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| | ==Explanation== | | ==Explanation== |
| − | [[Megan]] invokes her smart device's virtual assistant with the phrase "Ok Google", intending to follow up with a voice command (e.g., "Check the weather forecast" or [[1807: Listening|"Order two tons of creamed corn"]]). But before she can continue, the smart device interrupts her with a comical cacophony of assorted noises, as a supposed assistant living in the device clumsily rushes from a distant room to Megan's location. The sounds can be interpreted as: tromping down stairwells, knocking over a fragile antique, opening a locked door, taking a quick pit stop in the bathroom, going back through the door, running across another hardwood floor, opening, and slamming another door, and finally running up to Megan, greeting her while clearly being out of breath.
| + | {{incomplete|Created by a Smart Device. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
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| − | The idea of a product that is (in reality) a virtual assistant{{Citation needed}} being an actual person with physical form was featured a few days before this comic on ''{{w|Live from Here}}'' on December 16, 2017, in a segment in which Amazon.com and its virtual assistant Alexa were satirized as "Amazon Lazy", which delivered the user things that were already in the user's home -- or simply carried the user from one room of the house to another. (Video [https://youtu.be/HFl0ocf4mSM here])
| + | In this comic, [[Randall]] wants to hack smart devices to act as if they are rushing around a house to get to you, presumably for humorous reasons, as opposed to making a {{w|Botnet}} with them. |
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| − | [[Randall]] is amused by the idea that such a "virtual" assistant made "real" might be rather clumsy. In fact, Randall finds the concept so humorous that he would like to troll smart device owners by hacking and re-programming their devices to play this sound file whenever the VA is invoked. He makes it clear that he doesn't want to create a {{w|botnet}} with them, perhaps in reference to the infamous [[wikipedia:Mirai_(malware)|Mirai]] attacks of 2016, whose creators pled guilty in court a week before the comic was posted. Another similar activity that is gaining popularity is hacking IP webcams with embedded speakers for comedic purposes (here's a [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOvNer68CxTszlWcscbIWQ YouTube channel]).
| + | The title text further expands on this, with the device apologizing, and playing the sound only slightly quieter when asked to stop. |
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| − | The title text extends the concept further. If the owner attempts to disable the feature, rather than refrain from playing the clip, the virtual assistant apologetically promises to be quieter next time; thereafter, the device plays a modified version of the clip where the noises are only slightly diminished and punctuated with additional apologies from the live-in assistant. Randall has characterized the assistant as being incapable of answering without causing a ruckus.
| + | [[Randall]] thinks it would be funny to imagine virtual assistants as clumsy people, rushing to the phone and tripping over things to answer the user's query. |
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| − | A previous comic, [[1897: Self Driving]], also toys with the idea that AI is actually just people behind-the-scenes. Sounds of things falling over and breaking off-screen is a {{tvtropes|OffscreenCrash|comedic trope}} used in movies. The idea of making it look as if excessive work is put in to being ready to answer the user may be a reference to the Monty Python "it's" man.
| + | He wants to hack the world's smart home devices, not to create a {{w|botnet}}, but to program them so that any time you invoke them, you hear the virtual assistant running down the stairs, slamming doors, to answer panting and out-of-breath. |
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| | + | The title text continues with this idea: Randall has programmed this feature such that if you ask the assistant to disable the feature, rather than refrain from playing the clip, the virtual assistant apologetically promises to be quieter next time. Humorously enough, the assistant seems incapable of answering without causing a ruckus, as you'd just hear the same sounds as before, but slightly quieter, and with a more apologetic virtual assistant. |
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| | + | Sounds of things falling over and breaking off-screen is a [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OffscreenCrash comedic trope] used in movies. |
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| | ==Transcript== | | ==Transcript== |
| | + | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
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| | + | [Megan is standing next to a small table with a Google Home sitting on it.] |
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| | + | Megan: Okay Google - |
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| | + | Google Home: THUMP-THUMP-THUMP |
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| | + | CRASH THUD! |
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| | + | CLICK THUMP THUMP |
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| | + | ZIIIIIP! CLICK |
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| | + | SLAM! |
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| | + | THUMPATHUMPATHUMPA |
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| | + | H... ''*Pant*'' ...Hello... ''*Pant*'' |
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| − | :[Megan stands next to a small table with a Google Home sitting on it.]
| + | How... How can I help you? |
| − | :Megan: Ok, Google–
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| − | :Google Home: THUMP-THUMP-THUMP
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| − | :Google Home: CRASH THUD!
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| − | :Google Home: CLICK THUMP THUMP
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| − | :Google Home: [sink running]
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| − | :Google Home: ZIIIIIP! CLICK
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| − | :Google Home: THUMP THUMP CLICK
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| − | :Google Home: SLAM!
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| − | :Google Home: THUMPATHUMPATHUMPA
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| − | :Google Home: H... ''*Pant*'' ...Hello... ''*Pant*''
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| − | :Google Home: How... How can I help you?
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| − | :[Text below the panel:]
| + | Subtext: I want to hack the world's smart home devices, but not to create a botnet or anything - I just want to make them play this sound clip every time you invoke them. |
| − | :I want to hack the world's smart home devices, but not to create a botnet or anything—I just want to make them play this sound clip every time you invoke them. | |
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| | {{comic discussion}} | | {{comic discussion}} |
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| − | [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
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| | [[Category:Virtual Assistants]] | | [[Category:Virtual Assistants]] |
