Amazon Alexa and JW.ORG

[John]

https://www.digitaltrends.com/media-streamer-reviews/amazon-echo-dot-review/

 

Ok, now I think I know what Alexa is. You buy device a device called echo dot. And you ask the device to contact jw.org and play for example morning worship. Instead of typing and klicking you give a voice command. 

[Thesauron]

Yes, it is .... I usually read the pubs when they come to the JWL .......

 

Since JWAcess has been in use for about a year or more (according to the Alexa site) it would seem that, in view of that QFR article, if it were a site to be avoided or there was a problem with it - it would have been mentioned in the article or would have been removed from Alexa by now

 

 

BTW - I have sent a text msg to a Brother who works with the Branch Computer Department and should know about the validity of this .... I will post his reply

My impression is that they might start to go ahead with legal actions against some sites, and that brothers who do not comply with the TOS might hinder any court cases, and that’s very much frowned upon. The article did not mention specific apps or sites. Anyway, what matters is what we do.

[Mykyl]

I guess for me it’s no different to choosing Firefox as opposed to edge or chrome to access jw.org. These browsers are not created by the organisation either. It accesses jw.org and plays the audio from there. Instead of visually seeing and clicking I speak and it plays. Only difference is I don’t have to go searching for the file. 

 

However if it is decided that only browsers can be used to access the site visually then so be it. 

Edited December 31, 2017 by Mykyl

[Musky]

When the Branch first offered pod casting, they didn't supply the pod cast app or player, you had to get one of your own from the apps that were offered at the time. I see no difference in using this software for the same reason. As long as you have the settings correct, there shouldn't be an issue.

Johan, you've made your position clear, it's now time to let it go.

[Thesauron]

When the Branch first offered pod casting, they didn't supply the pod cast app or player, you had to get one of your own from the apps that were offered at the time. I see no difference in using this software for the same reason. As long as you have the settings correct, there shouldn't be an issue.

Johan, you've made your position clear, it's now time to let it go.

Sorry, there are just many things I do not understand, so I’m asking questions. My position is not made up yet. Hence the inquiry.

When the Branch first offered pod casting, they didn't supply the pod cast app or player, you had to get one of your own from the apps that were offered at the time. I see no difference in using this software for the same reason. As long as you have the settings correct, there shouldn't be an issue.

Johan, you've made your position clear, it's now time to let it go.

Sorry, there are just many things I do not understand, so I’m asking questions. My position is not made up yet. Hence the inquiry.

[SheyZ]

Yes, it is .... I usually read the pubs when they come to the JWL .......
 
Since JWAcess has been in use for about a year or more (according to the Alexa site) it would seem that, in view of that QFR article, if it were a site to be avoided or there was a problem with it - it would have been mentioned in the article or would have been removed from Alexa by now
 
 
BTW - I have sent a text msg to a Brother who works with the Branch Computer Department and should know about the validity of this .... I will post his reply

Thanks so much! Looking forward to the brother's reply..

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

[SheyZ]

https://www.digitaltrends.com/media-streamer-reviews/amazon-echo-dot-review/
 
Ok, now I think I know what Alexa is. You buy device a device called echo dot. And you ask the device to contact jw.org and play for example morning worship. Instead of typing and klicking you give a voice command. 

WOW! THANKS... I WAS SO EXCITED TO FIND THIS...

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

[Qapla]

First off - I was a bit confused when I first saw this thread .... we have a member that uses "Alexa" - so, my first thought was that she was having some problems with jw.org

 

Perhaps a title like "Amazon Alexa and jw.org" would have made it a bit clearer .....

 

Now, on to other things:

 

He did not know anything about this particular app but, since it is only an audio interface to jw.org the same as our browsers are a graphical interface, we see no problem with usig this feature.

 

Using Alexa is no difference from using Google and saying "OK Google" - do this or do that

 

The app like JWacess are what Alexa calls a "skill" - a set of commands that respond to your voice and do what you ask. In order for Alexa to take you to a site other than the one you requested there would have to be an entire duplicate site that has all the same file names as those at jw.org. Somehow, I do not think Amazon would go along with that - after all, they do own Alexa

[Friends just call me Ross]

I just checked Alexa Dot on Amazon.  It's available right now for just 29.00 with free shipping.

Don't know if it is compatible with any of my devices, though. 

[SheyZ]

I just checked Alexa Dot on Amazon.  It's available right now for just 29.00 with free shipping.
Don't know if it is compatible with any of my devices, though. 

Look up the Alexa app that goes on your phone.

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

[SheyZ]

Look up the Alexa app that goes on your phone.

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

If a person has a smartphone the Alexa app shld work.

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

[hatcheckgirl]

I think this is brilliant as a concept.  Similar to Siri going and fetching your music to play.  And voice recognition technology that vision-impaired people can use to navigate the internet.

[Shawnster]

6 hours ago, Dove said:

I don't have one now but knowing this makes me want to purchase one for my husband who is legally blind...

Thank you so much for sharing.....

That might be a good idea.  I've seen or heard a Google Echo, finally. I can see how that would work well for a blind individual 

[SheyZ]

Why would you need a separate application to make the site work?

The Alexa App from your app store works with the Echo Dot.. you have to have the Amazon Alexa App to be able to enable the JW Access..
Open Alexa App
At top left of screen u will see
3 lines next to HOME
Click on the 3 lines
Scroll down click on SKILLS
Type JW ACCESS click Search
Click on JW ACCESS
Pressb ENABLE
YOUR READY TO GO


Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

[SheyZ]

Why would you need a separate application to make the site work?

you have to download the Alexa App, to make the Echo Dot or other similar Amazon device work

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

[SheyZ]

That might be a good idea.  I've seen or heard a Google Echo, finally. I can see how that would work well for a blind individual 

In my research I have found that Amazon has the best devices i.e. ECHO DOT and most skills to choose from... Mainly because the Amazon devices have been around longer than the Google, Microsoft and others...
Kind of like when apple came out with the Smartphone and apps for it...

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

[SheyZ]

Sister Shey asked me to pass this info along to the board:
 
 
If you have an Amazon Echo or home device, enable 
 this helper on your Alexa phone app. 
http://www.jwaccess.com/
You can listen to most everything on JW.ORG ... Daily text, weekly Bible reading, watchtower study, songs... 
Just ask... No typing, searching, just ask Alexa

Sorry I mixed everyone up while trying to simply explain about the Amazon Echo Dot... I can see that a more detailed explanation was definitely needed... Thanks too all those friends who explained the details.

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

[carlos]

Alexa is just a voice assistant for Amazon devices, similar to Siri, OK Google or Cortana. It understands some voice commands.

 

JW Access is a site created by some individual Witnesses that tells Alexa where every sound file is located at JW.org. So if you tell Alexa to read you the latest magazine, that site points to the audio of the most recent magazine in a "language" that Alexa can understand. The website states clearly that all the audio is streamed directly from JW.org and none of it is stored at jwaccess.com

 

There's no reason to question any of those programs. In fact, it's not necessary nor loving to immediately question everything the friends suggest.

[Thesauron]

 
There's no reason to question any of those programs. In fact, it's not necessary nor loving to immediately question everything the friends suggest.

I don’t know about you, but I have been taught to be extremely careful with these matters. It’s important that we find out whether or not applications like these are trustworthy, and how they work. It’s the loving thing to do, I think. You shouldn’t question everything, but some things are good to question. Especially when you don’t know.

[Stavro]

https://www.jw.org/en/terms-of-use/

You may not:

[...]

Create for distribution purposes, any software applications, tools, or techniques that are specifically made to collect, copy, download, extract, harvest, or scrape data, HTML, images, or text from this site. (This does not prohibit the distribution of free, non-commercial applications designed to download electronic files such as EPUB, PDF, MP3, and MP4 files from public areas of this site.)

[Shawnster]

7 minutes ago, carlos said:

Alexa is just a voice assistant for Amazon devices, similar to Siri, OK Google or Cortana. It understands some voice commands.

 

JW Access is a site created by some individual Witnesses that tells Alexa where every sound file is located at JW.org. So if you tell Alexa to read you the latest magazine, that site points to the audio of the most recent magazine in a "language" that Alexa can understand. The website states clearly that all the audio is streamed directly from JW.org and none of it is stored at jwaccess.com

 

There's no reason to question any of those programs. In fact, it's not necessary nor loving to immediately question everything the friends suggest.

 

Maybe before we ask questions that seem to doubt about the veracity of jwaccess, we should first find out how Alexa and jwaccess works.  

[Thesauron]

https://www.jw.org/en/terms-of-use/
You may not:
[...]
Create for distribution purposes, any software applications, tools, or techniques that are specifically made to collect, copy, download, extract, harvest, or scrape data, HTML, images, or text from this site. (This does not prohibit the distribution of free, non-commercial applications designed to download electronic files such as EPUB, PDF, MP3, and MP4 files from public areas of this site.)

Of course, otherwise they’d be inaccessible.

[Shawnster]

Just now, Shawnster said:

 

Maybe before we ask questions that seem to doubt about the veracity of jwaccess, we should first find out how Alexa and jwaccess works.  

 

3 minutes ago, Stavro said:

https://www.jw.org/en/terms-of-use/

You may not:

[...]

Create for distribution purposes, any software applications, tools, or techniques that are specifically made to collect, copy, download, extract, harvest, or scrape data, HTML, images, or text from this site. (This does not prohibit the distribution of free, non-commercial applications designed to download electronic files such as EPUB, PDF, MP3, and MP4 files from public areas of this site.)

 

Exactly. We should learn how jwaccess actually works before we ask questions that imply wrongdoing. 

[Stavro]

4 minutes ago, Thesauron said:

Of course, otherwise they’d be inaccessible.

 

If this app downloads the files in real-time directly from JW.org servers, it's fine. If it has any caching or relay servers, it is not.

 

If this is indeed a direct download, as the site claims, it should be easy to verify by running Alexa on a PC while running a packet sniffer like Wireshark.

[SheyZ]

 
If this app downloads the files in real-time directly from JW.org servers, it's fine. If it has any caching or relay servers, it is not.
 
If this is indeed a direct download, as the site claims, it should be easy to verify by running Alexa on a PC while running a packet sniffer like Wireshark.

Good idea. Let me know..

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk