Android Voice Actions

Tim Bray posted a note about a new "listen to" Voice Action which is intended to permit users to issue commands in a fairly flexible (and not strongly defined) manner such as "listen to Birthday by the Beatles".

It is a neat concept for integrating technologies, but I'd urge him to reconsider the wisdom of the command's voicing, as it is not an imperative command. You don't go to a concert and scream out "Listen to Freebird;" the correct form is, "Play Freebird!"

This is not a small issue. The more such mechanisms grow and blossom, the more vital it will be to choose and adhere to the right form of expression so it scales without inconsistencies and descent into mealy-mouthed passivity.

They should fix that.