Sunday 17 April 2011

Is this security, or just putting all your eggs in one, government-approved basket



I don't like the look of this. The calming voice tells me it's all voluntary, but I suspect that's merely for the initial period. Besides, as the title question poses, where is the guarantee that somebody's one ID doesn't get stolen or misused? Also, what happens it gets switched off for whatever reason? All of a sudden you don't exist: the computer says no.

The governments of the world keep muscling in on information technology, usually by trying to scare us about terrorists, criminals and sexual deviants, but I'm still far more wary of the governments. I know there are bad people out there, but I also know some of them are within the system I'm told is to protect me.

Hat tip: Infowars

8 comments:

Angry Exile said...

Or you could just spend a few bucks (or a free download) on a decent password manager/generator app that means you only need to set and remember one decent strength password and it'll do all the rest. But of course that would be a commercial solution rather than one that involves the munificence of a wise and knowing government. That it will no doubt also cost way more per head is just the government's way of showing how much it loves its citizens (with their own money, natch).

Trooper Thompson said...

The state's problem has always been that they don't want things so secure that they can't gain access.

Furor Teutonicus said...

XX I don't like the look of this. The calming voice tells me it's all voluntary,XX

Aye, right! Like our I.D cards. Every one must have one, but you are not obliged to have it with you, or PRODUCE IT (!), to anyone other than the police, or other Government authorised bodys.

Aha? You get stopped by the police without one, and you will be "in the cells" until it can be produced.

"not obliged..... (to) PRODUCE IT, to anyone other than the police, or other Government authorised bodys."

Try opening anything from a bank account, to a book club membership without one. Putting money INTO a bank account (!), buying a steak knife, buying beer (In some shops), any MANY others I could list.

Last I looked, we were not "obliged" to have a telephone. Try sending a job application without a telephone number dutifully filled into the respective box! More and more, a demand for an E-Mail address is becoming the same.

Angry Exile said...

FT, every time someone/thing asks for an email addy and I don't feel like playing ball they get a mailexpire.com one and 12 hours to make use of it before it vanishes up its own clacker.

Furor Teutonicus said...

But that spoils the fun of seeing the confussion on their faces when they, probably for the first time in their lives, meet someone who refuses to give them a telephone number, or, as said, E-Mail address.

I have actualy had SOME receptionists CRYING, more than one after a HALF HOUR trying to get me to tell her my phone number. Whether in frustration, or what, I don't know.

Try the experimnt;

"We need your phone number".

"No you don't"

"Yes, yes we DO!!!"

Let that go on for a half hour, then;

"I do not HAVE a telephone".

"Ahh. O.K then."

"SEE ARSEHOLE!!! You did not "need" my number AFTER all!"

Trooper Thompson said...

That's the way FT. Put sand in their gearbox.

James Higham said...

I'd say the very worst are within the system.

Angry Exile said...

FT, yes, all good fun. Another option for me is to let my accent go as Pommie as it gets and give the impression I'm just off the plane or here temporarily. Trouble is this kind of thing only works when dealing with Homo sapiens. When dealing with Roboticus pestilens on the other end of an internet connection its programming may tell to sit there until the end of time or it gets an email address or you stop asking for whatever you wanted from it. It may be innocuous or it may be in order to collect email addresses for its masters to compile and sell on, and so disposable email address are a good option to have handy. If it wants a phone number as well it gets the number of a pay and go SIM card that hasn't been in a phone for a couple of years and that right now I couldn't put my hands on if my life depended on it. Like your method for people but computers don't take no for an answer - they're just too dumb.