Alexa, You Can Be Annoying
Amazon Alexa is usually like a good waiter; she's available when needed (e.g., I want to check the temperature before going out or if I need a timer for my Foreman grill), she'll notify me (status light) if my latest Amazon shipment has been delivered or let me know "where's my stuff" (shipment in progress). She's generally unobtrusive (sits patiently without a word, doesn't interrupt). I would say over 90% she operates flawlessly, in fact so well that it can be exasperating when she gets it wrong (say, in responding to playing a certain song title).It reminds me of my issues in speaking with (east) Indian tech recruiters (and many IT professionals) who speak English but not well from an American context, so I often find myself having to reword things to get my point across. (There are cultural faux pas because (in my experience) Indians are very sensitive over losing face, e.g., they don't understand what you are saying, that they can't do something, etc.) In technical troubleshooting it can be annoying because you need to get a particular status, and it's a case they're telling you what they think you want to hear; their response doesn't make sense in context. So I'll often have to rephrase things 4 or 5 times to get the appropriate response I need. It's highly inefficient and an annoying distraction from my critical thinking task.
In dealing with Alexa on Amazon Music, it's less complicated and more nuanced. For example, I'll often say, "Alexa, play [song title] by [artist].", e.g., "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and Papas. So one day I said, "Alexa, play "Something" by the Beatles." Alexa responded, "Shuffling through songs by the Beatles..." I immediately realized the error and corrected the context: "Alexa, play the song "Something" by the Beatles."
Sometimes Alexa will get confused by something off cable TV sound or my PC speakers. So recently on a break from work, I was plowing through about 150 backlogged Cato Institute Daily episode podcasts (downloaded through iTunes. So at the end of many of these podcasts, the narrator (Caleb Brown) suggests that the listeners use Amazon Alexa to pull down the latest podcast: "Alexa, play the Cato Daily podcast". And each and every time, Alexa responds, launching the most recent episode.
My latest toy is via a recent/current Amazon special, offering an Alexa-compatible smartplug for a bargain $10. Now as I recently mentioned, I have a separate blog where I explore computer usability issues (typically involving PC/devices), so often I'm looking on how natural a device/program/etc. is to use. For example, if I buy a new toaster, I don't really need a lot of instructions on plugging in the toaster, inserting slices of bread, and pushing down a lever to start toasting.
So surprisingly, Amazon didn't include any instructions on integrating the device with Alexa. First of all, the Wemo device did come with instructions on downloading the app. Somehow I stumbled through device setup but for some bizarre reason it was reporting a problem connecting to my wifi using my password while in the background I was seeing a connection status. However, I tested it using my floor lamp via the app successfully.
However, Alexa didn't have a clue about the device by its Wemo name (I assigned), so there was a missing configuration. I did a brief Inrernet search and discovered I had to launch my Alexa PC application and then search for/install a relevant Wemo skill. At that point, I could say, e.g., "Alexa, turn 'living room lamp' on|off", and Alexa did so with a cheery "OK". [Of course, I've seen countless commercials for the Clapper over the years, you can buy programmable coffee makers, and you can find inexpensive timers in any hardware store, but you can use this device for a variety of purposes.
Wrestlemania Season is On
No, I'm not moderately interested in this year's event, starting with the first-time women's main event, involving former UFC champ Ronda Rousey, now the Raw brand women's champ, facing Smackdown wrestlers surging popular Becky Lynch, a women's Battle Royal victor earning the right to choose her champion opponent, and Charlotte Flair, a former/current Smackdown champion.CEO Vince McMahon has played the spoiler owner, replacing Lynch with former friend/rival Charlotte Flair and, on the men's side, seeming to screw long-deserving Kofi Kingston out of a championship match slot.
I've long thought the one women's match I wanted to see was Rousey vs. Asuka, an all-but-unbeatable Japanese master technical wrestler who could stand up blow to blow with martial arts expert Rousey. Curiously, recent Smackdown champ Asuka has been totally missing from the emerging Wrestlemania card. And then adding to the mystery is the fact they just had Asuka job to Charlotte Flair.
This is on top of suddenly turning Rousey heel The context was Rousey was upset when Lynch was replaced and effectively sacrificed her title in protest. WWE responded by initially putting up Rousey's title for a Lynch vs. Flair battle at an interim PPV. WWE responded by giving Rousey back her belt. The PPV battle was then recast was a way for Lynch to earn her way into a 3-way.
It's not clear why Asuka jobbed the title, but it gives Flair a talking point for unifying the women's title. It also provides an incentive for Asuka to intervene in the match seeking revenge against Flair. And maybe in the process she crosses paths with Rousey and ends up costing Rousey her title, setting up a SummerSlam feud.
I have no way of knowing, but it's only common sense booking to have Asuka intervene in the main event. And I'm all put certain they'll put the Raw title (or Smackdown title) on Lynch.
Among the other stories, I've probably been mostly interested in Kurt Angle's final match at Wrestlemania (actually his farewell tour). WWE hasn't done much with Angle since his return a couple of years back; I was hoping one final title run. Much of that time was spent as the RAW general manager where heel nemesis Baron Corbin made his life miserable. So the farewell tour included some technically gifted and/or former TNA rivals. I would have preferred seeing Angle go out vs. a more gifted athlete than Corbin. I would hope they have Corbin job to Angle.
Tech Recruiters: a Love/Hate Relationship
Ir probably happens to every IT professional, but I routinely get unsolicited job postings. Now I've had over 25 years of full-time Oracle DBA experience. I suspect I've gotten on the bad side of a couple of psychos, one of them an Indian and one in Baltimore. The latter one is annoying because it's usually some sort of a blue-collar job with zero relevance, like a bus or truck driver, package delivery, etc. The Indian malcontents sent me IT positions, but mostly unrelated to my background. To give an example, I've done my work on Oracle databases but I've often get postings for (Microsoft or Sybase) SQL Server, developer roles. I did one year of SAP Basis DBA work (on an Oracle DB) about 23 years back, and I'll get posts for positions requiring 8 years of recent SAP exposure. If I did one job involving Manugistics or Banner years back, I'll get flooded with relevant listings. I've repeatedly told recruiters I'm particularly interested in returning to Texas, I'm not interested in the Left Coast, Chicago or New England; for the most part, if it's a blue state, I'm not interested. But probably 40% or more are in locations I've specifically ruled out. (Of course, Maryland is a blue state.)With Indian recruiters, it's gotten so bad to be a form of harassment I wish Google had an option to filter out Indian surnames. I've filtered out literally dozens of domains. It used to be I would patiently explain my non-interest. Don't expect me to respond patiently to unsolicited, irrelevant issues.
I think a lot of Indian recruiters run from the same retarded playbook. Sometimes I'll see an email float in, and my phone will go off a split second later. And almost invariable they want you to do a job skills matrix, want you to compute "best" rate offers for short-term gigs including travel costs, etc. In almost every case, it's not been worth my time and effort. Look, dudes: I'm a PhD with 3 advanced degrees. I've worked at places like Oracle, Coopers and Lybrand, CSC and IBM (I went through multiple rounds of interviews with Oracle twice.)
Still, if I look at the vast majority of recruiters I've been in contact with recently are Indians. In fact, I've worked at a couple of Indian-owned companies. But it's still highly annoying, inefficient. With most American recruiters, we get to a phone screen in 2 or 3 contacts (phone/email). In one telling example, it was more like a dozen emails and 4-5 phone calls (and STILL no closure).
