# APRIL FOOLS 2012 - Announcing SIR - Voice Activated Commands for Army.ca



## Mike Bobbitt (1 Apr 2012)

Folks,

I'm happy to announce a new and exciting feature for Army.ca: SIR (Sonno Imperium Ratio)

SIR is a voice activated utility that allows you to navigate, search and interact with the site in ways you never thought possible before. For the full details and a demonstration, please view this short video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78_jblF_ZMw

In order to use SIR, you must first activate it for your account, using the link below:

http://Army.ca/sir

Once activated, you will see a small microphone icon in the upper left of your browser - that means SIR is listening and you are ready to begin! Here are a sampling of some of the commands you may wish to use:


"SIR: Check my personal messages"

"SIR: Search for 'BMQ course dates'"

"SIR: Start a new post about the federal budget"

"SIR: Change my profile picture"

"SIR: Show me unread messages since my last visit"

"SIR: Award 300 MilPoints to recceguy"

"SIR: Mark all new posts as read"

"SIR: Send a personal message to Mike Bobbitt"

"SIR: Become a subscriber"

"SIR: Play Afghan Ops"
 
You can even use standard voice procedure in your commands, but please be sure not to say 'repeat' - we want to avoid double posts! If you want SIR to stop listening at any time, simply say "Impose Radio Silence." SIR can resume with "Lift Radio Silence."

If you have any issues, please use the voice command "SIR: Report a problem" and you will be taken directly to a feedback form.


Enjoy!
Mike


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## q_1966 (1 Apr 2012)

Very Cool!


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## Sig_Des (1 Apr 2012)

What if you say things that you would in real life, like;

"SIR; That's really a horrible idea" or;
"SIR; I don't think you really understand how this system works"  ;D

I'll try this right away

edit to add: Very interesting. I like messing around with voice enterprises programs.

This one's pretty detailed, Mike, what kind of sync matrix program did you use? It's quite elaborate. Only weird thing I found was as soon as a did a search for the journalist who's name not be uttered, I was logged off.....


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## Mike Bobbitt (1 Apr 2012)

Sorry folks, looks like the French language interpreter isn't working quite right. I'll check into it and see if I can fix it. In the mean time stick to English I guess. 

Beadwindow, that's a safety measure so we don't incur any legal troubles as people read his articles and start ranting. Don't want that to turn into a post here!


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## Nfld Sapper (1 Apr 2012)

Cool feature Mike....

-Posted with SIR-


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## observor 69 (1 Apr 2012)

Cool Mike  ;D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGxKhUuZ0Rc


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## TN2IC (1 Apr 2012)

Pure Awesome Mike....

-Posted with SIR-


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## TN2IC (1 Apr 2012)

Ah, yeah... I see what you're talking about. I'm sure Mike will get on it.


-Posted with SIR-


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## GAP (1 Apr 2012)

recceguy said:
			
		

> Have fun! ;D
> 
> Thanks Mike!  We don't pay you enough for what you do for us. :facepalm:
> 
> ...



So stop swearing at the recruiting threads.....  :nod:


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## Bruce Monkhouse (1 Apr 2012)

Mike,...sorry I was late to the unveiling but I still have the same problem I had with the Mod trial version.......I still can't delete other's posts or merge thier topics.
Bruce


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## Danjanou (1 Apr 2012)

I'm with Bruce still seeing minor glitches, hopefully we can get them corrected soon.

posted with SIR


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## Bruce Monkhouse (1 Apr 2012)

I'm on my wifes laptop now and I can't get the mic to turn on,...........do different computers turn on in different ways???


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## GAP (1 Apr 2012)

Bruce Monkhouse said:
			
		

> Mike,...sorry I was late to the unveiling but I still have the same problem I had with the Mod trial version.......I still can't delete other's posts or merge thier topics.
> Bruce



That's because you're just telling SIR to "Lose the thread into the ether!!" or some such. You gotta treat it like a MOD  talk slowly and in small words..... ;D


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## Mike Bobbitt (1 Apr 2012)

Well, i don't know if anyone actually fell for it, but I hope we got a few laughs. Thanks to everyone for playing along!

Cheers
Mike


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## PMedMoe (1 Apr 2012)

I only figured it out due to inconsistencies with the posts.


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## alocin (1 Apr 2012)

I'm having trouble getting this to work with air-force.ca and navy.ca, why does army get all the cool things??  :-[


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## Mike Bobbitt (1 Apr 2012)

P.S. I'm on the road right now, I'll get rid of the SIR microphone when I get back.


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## Scott (1 Apr 2012)

alocin said:
			
		

> I'm having trouble getting this to work with air-force.ca and navy.ca, why does army get all the cool things??  :-[



Because the army ain't royal.

If you use SIR to navigate to all buttons and bows threads things should be fine. Until your computer overheats from the rhetoric.


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## Old Sweat (1 Apr 2012)

The give away was the Latin motto, which has nothing to do with voice activated commands. Try it on google translate.


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## cupper (1 Apr 2012)

I knew it was an April Fools when one of the suggested commands was give Recceguy 300 mil points. :rofl:


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## aesop081 (1 Apr 2012)

Nice try Mike, i stopped falling for these since the "Army.ca has been sold to DND" gag quite a few years ago.


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## cupper (1 Apr 2012)

I tried SIR: Improve the level of discourse on the site.

Next thing I know I get the Windows Blue Screen of Death (point to note, I was using a Mac at the time).

There may be a bug you need to fix Mike.


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## Scott (1 Apr 2012)

cupper said:
			
		

> I tried SIR: Improve the level of discourse on the site.
> 
> Next thing I know I get the Windows Blue Screen of Death (point to note, I was using a Mac at the time).
> 
> There may be a bug you need to fix Mike.



Maybe it's not a bug


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## my72jeep (1 Apr 2012)

Sorry didn't fall this time onle because of last year. keep it up.


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## alocin (1 Apr 2012)

For the record... I didn't fall for it either... but I thought it was jumping the gun to oust the joke when it was still 9:30 am on the west coast


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## Journeyman (1 Apr 2012)

Mike, even though it's today's joke I felt obligated to try:

"SIR: ban [name here] "

I tried it with several different names, but it didn't work.   

 -Posted, frustratedly, with SIR-


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## GAP (2 Apr 2012)

WestJet introduces child-free cabins!
By QMI Agency 
Article Link

An announcement by WestJet on Sunday seemed to good to be true, especially for parents travelling with little kids.

And considering it was made on April 1, it was.

On Sunday, the airline issued a statement saying it would start introducing child-free cabins on certain flights.

"Kargo Kids is an exciting new program allowing guests to travel on select child-free flights, creating a quieter and more relaxing inflight experience, while children travel in a special VIP area of the aircraft," the statement read.

"This is a win-win situation for guests travelling on these flights," said WestJet spokesman Richard Bartrem. "This new service offers little WestJetters an incredible travel experience while providing their guardians and our other guests with a quiet, child-free cabin."

"As Canada's low-cost airline, we are constantly looking for innovative and fun ways to enhance the guest experience," Bartrem said. "The initial feedback of Kargo Kids has been quite positive and we're looking forward to the peace and quiet while we get families where they need to be."

If you believed that without clicking on the link in the press release offering more information on the program, the joke was on you.

A video shows a couple trying hard to control its children at a WestJet checkout counter and then checking them in with their baggage. A WestJet employee is then seen walking with the children towards and aircraft and loading the two tots into "the special VIP area of the aircraft" - the plane's cargo hold.

The video ends with one of the toddlers saying, "Happy April Fool's from WestJet!" 
end


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## TN2IC (2 Apr 2012)

I had a great chuckle watching Mike on youtube... Pure classic.


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## Mike Bobbitt (4 Apr 2012)

Kind of surprised nobody noticed some of the details in the video.


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## Occam (4 Apr 2012)

To be honest, I didn't notice any of the stuff in the messaging window.  I was too busy wondering why there was a Pusser's Rum bottle on the shelf in the background.  Then after thinking about it some more, I concluded "Why _wouldn't_ there be a Pusser's Rum bottle within reach of Mike's computer?" and thought no more of it.   ;D


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## q_1966 (5 Apr 2012)

Occam said:
			
		

> To be honest, I didn't notice any of the stuff in the messaging window.  I was too busy wondering why there was a Pusser's Rum bottle on the shelf in the background.  Then after thinking about it some more, I concluded "Why _wouldn't_ there be a Pusser's Rum bottle within reach of Mike's computer?" and thought no more of it.   ;D



 ;D

At least you didn't implement it as a subscribe only feature, as a ploy to get more subscriptions


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