Comments on: Return of the son of ID cards http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/archives/1469 Freelance writer Gary Marshall on technology, music, Macs and more Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:25:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Squander Two http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/archives/1469/comment-page-1#comment-7705 Squander Two Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:55:01 +0000 http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/archives/1469#comment-7705 <i>> the state, who’re supposed to look after the entire population</i> Personally, I think that belief is the core problem. <i>> while people will happily give all manner of information to their mortagage provider or credit card company</i> ... or choose not to, or pick a different mortgage provider. The problem isn't giving information to the state; the problem is facing legal sanction if I refuse to. Last I checked, NatWest couldn't fine me for refusing to tell them my bank balance. <i>> This is a controversial view</i> If only. The reason the scheme's going to happen is that the opposition to it is a lot noisier than it is big. > the state, who’re supposed to look after the entire population

Personally, I think that belief is the core problem.

> while people will happily give all manner of information to their mortagage provider or credit card company

… or choose not to, or pick a different mortgage provider. The problem isn’t giving information to the state; the problem is facing legal sanction if I refuse to. Last I checked, NatWest couldn’t fine me for refusing to tell them my bank balance.

> This is a controversial view

If only. The reason the scheme’s going to happen is that the opposition to it is a lot noisier than it is big.

]]> By: McGazz http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/archives/1469/comment-page-1#comment-7704 McGazz Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:51:34 +0000 http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/archives/1469#comment-7704 This is a controversial view, but I have no problem with a database *in theory*. A single master record per person, with each government agency only able to view the parts relevant to their work (only the NHS can access your health rewcords, only the Polis can get your criminal record etc). It seems ridiculous that the state, who're supposed to look after the entire population, aren't supposed to keep systematic records (and we have tons of duplication and expensive wastes of time like the census), while people will happily give all manner of information to their mortagage provider or credit card company. The big problems I have are: - This isn't going to be a brand new database, but a shoddy patching together of already existing ones. - Government IT projects are always cocked up. - The whole thing seems to be designed as much for the private sector's benefit as anything else (by verifying people's identities, the state is providing a service and should charge banks, etc, for the info, rather than bending over backwards to accommodate them). This is a controversial view, but I have no problem with a database *in theory*. A single master record per person, with each government agency only able to view the parts relevant to their work (only the NHS can access your health rewcords, only the Polis can get your criminal record etc). It seems ridiculous that the state, who’re supposed to look after the entire population, aren’t supposed to keep systematic records (and we have tons of duplication and expensive wastes of time like the census), while people will happily give all manner of information to their mortagage provider or credit card company.

The big problems I have are:
- This isn’t going to be a brand new database, but a shoddy patching together of already existing ones.
- Government IT projects are always cocked up.
- The whole thing seems to be designed as much for the private sector’s benefit as anything else (by verifying people’s identities, the state is providing a service and should charge banks, etc, for the info, rather than bending over backwards to accommodate them).

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