MROO
Enabler
I BROKE ALEXA!AMEN!, Mary. I don't do any social media at all and the more time that goes by and the more I learn about how it's used to manipulate people and intrude into their lives the happier I am about the situation. We also have declined to install any of the devices that wire households to the internet, Ring, Alexa, etc. aren't welcome in our house.
Forums and e-mail give me all the opportunity I need to find community, exchange information and stay in touch.
Last year, while visiting a friend, I was asked to give Alexa a riddle. I gave her a common one from my own childhood. "Alexa, what's black and white, black and white, black and white?" The widely known, standard answer was "A Penguin rolling down a hill, (but of course, my Catholic-raised father would say it was a nun!) Alexa got lost! No matter how many times we asked her, she came up with a list of random answers ... a frog, a basketball hoop, all sorts of weird stuff.
After that, I refused to invite Alexa into my home. How can I trust her with important questions if she can't even answer a tired, old riddle? Zheesh!