Siri vs. Alexa. A couple of weeks ago I made the decision of purchasing an Echo Dot which has Alexa. What sold me on it is that it can unlock the doors of my car with my voice and I can say “Alexa, print my calendar for today” without my computer being on.
However, this is the result of a tumultuous internal battle as I have been a disciple of Apple since I got my fist Apple computer my freshman year of college. Learning more I have discovered that Alexa can download “skills” from Amazon’s website.
I can ask Alexa “what does my day look like” and I will be told the weather, my calendar for the day, and Alexa even checks my email. Siri does not have these functions. The reason is quite simple. It comes down to values. Alexa has all of these functions because I allow more access such as my email and calendar whereas Apple’s Siri does not have these functions because Apple values their user’s privacy more than anything else.
In 2015 there was a shooter who took multiple lives in San Bernardino, California. The shooter had put together these plans with an iPhone and the FBI pressed Tim Cook, CEO of Apple to allow the FBI to unlock the shooter’s iPhone. Tim Cook vehemently refused saying that if he did that would pose a risk with other users of the iPhone. How could Tim Cook take this stand with the FBI?
I do not know for sure, but I can speculate. Apple is worth over a trillion dollars as the company makes high end computers plus iPhones. Apple’s customers are their main priority. I cannot speak into the legal ramifications of the decision but the value of the privacy of their customers is their highest priority and therefore something Apple will not budge on.
All of this is to ask, what is a value of yours that you will not budge on despite the cost of standing firm in that decision? It may be the safety of your family. It may be a lifestyle decision you have made such as staying sober and you keep anything out threatening that decision.
Do you have a value or boundary in place that you guard above all else? When you do, that makes decisions clearer and also gives clarity on where you will not let yourself go to and protect others from.
If you are looking for a therapist near you and a Google search is a great way of finding one. I happen to be a therapist in Charlotte, NC but am licensed to counsel anyone in the state of North Carolina. In Google, try looking for “psychotherapist,” “find therapist,” “therapy near me,” or even “counseling charlotte, nc.” If you feel like you have hit a wall you are not able to get past, call me at (704) 458-6298 or email me at jeffhelms@clearerthoughtspllc.com.
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