Real Id and RFID news

[Andersonjoe711]

I know this is old news, but has anyone looked into these proposed Real ID's? it just seems like a bad Idea to me.

Also, RFID's are getting tiny, they can be placed on almost anything. Again, that just doesn't seem necesisary, sure it makes checkout easier, but it can be too easily abused.

Does anyone know of a way that we can detect these RFID's? I certainly don't like the idea of then being in my clothes.

anyone else?

[BillMorrow]

welcome to 1984..

i suppose some recent article set you off on this..??

FWIW, IMO the only way to defeat big brother is to disappear..
drop off the grid..
fly under the radar..
be an outward nonentity..
so no one cares enough to bother with you..

/end cynical reply mode/

[gator]

FWIW, IMO the only way to defeat big brother is to disappear..
drop off the grid..
fly under the radar..
be an outward nonentity..
so no one cares enough to bother with you..

Bill, did you watch the 2007 movie "into the wild"? The main charecter does something similar, but for different reasons (ie not for hiding) ... its a fantastic movie nevertheless.

Sorry for the thread hijack

[Andersonjoe711]

Yeah, I was looking at IBM stuff on youtube, and a video came up of someoen implanting a RFID chip in thier hand. It just looked so odd.....


So I looked into RFID, and found information on the proposed RealID's, and how you won't be able to fly or get into federal buildings without one, and how it has the poetntial to be used as a debit/credit card.

it's been around since 1984? A few years before I was born. what was it back then, RFID type stuff?

[Andersonjoe711]

FWIW, IMO the only way to defeat big brother is to disappear..
drop off the grid..
fly under the radar..
be an outward nonentity..
so no one cares enough to bother with you..

Bill, did you watch the 2007 movie "into the wild"? The main charecter does something similar, but for different reasons (ie not for hiding) ... its a fantastic movie nevertheless.

Sorry for the thread hijack

don't bother me none I may go to check out that movie now though

[goofyGAguy]

it's been around since 1984? A few years before I was born. what was it back then, RFID type stuff?

Bill was referring to the book 1984 by George Orwell.

[ajkula66]

And while we're studying literature here, may I also suggest:

" The Trial" by Franc Kafka

" We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin

" Invitation To Beheading" by Vladimir Nabokov...

Numerous are roads that one can choose to paranoya, and OMG the time we're living in makes it soooo simple....

[Andersonjoe711]

it's been around since 1984? A few years before I was born. what was it back then, RFID type stuff?

Bill was referring to the book 1984 by George Orwell.

Interesting..... I may have to check it out.

[joester]

OK, gotta throw in my 2 cents...

We are looking into using RFID's in our assemblyprocess at work. Product built could have infinite traceabiltiy as to what machines, who assembled them, where, when, length of time to shipping, ect...

Could be a real plus that takes human error (record keeping) out of the picture and provides real data to management to help determine where process improvements are required.

For that purpose, I approve. Anything else to trace humans without personal authorization, forget it. Transmit my credit card info for speedier checkouts...ARE YOU NUTS???
Guaranteed someone will make a device to scan for that info, walk around your friendly department/electronics/hobby/whatever store until they get a hit. Then they only need to transmit the same data and it's as good as handing them your credit card. No way.

Joe

[phool@round]

The more we rely on "things", the less self reliant we become......

Even with tags it's still possible for information to be incorrectly entered..... what happened to a time when we could rely on people?

The more automated we become, the less we need to do, the less we are needed.

Somebody is looking to cut jobs and increase profits, that's what I think.

(Edit: funky sentence structure.....)

[Andersonjoe711]

The more we rely on "things", the less self reliant we become......

Even with tags it's still possible to for information to be incorrectly input..... what happened to a time when we could rely on people?

The more automated we become, the less we need to do, the less we are needed.

Somebody is looking to cut jobs and increase profits, that's what I think.

You're absolutely correct. My dad just lost his job at Hamilton Sunstrand after 20+ years, because they shut down the factory and moved it to Puerto Rico. To....that's it...cut cost, and increase profit. What they didn't see coming was that the new factory failed, and they had to send my dad there to re-train them. Free Trip!

Anyways, Joester shares my concerns. I read that scanners can be installed in an almost infinite amount of places, and it's possible to not even realize that you're wearing one of these chips. It's scary that someone could know that I passed Street X at Time Y, or know what I buy when I buy it. Is there any privacy left?

[t20user]

There are some EXTREMELY useful applications for RFID, unfortunately they do not make headlines. The above mentioned use in a manufacturing environment is excellent. Take a look at any of the laptop motherboards you have replaced or resoldered inductors on (T23 haha) there are usually bar codes for the assembly process and tracking. To replace that with passive RFIDs will be huge IMO. In our plant our boards are tracked with bar code labels and its a pain on dense boards just to fit a spot for them in board layout.

[egibbs]

The more we rely on "things", the less self reliant we become......

Even with tags it's still possible for information to be incorrectly entered..... what happened to a time when we could rely on people?

I recently had experiences at two hospitals that brought that home so clearly...

Hospital 1, a small local hospital with a good reputation. When dispensing medication they wheel in a cart with a PC on it. Scan the barcode on your wristband, and it brings up the meds you are supposed to be getting. Then they scan the meds, and if they match the orders the machine give the go ahead to dispense them, and records the time that they were given. Good system in principle, the Achilles heel is that someone has to enter the info into the computers to start with. I had one case where a doctor ordered the wrong dose of a medication for me, and another where they couldn't read his handwriting so they didn't enter anything. In both cases it was only me personally questioning the nurse that revealed the error, and in one case I had to argue with her to convince her the dosge was wrong.

Hospital 2 - a major teaching hospital associated with a University. No carts, no computers. When they give meds the nurse comes in, checks your name by asking you, and then goes through each med they are giving you stating the name, the dosage, what it does, and why you are getting it. Any questions or issues they get the doctor involved right away.

Not that I'm a Luddite or anything, and I love gadgets as much as the next guy. But it is easy to become dependent on them to the point where you stop thinking. Thinking is one of those things that the more you have to do it the better you become at it.

RFID is not as evil as some people claim, but it will also fail to deliver on it's promise in 90+% of cases because people will just not keep up with and use all of the data it will create. They will want it to magically produce benefits without having to think, and that not how it works. It's main benefit will be for the companines that make RFID chips.

Ed Gibbs