I’d like to get your thoughts on the subject of naming conventions for devices.
With just the standard Alexa/ST integration we’d often get the response “I’ve found several devices named xxxxx…” Even sometimes when the specific devices was spoken correctly and fully (so, “Alexa, turn on master lights” even though we also have devices called “Master Closet Lights”). But I’m sure it was input error or better call it, input speed since I find if you say things too fast or too slowly Alexa will pick up only some of the words you speak.
We also have personal names which are non typical spellings and so we either need to misspell them in ST so that Alexa has them as the typical spelling or, well, suffer. Although it seems to get past how my kid’s name is spelled which is good.
With adding AskAlexa I’ve seen other issues (maybe it’s about the same but I notice them more). One good one is we have a wall switch called “Playroom Lights” for our, you guessed it, a room we call our playroom. Which if you say too slowly to an Echo or Dot, results in Alexa hearing “Play Room Lights”.
I keep rereading @JDRoberts good thread but it’s more along the lines of trigger words. But I know (actually that’s probably think) he uses the Alexa like we do (that is more than the mobile app).
With all the work you’ve done on AskAlexa, I’m curious as to what your thoughts are for best practices when naming devices in an Alexa/ST world (where one uses Alexa far more often to initiate commands than the ST mobile app).