Skills

[Resist]

I get it that Skills are like Apps for the Echo to expand Alexa's knowledge.  But it seems to me that that considering I have to remember the name of the Skill for Alexa to get the info I want, this can be very annoying.  What if I have 100's of Skills?  Am I supposed to remember the name of each one?  Alexa should be smart enough to just use whatever Skill she has, on her own.  Or better yet, use the internet, just like a Google search.  Often I have found that Siri can find the information I'm looking for, yet Alexa can't. 

I'm so not an Alexa hater, but when I brag about how great she is to friends and she can't answer their questions, it's embarrassing.

[renegade600]

I get it that Skills are like Apps for the Echo to expand Alexa's knowledge.  But it seems to me that that considering I have to remember the name of the Skill for Alexa to get the info I want, this can be very annoying.  What if I have 100's of Skills?  Am I supposed to remember the name of each one?  Alexa should be smart enough to just use whatever Skill she has, on her own.  Or better yet, use the internet, just like a Google search.  Often I have found that Siri can find the information I'm looking for, yet Alexa can't. 

I'm so not an Alexa hater, but when I brag about how great she is to friends and she can't answer their questions, it's embarrassing.

I did not get alexa to ask it stupid questions, I got it to make me lazy.  alexa does have limitations and it is required to know the names of the skills.  remember, most skills are written by third parties, not amazon.   also a good portion of the skills cannot be done by siri or any other home assistant at this time.  one other thing, before getting embarrassed again, be sure to do your homework.  just about every review about alexa does state it cannot answer questions as many of the other home assistant devices.

[Resist]

one other thing, before getting embarrassed again, be sure to do your homework.  just about every review about alexa does state it cannot answer questions as many of the other home assistant devices.

How was I embarrassed by asking my question?  That sounded like you are being insulting.  There are many useful skills, like stock quotes or travel.  Either way, my $40 Echo could end up having a lot of skills and it's annoying that I'd have to remember the name of each skill when asking Alexa to get me the information.  If the information is freely available on the Internet, then Alexa should be able to find it without some skill app.

[mike27oct]

@Resist

You were not insulted by  renegade600, he merely paraphrased what you said about it being embarassing.
I agree with you about the Alexa Skills; who wants to remember a lot of skills?  I think there appears to be more junk ithan gems in the skills, and I basically ignore them.  Any skill any good should be built in somehow anyway.

[Alpha Bitch]

I know what you mean by "remembering" skills.  It's a PITA.  This is what I ended up doing for my DOT which is kept in my bedroom.....

I added all the "basic" skills I'll use along w/a few fun skill to the Alexa app.  Then I printed them out.  I ended up w/10 pages of Alexa/DOT skills-4 skills per page which I keep under the DOT on my bed stand.

As a Baby Boomer, once I can "remember" all my current skills, I should be a wiz in 6 months so I can purchase another DOT to keep in my kitchen.   By this time, I should be able to add & memorize another 10 pages of printed out skills.   

[DParker]

I ended up w/10 pages of Alexa/DOT skills-4 skills per page which I keep under the DOT on my bed stand.

I'd challenge anyone to show me anything close to 40 Alexa skills that are worth remembering.

[coyote]

I'd challenge anyone to show me anything close to 40 Alexa skills that are worth remembering.

I will include 'native' skills in this, as these are my reasons for owning Echo.
1. SmartThings. Voice control of the home is worth its weight in hockey pucks.
2. Todoist. Shopping and to-do lists that build themselves, and spew across multiple accounts across multiple platforms, are a godsend.
3. Google Calendar. Link it to Alexa and Todoist, and your appointments never get away from you.
4. Pandora. Not the most awesomest music app, but for free it's great.
5. Alarms. Love it.
6. Timers. Needs tweaking (such as labels), but is pretty good.
7. Weather.
8. Traffic.
9. SMS With Molly. Will use it rarely, but it has already shown itself as a valuable tool.
10. Hue. Took 12 tries, but it finally is obeying voice commands.
11. BMW Connected. Wife likes telling Alexa to unlock her car.
12. Guitar Tuner.
13. MySomm. I like getting different suggestions on my wine choices.

So there's your 13 skills.
Oh wait, you asked for forty :0

[DParker]

I will include 'native' skills in this, as these are my reasons for owning Echo.

But not the subject of this thread, which is specifically about 3rd party-implemented skills...hence the need to remember their names (which is how they are invoked, as opposed to native "skills").  So of your list of 13 "skills" only 5 qualify.  You're a long way from 40.

[coyote]

But not the subject of this thread, which is specifically about 3rd party-implemented skills...hence the need to remember their names (which is how they are invoked, as opposed to native "skills").  So of your list of 13 "skills" only 5 qualify.  You're a long way from 40.

I'm sorry, I thought the point of the thread was about what skills are worth remembering.
I was trying to risibly help make your point, but I see such conceptualizations elude you. Henceforth I will do my utmost to preserve the rigorous intensity, solemnity and gravitas you bring to this material

[al2teach]

I get it that Skills are like Apps for the Echo to expand Alexa's knowledge.  But it seems to me that that considering I have to remember the name of the Skill for Alexa to get the info I want, this can be very annoying.  What if I have 100's of Skills?  Am I supposed to remember the name of each one?  Alexa should be smart enough to just use whatever Skill she has, on her own.  Or better yet, use the internet, just like a Google search.  Often I have found that Siri can find the information I'm looking for, yet Alexa can't. 

I'm so not an Alexa hater, but when I brag about how great she is to friends and she can't answer their questions, it's embarrassing.

agree with the meat of this.

[DParker]

I'm sorry, I thought the point of the thread was about what skills are worth remembering.

You thought wrong, which should be obvious to you if you read the post that started it...which is about having to remember the names that must be used to invoke 3rd party skills that one has enabled.  But perhaps "such conceptualizations elude you".

[coyote]

What y'all are demanding is preposterous. It just is. It's the equivalent of typing 'lookup' into a Commodore 64, and expecting it to know that you want to create a spreadsheet and therefore automatically create one for you. Apple and Microsoft have been upping the ante for decades, and they still can't mange that feat!!and you're expecting/demanding the first generation of voice assistants to nail it already??
 
Alexa (and now GoogleHome) is the first generation of practical voice interactive home devices. The contextual sensitivity you demand is years, and perhaps decades, in the future. Why would you expect that when you sit at a computer you have to specify the app before creating any work... but with Echo, it should automatically know what app you want based on you saying three words?? And then even if we get to that point, most people can't make up their minds at a restaurant. Yet here we are, demanding our voice assistants become expert mind-readers.

:facepalm:

[Alpha Bitch]

:facepalm: