Comments on: Sex News: Steve Buscemi, Stripper Prison, Siri, Zivity, Polyamory

By: Mario

Mario — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:40:09 +0000

@violetblue – My apologies. I read the first half, and you did discuss the link I supplied in the second half. I’m glad you came across it. Siri is beta — I’m loving it — and I’m sure Apple will get the kinks out of it. The point of the article is that search is not a trivial endeavor.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I just asked Siri “Where can I get a mammogram.” It wasn’t able to process that, though it did gamely ask me each time to ask again. (I then asked for the weather, and it had no problem.) You can blame the engineers, but as a rule they don’t know the first thing about women — or humor, for that matter. The “jokes” just aren’t that funny.

By: violet blue

violet blue — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:19:58 +0000

@Mario – sad to see you didn’t read the article :(

By: Mario

Mario — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:26:57 +0000

“Why Siri Can’t Find Abortion Clinics & And How It’s Not An Apple Conspiracy”

http://searchengineland.com/why-siri-cant-find-abortion-clinics-103349

By: Farfetch

Farfetch — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:21:00 +0000

I do feel the first link (on Siri) is a topic for debate and discussion, not least because the “in beta” line is as old as “I didn’t realise it was illegal” in terms of PC software, it’s marketed as a major feature and nowhere on UK advertising does it state it’s a beta service (though why it finds certain things that fit an anti-choice agenda and not one for women’s rights is a different issue). I wonder if there are other areas it has a stance on (like say evolution vs creationism)?

Unfortunately that article on ZDNet has descended into a load of anti-abortion types ranting on to each other about their view and clouding the issue that is key.

Yes women may not ask Siri after being raped but if they can ask “where can I buy an aspirin” then “where can I get a morning after pill” is just as legitimate and should not be hidden away. In a way, the rape / abortion thing has dominated this and a legitimate question as to why something like the pill cannot be located when say viagra can be is being marginalised by the strong views on abortion (someone even suggested the fact that 65 women per 100,000 in the US were raped is not a major issue because the rate of abortion (presumably including everything from a next day pill, right up to a last minute abortion to save the mother’s life) was 1,500 per 100,000 (no idea if those figures are right by the way).