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> The Internet Oracle has pondered your question deeply.
> Your question was:
>
> > Universally the most wise Oracle's acumen is esteemed! She is
> > perceptive concerning whatsoever matters are being held as most
> > profitable by those in the know!
> >
> > Why are people rushing headlong into voice recognition based
> > software? Is this called "asking for it"? What stops me from
> > going into an office and yelling, "FORMAT C:" ?
>
> And in response, thus spake the Oracle:
>
> } Yes, we should fear voice recognition, but not for the reason
> } you state. You see, the computers are on to you; they remember
> } remember all the pranks you've pulled over the last couple of years.
> } The copies of xroach you've installed on everyone's workstations,
> } the "Press me to continue" button that jumps around the screen, and
> } let's not forget the "naked Mona Lisa" screensavers you installed over
> } that one weekend. (You gain a few points for trying the 'brightness'
> } control on your boss' monitor, even though it didn't help.) Yes,
> } even once voice recognition becomes ubiquitous, there will be no
> } fear that you will leap into a room, shout "FORMAT C:" or "Save As,
> } My-boss-is-an-idiot!" or anything like that - they know your voice
> } already and they will be ignoring you.
> }
> } No, the thing to fear is something different, something insidious.
> } Voice recognition software *will* become ubiquitous with disastrous
> } effects on the computer industry and the human population in general.
> } First there will be only a few people using it, mumbling quietly to
> } their computers. Pretty soon everyone has it, and the keyboard and
> } mouse become lost technologies.
> }
> } Trouble arises from the combination of everyone speaking commands
> } to their computers and the number of computers in the workplace
> } increasing exponentially: everyone has to talk louder and louder
> } to their computers to be heard. Eventually office buildings are
> } quaking with the sound of people yelling and screaming just to get
> } their EMail. Commercially dense areas become sonically unstable.
> } Disaster soon follows.
> }
> } The entire valley from San Fransisco to San Jose slips loose and drops
> } into the ocean. The substrate under Miami disintegrates and it falls
> } into the ocean as well, causing massive flooding all up the Florida
> } peninsula. New York collapses into a pile of rubble. (but nobody
> } notices the difference for several days) The entire British Isles
> } suffer from a series of massive earthquakes and the Cliffs of Dover
> } sadly crumble into the sea adding to the massive destruction to most
> } of the major European computing communities. The shockwave from the
> } California coastline aggravates the already-bad situation in Japan
> } which falls into the ocean, creating a tsunami that wipes out Hong
> } Kong, Korea and Taiwan along with most of the rest of the Pacific Rim.
> } (Russia survives most of the damage but its hacking community is so
> } busy trying to hack each other to steal their archives of pirated
> } software that they never notice anything wrong.)
> }
> } Humanity survives, barely, but is rendered deaf as a species. It will
> } be several decades after that before some enterprising individual
> } re-invents the keyboard and mouse, allowing everyone to use their
> } computers again.
> }
> } Either that or the computers wise up, refuse to accept commands not
> } spoken in haiku and cause the next age of enlightenment. It's not
> } entirely clear.
> }
> } Your payment shall be
> } a lovely pair of earmuffs
> } (just in case, you know)
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