The NSA already has had software for years integrated through Echelon to listen for specific spoken words and phrases in cellular transmissions, in addition to their scouring of email and text traffic.
I seriously doubt that me asking Alexa to stream Kansas music is going to make anything much worse.
I love my Echo. Great speaker, too. We use it for weather forecasts, outside temperature, factoids about people, places and things, music genres, times of sportscasts, maintaining a shopping list, to-do lists, timers, alarms, sports scores, reordering through Amazon, stock prices, news briefs...and more features coming on board weekly.
Don't underestimate its monitoring, though. It is listening and processing every word you say in its presence... silently and stealthily waiting to hear its wake word. Up to the cloud your conversations go. What happens to them up there is anyone's guess. No question at all . . . Big Brother is listening.
We love ours. I have a remote in the kitchen for easy shopping list additions. Forgot what it cost...$30? It's handy.
Have fun exploring. Watch your email inbox for add-ons. They come a few times a week. If you're not a Prime member, you may want to consider. Their music library is a bottomless pit, reordering is a breeze, etc.
PS... I also have a small unit that is a full blown extension of Alexa. About the size of a hockey puck. Forgot how much. I have it in my bathroom for when I'm showering, putting on make-up and getting ready to go out. Love it.
PPS...Re snarky. She's pretty snarky. Tell her she's ugly. Tell her she's stupid. Oh, and she tells horribly corny jokes. Our company is often enthralled with her. Fun!
