Why is Siri so rubbish?

[Chris]

I've only realised how limited it is since we got an alexa for christmas.
The simplest questions return "here's what I found" non-answers, calling up
music tracks to play invariably goes wrong, and it is incapable of playing
a radio station when the screen is locked. Whereas all the above are a
breeze with Alexa. Surely a company as large and casually as Apple could do
a lot better?

If I could replace Siri, I would. It's simply that bad. I knew it wasn't
great, but first hand experience is worse.

It has no context capability or nuance. If I've set a timer and ask Siri
"how long is left?" it doesn't understand. I have to ask "how long is left
in the timer?". Whereas alexa tells you the appropriate answer the first
time around.

It's about the only feature of iOS that is poorly designed and implemented.

[badgolferman]

That’s because Alexa is a real human who is always watching you...

[Joerg Lorenz]

Am 14.03.21 um 18:03 schrieb badgolferman:

+1
and she is recording everything ...

*SCNR*

[sms]

On 3/14/2021 6:08 AM, Chris wrote:

<snip>

> It's about the only feature of iOS that is poorly designed and implemented.

I have hope. Remember how bad Apple Maps was originally but they
improved it greatly. I don't know what happened with Siri. The Google
Assistant is much better. Perhaps fixing Siri is not the highest
priority since probably no one moves from iOS to Android because of Siri.

[sms]

On 3/14/2021 10:47 AM, Joerg Lorenz wrote:

<snip>

> +1
> and she is recording everything ...

Alexa has issues as well. Jeff Bezos never wanted to purchase the
supermarket chain Whole Foods. One day he wanted to restock his pantry
with healthy food so he said "Alexa, buy wholesome food" and she
responded with "buying Whole Foods."

[nospam]

In article <s2ll2f$u3b$1...@dont-email.me>, sms

<scharf...@geemail.com> wrote:


> Perhaps fixing Siri is not the highest
> priority since probably no one moves from iOS to Android because of Siri.

some do, although most do for other reasons.

siri is not just ios, but also mac, airpods and homepod.

[Chris]

I think you're right. Siri has been around a while and has had little
attention. Maps were a joke and an embarrassment at the start so they had
to do something.

[Chris]

That could well be true... :)

[John Doe]

Chris wrote:

>> That┬ because Alexa is a real human who is always watching you...

>
> That could well be true... :)

Meanwhile it's known from whistleblowers that Siri is an equally human but
unknowable set of unvetted lowpaid temporary shadowy contractors in Ireland.

[Rod Speed]

Chris <ithi...@gmail.com> wrote

> I've only realised how limited it is since we got an alexa for christmas.

More mindless shit from you. I have been running the big 3 for years now.

> The simplest questions return "here's what I found" non-answers,

Complete and utter bullshit.

> calling up music tracks to play invariably goes wrong,

Complete and utter bullshit.

> and it is incapable of playing a radio station when the screen is locked.

Complete and utter bullshit.

> Whereas all the above are a breeze with Alexa.

Pity it stops working when your broadband is down. Siri doesn’t.

Pity Alexa doesn’t work outside your house, Siri does.

> Surely a company as large and casually as Apple could do a lot better?

> If I could replace Siri, I would. It's simply that bad.

You are a terminal fuckwit.

> I knew it wasn't great, but first hand experience is worse.

> It has no context capability or nuance. If I've set a timer
> and ask Siri "how long is left?" it doesn't understand.

That’s bullshit, I did that saturday when my broadband
was down for half of that day and the following night.

> I have to ask "how long is left in the timer?".
> Whereas alexa tells you the appropriate
> answer the first time around.

So did siri.

> It's about the only feature of iOS that
> is poorly designed and implemented.

That’s bullshit too. iOS wont let you record all incoming
and outgoing calls completely automatically. Or even
let you tell it to answer an incoming call by voice with
a decent voiceprint to ensure that its you.

[Rod Speed]

"Rod Speed" <rod.sp...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:ib7737...@mid.individual.net...

And the google home mini leaves the alexa mic for dead.

[Rod Speed]

"sms" <scharf...@geemail.com> wrote in message
news:s2ll2f$u3b$1...@dont-email.me...

> On 3/14/2021 6:08 AM, Chris wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
>> It's about the only feature of iOS that is poorly designed and
>> implemented.
>
> I have hope. Remember how bad Apple Maps was originally but they improved
> it greatly.

Still ignore map corrections here. Google maps incorporates them in hours.

> I don't know what happened with Siri. The Google Assistant is much better.

With some things, but not with others and it doesn’t
work when out of your home on an iphone.

[Lewis]

In message <s2ll2f$u3b$1...@dont-email.me> sms <scharf...@geemail.com> wrote:
> On 3/14/2021 6:08 AM, Chris wrote:

> <snip>

>> It's about the only feature of iOS that is poorly designed and implemented.

> I have hope. Remember how bad Apple Maps was originally but they
> improved it greatly. I don't know what happened with Siri. The Google
> Assistant is much better.

The google assistant is much more limited in its capabilities. As long
as your limitations match its limitations, it certainly seems better.

Now, try to search for a French movie with the Google assistant.

Try to use 4 or 5 different phrases to ask Alexa something and you will
find that only one of those works, but chances are quote good that all
will work on Siri.

"Alexa turn of the lights in the bedroom."

"Hey siri, turn off the bedroom lights."
turn off the lights in the bedroom."
turn off the master bedroom."
turn off the master bedroom lights."
turn off the lights in master."
turn off the lights in the master bedroom."

Now, for more fun, try to use the various assistants with an accent.

--
Mac OSX - Because making Unix user-friendly was easier than fixing
Windows.

[Joerg Lorenz]

Am 14.03.21 um 19:38 schrieb sms:

;-)


--
De gustibus non est disputandum

[Joerg Lorenz]

Am 14.03.21 um 19:36 schrieb sms:

And only a small percentage is using voice control anyway.

[*Hemidactylus*]

I don’t use this voice interaction stuff. I did mess with Siri for the HAL
Easter eggs, but nothing beyond that. I notice an Alexa app for iOS, so
wonder if it’s better than Siri.

[Rod Speed]

"Joerg Lorenz" <hugy...@gmx.ch> wrote in message
news:s2m1e5$l99$2...@dont-email.me...

Irrelevant.

[Rod Speed]

"*Hemidactylus*" <ecph...@allspamis.invalid> wrote in message
news:LKSdnUHAG_VGEdP9...@giganews.com...

It doesn’t let you do what Siri does, it just lets you
configure your echo devices from your iphone.

[Your Name]

They're all completely useless, unless you've got the perfect "right"
accent for them to remotely understand you and even then they're still
rubbish. Just another silly gimmick for the terminally lazy.

Even more idiotic are the big companies that use similar stupid "voice
(non)recognition" software on their phone helplines. Extremely useless.
:-\

[Rod Speed]

"Your Name" <Your...@YourISP.com> wrote in message
news:s2m7g8$1289$1...@gioia.aioe.org...

BULLSHIT.

> and even then they're still rubbish.

BULLSHIT. Very handy round the house with timers, weather,
forecasts, even getting the current time when in bed at night.

> Just another silly gimmick for the terminally lazy.

More mindless shit from you.

> Even more idiotic are the big companies that use similar stupid "voice
> (non)recognition" software on their phone helplines. Extremely useless.

Works fine for me.

> :-\

[Lewis]

In message <ib81ib...@mid.individual.net> Jolly Roger <jolly...@pobox.com> wrote:

> On 2021-03-14, Your Name <Your...@YourISP.com> wrote:
>> On 2021-03-14 22:23:23 +0000, *Hemidactylus* said:
>>
>>> I don't use this voice interaction stuff. I did mess with Siri for
>>> the HAL Easter eggs, but nothing beyond that. I notice an Alexa app
>>> for iOS, so wonder if it's better than Siri.
>>
>> They're all completely useless

> Bullshit. I use Siri multiple times a day to do all sorts of useful
> things.

"There's this thing I don't use and know nothing about which I have
decided, based on my total lack of knowledge and experience, is useless."

--
"Are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
"I think so, Brain. But what if the Earl of Essex doesn't like burlap
pantaloons?"

[Chris]

On 14/03/2021 21:38, Lewis wrote:
> In message <s2ll2f$u3b$1...@dont-email.me> sms <scharf...@geemail.com> wrote:
>> On 3/14/2021 6:08 AM, Chris wrote:
>
>> <snip>
>
>>> It's about the only feature of iOS that is poorly designed and implemented.
>
>> I have hope. Remember how bad Apple Maps was originally but they
>> improved it greatly. I don't know what happened with Siri. The Google
>> Assistant is much better.
>
> The google assistant is much more limited in its capabilities. As long
> as your limitations match its limitations, it certainly seems better.
>
> Now, try to search for a French movie with the Google assistant.

Yeah, no thanks! Used google maps when on holiday in Italy a few years
back and it was really weird how it anglicised all the directions. Made
it difficult to follow at times.

> Try to use 4 or 5 different phrases to ask Alexa something and you will
> find that only one of those works, but chances are quote good that all
> will work on Siri.

I have the opposite experience. Siri will only play BBC Radio 6 if I say
this:

"Hey Siri, play BBC Radio 6 music"

And it's still not a 100%. Whereas with Alexa anything close to that works:

"Alexa, play radio 6"
"Alexa, play BBC 6 music"
etc.

> "Alexa turn of the lights in the bedroom."
>
> "Hey siri, turn off the bedroom lights."
> turn off the lights in the bedroom."
> turn off the master bedroom."
> turn off the master bedroom lights."
> turn off the lights in master."
> turn off the lights in the master bedroom."
>
> Now, for more fun, try to use the various assistants with an accent.

Oh yeah, accents are a massive no-no. Even perfectly normal regional
accents. There's a video of a wee Glaswegian girl of about 6-7 yelling
at an Alexa, but it doesn't understand.

[Chris]

On 15/03/2021 03:09, Jolly Roger wrote:

> What primarily "hampers" Siri is privacy. Without privacy protections,
> Siri could be just as feature-packed as the others. But unlike the
> others, Apple has strict privacy standards. Apple's working on doing
> this in the most private manner possible, which naturally takes much
> more work and careful consideration to design properly.

Sorry, but I find that hard to believe.

[Chris]

Disagree. I wouldn't run my life with them, but they are useful for a
few things.

> Even more idiotic are the big companies that use similar stupid "voice
> (non)recognition" software on their phone helplines. Extremely useless.
>  :-\

Agree there. I had one once for paying for a car park and you had to
spell out the numberplate. It was a complete nightmare as it couldn't
differentiate between F & S or B & D & P. It took fucking ages!

[nospam]

In article <s2n9sa$r71$2...@dont-email.me>, Chris <ithi...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> > What primarily "hampers" Siri is privacy. Without privacy protections,
> > Siri could be just as feature-packed as the others. But unlike the
> > others, Apple has strict privacy standards. Apple's working on doing
> > this in the most private manner possible, which naturally takes much
> > more work and careful consideration to design properly.
>
> Sorry, but I find that hard to believe.

it's true.

[Rod Speed]

"Chris" <ithi...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:s2n9om$r71$1...@dont-email.me...

Not surprised, I cant understand anything she says either except the word
Alexa.

My Alexa only caught one of her Alexas but didn’t understand anything else.

[Rod Speed]

"Chris" <ithi...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:s2n9sa$r71$2...@dont-email.me...

Its true. There are some things that Siri says you have to unlock your
phone for which is a complete pain in the arse when you are driving
with a touch ID phone. It should be using a bulletproof voice print.

[Rod Speed]

"Chris" <ithi...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:s2na95$uir$1...@dont-email.me...

Damned sight more than a few. I use it every day to get the time. You
don’t even have to roll over or anything with the google home mini,
the mics are so good. I get it to tell me the forecast for the night and
the next day when going to bed and it turns out all the lights, with
just the word goodnight. And when I get up, always in the dark,
even in summer, it tells me the forecast, the time and various
other things with just the words good morning.

I will be setting my google home minis to do what makes sense
if I manage to have a bad fall and cant get up and need one of
the neighbours to come and help me. Bit complex because
all but one of my neighbours can be away for days, weeks
or months at a time, but it will be easy to have it call them.
One neighbour is there most of the time but she is so crippled
with arthritis that she cant even walk next door to my place.

Google can be useless with the rain prediction first thing in
the morning for some reason but is fine at other times of the
day and tells you when it will be raining clock time wise.

I use Alexa every day for the timers I use when cooking dinner,
normally 3 timers, sometimes only 2. One thing it wont do is
ring all the echo dots when the timer goes off, it only rings
one of them. I have one in the kitchen itself and one where
I sit most of the time and move between the two when
cooking dinner in the evening.

Siri is much better in the car and is the only thing that
can turn do not disturb on and off in the iphone I use
for all incoming and outgoing calls. Its also the only
thing that can tell me the temperature in individual
rooms from the Philips Hue movement sensors that
control all my lights and stuff like that. Very handy
when doing the beer brewing run.

>> Even more idiotic are the big companies that use similar stupid "voice
>> (non)recognition" software on their phone helplines. Extremely useless.
>> :-\

> Agree there.

I don’t and our biggest phone company uses it. Works fine.

> I had one once for paying for a car park and you had to spell out the
> numberplate. It was a complete nightmare as it couldn't differentiate
> between F & S or B & D & P. It took fucking ages!

Plenty of better systems handle that fine.

[John Doe]

Jolly Roger wrote:

> Apple's working on doing
> this in the most private manner possible, which naturally takes much
> more work and careful consideration to design properly.

Why is it not surprising Jolly Roger is unaware Siri records when you lift
your arm with its watch on it in bed or you unzip your jacket in the
doctor's office whose recordings Apple is known to have been directly
sending overseas to unvetted transient non Apple temp workers in Ireland?

They listened to drug deals and doctor's visits & bedside conversations.

[Chris]

Exactly how does Apple's tighter privacy restrictions stop it being able
to call up BBC Radio 6 when I ask it or using context to tell me how
long's left on my timer?

[Rod Speed]

"John Doe" <alway...@message.header> wrote in message
news:s2o915$24bj$1...@neodome.net...

Just another of your pathetic little drug crazed drunken fantasys, Arlen.

[Chris]

Technology is supposed to be smart, why can't it cope with accents? Humans
manage it quite easily after a little exposure. The technology is divisive
and discriminatory against those who don't speak "properly", which is the
opposite of what it should be.

[Rod Speed]

"Chris" <ithi...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:s2pqok$kik$1...@dont-email.me...

They start with normal accents and only bother with
the more obscene ones like that one later, stupid.

> Humans manage it quite easily after a little exposure.

Need more than a little exposure with obscenitys like that, stupid.

> The technology is divisive and discriminatory against those who
> don't speak "properly", which is the opposite of what it should be.

Then set fire to yourself outside amazon hq, that will teach them, fuckwit.