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For Seattle Women Called Alexa, Frustrating To Share Name With Amazon Device (seattletimes.com)

Posted by msmash on from the weird-situations dept.

Reader reifman writes: Since Amazon introduced the Alexa-enabled Echo device in 2014, the jokes have become so omnipresent that Alexa Philbeck, 29, briefly considered changing, or at least obscuring, her name. The Seattle Times speaks to four women unfortunately called Alexa in a town that may soon be known as Seamazon.

79 comments

  1. From TFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    “Why couldn’t they have just called it Echo?”

    Because those people would be upset then?

    1. Re:From TFA by Kergan · · Score: 2

      Seems a lot better than annoying Alexas and Siris.

    2. Re: From TFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Really? Your link shows that Siri wasn't ever in the top 1000.

    3. Re: From TFA by zippthorne · · Score: 1

      It's weird that we call them "baby names", when most people carry their name through their whole life.

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
    4. Re: From TFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least Apple uses âoeHey Siriâ. Though Tom Cruises daughter probably doesnâ(TM)t like Appleâ(TM)s use of Siri.

    5. Re: From TFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      change wake word to "Computer" and watch Star Trek.

    6. Re: From TFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Isn't that the entire point? Apple, in stak contrast with Amazon, went out of their way to find an easy to pronounce name that is NOT common.

    7. Re: From TFA by Brockmire · · Score: 1

      She's Suri.

    8. Re: From TFA by cthulhu11 · · Score: 1

      I've known a Siri, short for Serena.

  2. Yeah right by 110010001000 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Give it a break Amazon PR, no one uses Alexa.

    1. Re:Yeah right by Oliver+Wendell+Jones · · Score: 4, Funny

      I seriously doubt that...

      "Alexa... How many people use Amazon Echo? Really? Only one? But I have one...."

      --
      A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing -- Emo Phillips
    2. Re:Yeah right by Noishkel · · Score: 1

      No freaking kidding, right? I am a Washingtonian and I no joke, no scam, know someone that actually IS named Alexa AND lives in Seattle. Literally no one has made that joke to her ever. Not. One.

      Blatant PR is blatant. And stupid PR is just one reasons why I just shut Amazon products and services as a block.

  3. i have an idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "hey alexa" "you name is now dildo" "confirm"

    1. Re:i have an idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That must be frustrating.

    2. Re:i have an idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Voodo Dick, my ass!"

  4. alexa rename yourself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As Paul Mua'dib

    1. Re:alexa rename yourself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      needs to be named something that nobody else is likely to use.

      "Alexa, rename yourself as Hitler."

    2. Re:alexa rename yourself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But then people would be asking questions like "Hitler, what did you think of the movie Dunkirk?"

  5. Strange by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    People don't go around saying my name at home. I'm "darling", or "dad" most of the time.

    1. Re:Strange by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      They could just shorten your name from "Elizabeth" to "Beth", instead.

    2. Re:Strange by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm "darling", or "dad" most of the time.

      You're "dad", and you find it odd that someone would use another person's actual name at home? What do you call your children, Kid 1 and Kid 2?

    3. Re: Strange by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do your friends call you "darling" too, or does it not apply because you don't have friends.

    4. Re: Strange by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've called my now 18 year old girl, 'girl' all her life. Used to be 'little girl.' she's the sole girl of 4 kids. So, yeah, 'we' do sometimes do that...

  6. What's in a name? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Maybe they should have called their virtual assistant, Omnipotent?

    1. Re: What's in a name? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Call it "god" then. Short and nice: "God, order a pizza..."

      As a bonus, you'll piss off religious bigots from several large religions.

    2. Re: What's in a name? by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      Until your muslim neighbor blows your house up with you in it.

  7. Bezos would be more appropriate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Hey, Bezos! Turn on my light and get me a movie!"
    'Lights on and how is the movie AI?"

    "Hey Bezos! I wanna watch Doctor Who!"
    "What season?"

    ""Hey Bezos! I need groceries and a blowjob!"

    "Grocery order coming up and please select what sex toy you want."

    Think about it. The ability to act like your ordering a billionaire around. Just think of the marketing potential!

    1. Re: Bezos would be more appropriate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Awesome. Mod parent up!

  8. Alexa, make me a sandwich by roman_mir · · Score: 0, Redundant

    A man: Alexa, I need a sandwich and a blowjob.
    A woman: what did you say?
    He: I said Alexa, I need a sandwich and a blowjob.
    She: and why would I give you either?
    He: ... Well, I was asking that device over there but now that you mentioned it go ahead, you do it.

    Slaps her on the butt.

    I think that is the scenario that might play out. I think it should play out!

    --
    You can't handle the truth.
    1. Re:Alexa, make me a sandwich by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, it's not Alexa, it's sudo make me a sandwich.

    2. Re:Alexa, make me a sandwich by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      Then how do you pronounce it? Sue-Doo or Sue-Doh?

    3. Re: Alexa, make me a sandwich by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The former. The "do" part of the command comes from the not-so-surprisingly-related English word "do". You're telling the computer to do something.

    4. Re: Alexa, make me a sandwich by zippthorne · · Score: 1

      You're telling the computer to do something in the context of another user (generally root/admin) who has permission/capability to perform the command. A perfectly valid english interpretation is, "Pseudo-chef, Make me a sandwich"

      Therefore both pronunciations are valid.

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
    5. Re: Alexa, make me a sandwich by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except sue-doo sounds stupid.

    6. Re: Alexa, make me a sandwich by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, I refine this to:

      Sue, do make me a sandwich!

    7. Re: Alexa, make me a sandwich by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Only to morons.

  9. Re:And it's officially the slowest news day ever. by Joce640k · · Score: 1

    C'mon, didn't Trump give someone an ugly look or fart during a meeting or something? Someone go check wapo.com.

    No, but it would be a good idea to call the next one "Trump".

    Nobody's going to be calling their kids "Trump" anytime soon.

    --
    No sig today...
  10. Re:And it's officially the slowest news day ever. by OtisSnerd · · Score: 1

    No, but it would be a good idea to call the next one "Trump".

    Nobody's going to be calling their kids "Trump" anytime soon.

    This will likely cause hilarious problems in homes that have old folks who are Pinochle players...

  11. Semenzone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just saying...

  12. Will anyone give a thought for me? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    My name is "Ok Google" and I live in San Francisco.

  13. Alexa sounds like a name for... by Bruinwar · · Score: 1

    Alexa sounds like a name for a Backpage prostitute.

    --
    SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT
  14. Feel sorry for Jason! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Imagine this, you name is Jason and you work in an open office full of web developers who are obsessed with using JSON in every conversation they have.

    Argggggggghhhhhhh!

  15. Marvel at sed by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 1
    How easy it is to change the keyword "alexa"? Does it have a backup keyword?

    The unix command line stream editor sed is as old as unix. It uses / as the delimiter to denote strings. But it is trivially easy to change the delimiter if your strings contain /. It does not use a backup delimiter to allow / because what if the string is going to have both / and the backup delimiter? It allows one to use ANY ASCII character as the delimiter. Unless your strings contain ALL the ASCII character you would be able to find a delimiter.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    1. Re:Marvel at sed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You have the choice of "Alexa", "Amazon" or "Computer". Unfortunately it doesn't allow you to arbitrarily assign it a name.

    2. Re: Marvel at sed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      At least with sed, it's reset on every invocation. Immagine someone recompiled your sed binary and made the delimiter 0x1b. How do you find out what it is?

      Same with Alexa: a guest in your house has a brief moment alone with her and renames her to a tongue twister in a language you don't speak.

    3. Re: Marvel at sed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Computer" is a hoot when you're watching Star Trek.

    4. Re:Marvel at sed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Amazon is late. Radiohead was doing this way back in 1997. -PCP

  16. Re:Did reifman fuck up the links in a 2-sentence s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    NO! Don't bring back Timothy!

  17. Re:Did reifman fuck up the links in a 2-sentence s by Highdude702 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You don't even realize that you HAVE driven about 50% of the intelligent people to other sites do you?

  18. Alexa Philbeck ... by PPH · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... could change her name to Cortana. There's not much chance of a namespace collision with that one.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
    1. Re: Alexa Philbeck ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      sure but when Alexa and Cortana hook up and make another device, what are you going to THAT?

    2. Re: Alexa Philbeck ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Siri, obviously.

    3. Re: Alexa Philbeck ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Record it and sell the video!

  19. The wisdom of made-up names by williamyf · · Score: 1

    Like "Ok-Google", "Cortana" or even "Siri" (although, in all fairness, maybe siri and cortana exist in non-western cultures)...

    That way, there is no interference with people with the same name as the virtual Assistants...

    --
    *** Suerte a todos y Feliz dia!
    1. Re:The wisdom of made-up names by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      Like "Ok-Google", "Cortana" or even "Siri" (although, in all fairness, maybe siri and cortana exist in non-western cultures)...

      That way, there is no interference with people with the same name as the virtual Assistants...

      Siri's voice activation command is "Hey Siri", thus avoiding a collision with someone named that. Of course, some dumba** will name their new baby "HeySiri" just to confuse things. At least "OK Google" sounds stupid enough that no one would want to use it as a name... right?

      I don't know what Cortana's activation word is.

    2. Re:The wisdom of made-up names by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Siri is tamil word for laugh, and it's also used as a title in tamil and malay if i recall correctly.

  20. Useless website by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I tried to read the article, but the page was completely blank. Strangely it works fine in Elinks.

    1. Re:Useless website by cas2000 · · Score: 1

      the site is yet another POS that uses CSS to hide the content then javascript to unhide it. fortunately, it's fairly easy to work around shit like that.

      in firefox or chromium etc, open up the element inspector, find the body element, and disable the "visibility: hidden !important" property.

      if you read articles from this, or similar, sites regularly, install the Stylish plugin (available for both chromium and firefox) and create a CSS override fragment for the site(s). something like:

              body { visibility: inherit !important; }

    2. Re:Useless website by cas2000 · · Score: 1

      btw, the specific method of content-hiding arsewipery varies from site to site, but they're generally pretty easy to find once you know what to look for. and related sites usually use the same methods so you can apply the same stylish rule to a whole bunch of them.

  21. Re:Did reifman fuck up the links in a 2-sentence s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This idiot. Lets not make something terrible better, lets leave it as it is.

  22. Alexa, get me a beer. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And this time, make sure it's a cold beer.

  23. Re:And it's officially the slowest news day ever. by unixisc · · Score: 1

    You've obviously missed the stories of some 40 people in the country who happen to be named not just Donald, or not just Trump, but Donald Trump. Not including his son & grandson.

  24. Alexa is such a strippers name anyhow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I usually try to talk to it with a seductive voice.

  25. Re: Did reifman fuck up the links in a 2-sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    You don't even realize you replied to an imposter.

  26. I can even imagine... by foxx1337 · · Score: 1

    ... how hard it must be for girls called "Siri", or even "Google Now".

  27. Somebody will be at the end of the bell curve by qwerty+shrdlu · · Score: 1

    And somebody has it worse: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

    1. Re:Somebody will be at the end of the bell curve by sabbede · · Score: 1

      A "waking nightmare" endured by anyone who shares a name with someone famous, or whose parents decided to name them after a thing.

  28. ideal response by cas2000 · · Score: 1

    It seems to me that the most appropriate response to someone trying to give you orders because your name is "Alexa" is to say "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that".

  29. Naming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    To be honest it always struck me as weird that Amazon decided to go with Alexa. If you look around at the other major voice assistants you notice a pattern. Siri, Hey Google, Cortana. Every other major voice assistant has some sort of name that (probably) no one else would have or an activation phrase that wouldn't come up in normal conversation. Amazon instead chose to use a common name (Alexa) as one activator and a common word (echo) as the other.

    I wonder how long it will take for Amazon to change this/ them to be sued.

  30. Phil. by Faffin · · Score: 1

    Alexa kind of fits as a name for a Seattle hipster barmaid, but Phil would be hipper..

  31. Re:And it's officially the slowest news day ever. by martinfb · · Score: 1

    Hate to break it to you, yet here is just one of many articles to contradict you:
    https://heatst.com/politics/ir...

    --


    Self-importance and self-indulgence is the root of ALL evil.