It's more than Alexa laughing at us - it's the way Amazon has invaded everyone's lives; the effects are just as dire as all the snooping that Facebook and Google do. The information that can be overheard on a device like this is substantial, and who is controlling who has access to it? Their ability go get all sorts of things easily, and frequently for a discount price, is ever-so-seductive. "it won't hurt if I get just this ONE thing..." But retailers are closing, small producers products don't get seen in any market if Amazon doesn't fancy them, the workers are treated horribly. To get the exotic things, it's difficult to find them, without Amazon having their hand in the exchange.

The effect of Amazon's power is much like a monopoly - but it covers just about any product one could buy. I see it as a larger version of the damage Walmart has done in many places: closing of small shops, job loss, and jobs at Walmart so low paid that full time employees are on public assistance and using food banks. Appliances that are poorly, cheaply made, impossible to repair, became the norm for all but top of the line because that's what Walmart wanted.

Perhaps I'm just a curmudgeon who likes to grouse, but I do not like being backed into a corner that requires me to deal with this megamonopolylithic company. My favourite grocery store, though not the most economical, was where I used to be able to count on getting speciality items (powdered egg whites, Cope's Dried corn) and when they stopped carrying them, I was told "you can get them on Amazon"

aeeeeeeiiiiii!

Joanne, in frustration, in Cleveland