Voice-operated technology

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One reason I embraced the Internet so fully in its early years (apart from the fact that I am a programmer so I sort of have to to stay employed) is that it offered the option to conduct my business via a text-based medium rather than having to call somebody on the phone. As I have always hated calling anybody on the phone.

Over time, there has been a trend toward voice recognition. Although of great benefit to quadriplegics, it has never appealed to me. I can recall an early commercial for some software product that allowed the user to dictate copy in a document. It showed a manager standing up in his office and loudly proclaiming "Computer! Take dictation!". The idea being that important players like that were happiest when interacting with others (and now machines) by talking to them. Also reminds me of some tycoons e.g. Branson who brag that their dyslexia has contributed to their success, because it has compelled them to communicate by voice which is presumably a more powerful form of communication.

A few years ago, corporate switchboards started moving away from "press 1 for opening hours, 2 for directions" to offering the option to "speak" one's request. And some time later, the speaking option became the only thing available. Imagine being asked to provide your Social Security/Insurance Number (or age!) by speaking, then being told to repeat it more distinctly because you weren't understood the first time — in a crowded office.

Recently we got new equipment from our cable provider. One aspect of this equipment is that the remote controls have far fewer buttons and the idea is that they're supposed to be voice-operated. I haven't tried to set that up yet, making do with what I can accomplish with the buttons that exist (one is a Menu button that has allowed access to all the functions I have needed so far).

The rise of voice-operated technology had not excited me in the least.

I feel ya. Talking to things out loud always made me feel kinda awkward.

I do not like voice activated technology; if I can do things by pressing buttons, I will. My writing skills are far superior to my speaking skills, and I hate how people seem to equate speech with superior communication. Sometimes I’ll use my writing pad to communicate even when I have the ability to speak because I just don’t like talking.

As a dyslexic, i can see the uses of voice recognition.
Also, i recently brought my folks an Alexa, which they really love.
I know that it is a bit of a security threat.

But otherwise, is really useful and helps a lot for even basic things such as alarm clock, weather, music.
And i am sure we are only using it to a very small amount of its capacity.

I have a 2009 MacBook (upgraded with 2017 High Sierra, yay!) that comes with voice recognition. So it can work like a secretary.

I don't use it because shouting the text of my romance novel into the microphone is going to make my family think I'm nuts. Not that I'm not...but nobody wants to hear a 200-page novel dictated to a computer in draft form.

Alexa is a neat device, an interesting robot & program, but I don't like them. For starters, security is a real thing. But I feel very strange treating a device like a servant--I'm the sort of person who would treat servants like equals (we're all people amiright?)

For alarm clock, I use, well, an alarm clock. Weather? Radio or a look outdoors at the sky. Music, I sing or put on a record or go to YouTube!

But while voice recognition is kind of cool I'm not really sure I'm sold on it. YET--