On 5/19/2011 3:17, Invisible wrote:
> I'm left wondering how the hell the software actually manages
> this cross-check. Still, it didn't complain.

That's generally an extremely sophisticated algorithm. It likely, for 
example, guesses the nationality of the name and fixes the pronunciation. I 
worked next to the guys doing the voice 411 stuff 20 years ago, and some of 
their stories were pretty fun.

Simple version: Check for plosives, fricatives, and vowels.  Bucket and 
Boquet would be the same. Bucket and smith would not.

> Then it asks for my date of birth. Stop and think about this for a moment:

Again, it's not that hard. There's only a dozen or so ways to say it.

> *Finally* I get through to some woman in India. (Why is it always India? Why
> to companies not comprehend that if you're employing somebody FOR THE
> EXPRESSED PURPOSE OF TALKING TO PEOPLE ALL DAY then being able to speak
> their languages is KIND OF CRITICAL?)

That's why it's India and not China. India was occupied by the british long 
enough that many learn English pretty well.

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   "Coding without comments is like
    driving without turn signals."

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