Comments on: Sorry. Can’t Buy A Soda and Nachos Here Without Your Fingerprint!

By: Milos

Milos — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 17:50:28 +0000

#2. “Any other government rationale, such as stopping terrrorism or illegal immigration, should be met with alarm. ”

I totally agree and don’t forget to add that fingerprinting everyone will also help stop child pornograhy too!

By: Smith

Smith — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 17:50:17 +0000

#9. JimR, you are correct, any system can be hacked. Which is why I said that the government will have only one chance to do it right. (*sigh* And what are the chances of that happening?)

But the current system relies upon unprotected information such as your home address, birth date, and social security number. Which, apparently, is free game for any banking employee, government consultant, or HR rep to load onto their laptop and take home to be “stolen”.

By: JimR

JimR — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 16:15:47 +0000

Do a little research. They can all be tricked and your digital signature can be hacked/stolen from databases just like charge card data.

By: gquaglia

gquaglia — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 15:51:20 +0000

#7, yes, probably, and yes.

By: rhrrs2

rhrrs2 — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 15:28:02 +0000

@gquaglia

So you think your finger print is more secure; can’t be copied and used as easily as a credit card.

By: AB CD

AB CD — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 15:25:19 +0000

The headline is misleading. You don’t have to be fingerprinted to get money. By the way does Radio Shack still require customers to give their name and address when buying something?

By: Uncle Dave

Uncle Dave — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 14:59:27 +0000

Excellent question. What happens when we get to the ‘cashless society’ and you don’t have any fingers? Footprints? No feet. Retinal eyescans? No eyes. How does the system then deal with the handicapped? Do you then run afoul of the ADA by not being able to scan anything?

By: J. Doe

J. Doe — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 14:49:50 +0000

Wrong!!! The cashier does not need to know my identity. The cashier only needs to know that I am the legitimate user of the form of money that I tender. This does not require a national id. We have problems, not because we lack a national id but because the national id that exists has been wrongly used by the credit industry. Identity theft exists because coporations are more interested in getting your business than they are in protecting you. Keep your eyes on the true objective: Ensure that the money I tender can only be used in an authorized manner.

A national id system might seem to be cost effective, but it won’t be if it works badly. A truely cost effective method will be one that is easily replaced when it doesn’t work. This means avoiding some monolithic collosus to which everyone will ulitmately be a slave.

By the way: when will I be able to purchase insurance against severed fingers???

By: Mr. H. Fusion

Mr. H. Fusion — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 14:27:49 +0000

#2 Smith. Your comment has really made me think. At first I was totally against the idea but you almost changed my mind. I doubt this will happen any time soon simply because that would mean we would then discover that all these illegal immigrants are using forged documents to gain employment. You remember, the people that are only here to work. The government doesn’t want to know that though.

By: Smith

Smith — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 14:18:50 +0000

My concern is what do you do if your identity is stolen and he/she register his/her fingerprints before you do? What if the federal government goes to a biometric system as part of a national ID card, but someone using your identity beats you to the federal building? Are you now the imposter?

Ultimately, we need to go to a national ID card, but the government has only one chance to do it right. Otherwise, the system may be even worse than what we have now.

There is only one valid reason for citizens to submit to a national ID system and that is for identity security. Any other government rationale, such as stopping terrrorism or illegal immigration, should be met with alarm. Why? Because if the government’s focus is upon securing your identity, then you are the customer and there is a small chance that you will be treated as such. If, however, the government’s goal is to stop terrorism or illegal immigration, then you are a potential threat and will be treated accordingly by the system.

By: gquaglia

gquaglia — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 13:35:29 +0000

Good, PINs are insecure. As far a cashier jobs go, I guess todays youth should lay off the rap music and stay in school. Most cashiers are braindead morons anyway, who always manage to screw up, requiring a only slightly more intelligent manager to come over and put in her magic key.