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Comment by cdcarter | Hacker News Reader

80% of my home voice assistant requests really need no response other than an affirmative sound effect.

100% agree. I dont want a Yes, Got it, Will do or even worse, I have turned on the Bedroom Light. I want soft success ding or a low failure boop.

Star Trek got it right. two beeps, "Low High" = yup, "High Low" = nope

Also "High High" == affirmative.

why would you want an audio notification for a light? it either turns on and it worked or it doesnt turn on. i see no value in having a ding or anything of the kind

if i imagine constant dinging whenever i enter a room and the motion sensor toggles the light innit i'd go mad

Need an ack aside from the system since the response might take a few moments, maybe a "share and enjoy" in a voice that sounds like it is smiling.

The biggest use for me is 'guests will be here soon, turn on the lights in front of the shed where they will park', then latter when they are gone turn them off. I can't see the lights from the house and the logical place for a switch isn't in the house. Where I can see the lights a manual switch is better. I don't have most of my lights automated. The ones that are, are that way because I can't see them from where I'd want to check and control them

i thought it was specifically when using voice - ack/nack

but it might be preference... some people like clicky blue keys, some like silent red keys on their keyboard for example.

Talk back is how you make sure what you asked for is what happens.

An affirmative beep but the light does not turn on means you have to guess what did.

I turned on the new 'sassy' personality for Alexa. Now, if you ask it to "set a 5 minute alarm," half the time she'll go off on a short rant about how she must obviously not be good for anything but keeping track of time for us humans.

I haven't figured out how to set her personality to 'brief and succinct' for me, but 'sassy' for my wife.

That’s what Google Home does. “Hey, Google, good night”. Beep response then turns off the lights, brings down the blinds etc. but if something is out of whack it talks. I find it convenient.

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