from my vantage point -- humans are lazy and will go with convenience and gratification over everything else. Yes, there are the holdouts - - I'm actually one myself - - but the genie it out of the bottle and "she" doesn't look like Barbara Eden. ;)

If Alexa sounded like Barbara Eden.... :naughty:
"What can I do for you master"?... I think there might be a sell out.. :banana:

Forget that... give me the hologram!! :rflmao:
 
Amazing how many people think they are of such high interest to others.
Honestly, no one really cares about you as an individual. They care about group-think.

Well, literally, this is true. I certainly do not live with the illusion that I'm important in any possible way. I'm not. But my shopping habits are of great interest.
 
But my shopping habits are of great interest.

I hate most people ;), I would bet good money 90% of what I have bought the last 10 yrs has not been in a store. Even a lot of my everyday staple food stuff for the last 2 yrs has not been from a store. o_O
 
@GChief, living in NC, just like me here in Ky, we have great access to Farmer's Markets and even our own back yard (which, sadly, I haven't done in a few years due to a damnable fungus infestation) so we're lucky in that regard.

I cannot say I hate people, but I do despise those who eschew knowledge, logic, reason and use of the turning signal. Covers quite a few, tho, doesn't it?
 
@GChief, living in NC, just like me here in Ky, we have great access to Farmer's Markets and even our own back yard (which, sadly, I haven't done in a few years due to a damnable fungus infestation) so we're lucky in that regard.

I cannot say I hate people, but I do despise those who eschew knowledge, logic, reason and use of the turning signal. Covers quite a few, tho, doesn't it?

I totally understand. I do CSA from 3 different farms for all my veggies and meats, farmers market delivered to my office.

What are turn signals?

Edit: and sorry about your yard. Fungal is hard to get under control.
 
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