August1991 Posted January 19, 2016 Report Posted January 19, 2016 (edited) In Canada, everyone (supposedly) has one nine-digit social insurance number. (BTW, the last ninth digit is a check -1960s technology. The first digit shows where you were born - Newfoundlanders get 1. Immigrants get a 9 for their first digit.) So, in theory, we can have 100 million Canadians, 8 possible digits if we allow for many newborn Newfoundlanders. Years ago, my plastic social insurance card broke in two and now I don't have one. But I remember the number. With identify theft, I'm very careful when I divulge it. (Involved in a traffic accident in the US (civil case), I had to make a deposition and was asked my "social security number". Fearfully, I gave it.) In progressive Scandanavia, for decades now, every person has a single number defined at birth: it supposedly helps in organizing life in an efficient manner. ===== A State is a method to organize society, community. Clearly, governments are mistaken: when it comes to a single number that identifies you, your cell number is better than your SIN. Nowadays, everyone wants to know my cell number. "We will send you a code by text that you can enter to verify who you are." So, in fact, my cell number, my handy, is how I am identified. ===== Years ago, I was abroad and all my luggage was stolen. Replacing my passport was very difficult and ultimately pointless: I received a paper passport that was unnecessary for return to Canada; I replaced my credit cards within 24 hrs. (My new Visa card was at the hotel in Poland the next day.) I was more disturbed with something else. While RBC wanted to ensure that my old Visa card number was blocked, the Canadian Embassy didn't really care about my old passport or blocking its number. The Embassy was far more concerned about issuing me a new passport. Edited January 19, 2016 by August1991 Quote
August1991 Posted January 19, 2016 Author Report Posted January 19, 2016 (edited) With your cell number, Apple/Google know who you are, and Bell/Rogers etc know where you are. Facebook? Your cellphone number is better than your Social Insurance Number. When defining pension payments or deciding tax liabilities, very soon if not now, I reckon government bureaucrats will use your cell/mobile number rather than your SIN. ======= Conclusion: How do you trust/know the State, the society in which you (and your children will) live? Government bureaucrats or private employees? Edited January 19, 2016 by August1991 Quote
TimG Posted January 19, 2016 Report Posted January 19, 2016 With your cell number, Apple/Google know who you are, and Bell/Rogers etc know where you are. Facebook? Your cellphone number is better than your Social Insurance Number.Only if you have a cell phone. I have one for emergencies but no one has the number. Quote
August1991 Posted January 19, 2016 Author Report Posted January 19, 2016 Only if you have a cell phone. I have one for emergencies but no one has the number. TimG, you miss entirely the point of my OP. You seem to think that if you don't have a cell phone number, you can live freely. TimG, do you have a SIN? Quote
TimG Posted January 19, 2016 Report Posted January 19, 2016 You seem to think that if you don't have a cell phone number, you can live freely. TimG, do you have a SIN?Nope. I am saying everyone has multiple unique ids that identify them. These IDs are used in different contexts and are not interchangeable. They could be a SIN, a Phone Number, a Skype ID, an email or something else. The idea of someone having one unique ID that is used everywhere is an archaic concept. Quote
Topaz Posted January 19, 2016 Report Posted January 19, 2016 The only problem with a cell # is in the future, when land lines are gone, someone is going to get rich and print a cell phone book, which has all cell phone numbers and then it won't be a secret anymore. Quote
BubberMiley Posted January 19, 2016 Report Posted January 19, 2016 The only problem with a cell # is in the future, when land lines are gone, someone is going to get rich and print a cell phone book, which has all cell phone numbers and then it won't be a secret anymore.And then someone will make an online database, and the printed book will be obsolete. But why are we waiting for the future for this to happen? If it were to be, wouldn't it already be? Quote "I think it's fun watching the waldick get all excited/knickers in a knot over something." -scribblet
August1991 Posted January 22, 2016 Author Report Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) The only problem with a cell # is in the future, when land lines are gone, someone is going to get rich and print a cell phone book, which has all cell phone numbers and then it won't be a secret anymore. This "cell phone book" exists now and it is how Google (through Android) and Apple (through iOS) identify you. Facebook and Microsoft want in on the info. (BTW, if you ever wondered why your Facebook/Skype contacts are separate from your phone contacts, now you know. In fact, the division reaches back further....) Hence my comment about TimG's naivety. ===== Topaz, TimG and Bubbler, welcome to this new, progressive, revolutionary world where everything new is better!! (OTOH, I'm a "bad" conservative because I believe in backward-compatible, grandfathered, legacy systems.) Edited January 22, 2016 by August1991 Quote
bill_barilko Posted January 22, 2016 Report Posted January 22, 2016 When I get home from work-and often just as I leave the place I turn the cell off-enough is enough. Of course most people lack the intestinal fortitude to take such an individualist stance but they can all rot in a hot dark place. Quote
Bonam Posted January 22, 2016 Report Posted January 22, 2016 When I get home from work-and often just as I leave the place I turn the cell off-enough is enough. Of course most people lack the intestinal fortitude to take such an individualist stance but they can all rot in a hot dark place. You don't use your cell phone for non-work related matters? Or do you mean you turn your work cell off and your personal one on? Quote
Guest Posted January 22, 2016 Report Posted January 22, 2016 I get a large number of work related calls and texts "after hours". I don't really have hours, but people attempt to contact me at times when I don't want to be reached. I'm comfortable checking and ignoring them though. I think a smart watch would be handy for just glancing at the incoming call or text without having to take my phone out of my pocket. Does anybody have one? As for the OP, large companies and the government will always have sensitive information about us. It is important to regulate what they can do with that information and how far they can intrude on our privacy. Recently conservative Canadians were all too happy to give away privacy to government bodies without any oversight. I'm hopeful our new government will add watchdogs to protect us from secret police overreach. Quote
August1991 Posted February 15, 2016 Author Report Posted February 15, 2016 (edited) When I get home from work-and often just as I leave the place I turn the cell off-enough is enough.But bill_barilko, everyone knows your cell phone number - on or off. [some people are clueless.] ====== Bill: My OP's point: Your cell phone number is your new SIN. Bill, if I were you, I suggest that you care more about your cell number than about your SIN. Soon, government bureaucrats (just as clueless) will ask for a cell number, rather than your SIN to confirm who you are. Edited February 15, 2016 by August1991 Quote
GostHacked Posted February 15, 2016 Report Posted February 15, 2016 Only if you have a cell phone. I have one for emergencies but no one has the number. It's all the metadata that people are talking about here. The phone carrier knows your number, and that's all it needs to do all the tracking to provide 'benefits' Quote
GostHacked Posted February 15, 2016 Report Posted February 15, 2016 I get a large number of work related calls and texts "after hours". I don't really have hours, but people attempt to contact me at times when I don't want to be reached. I'm comfortable checking and ignoring them though. I think a smart watch would be handy for just glancing at the incoming call or text without having to take my phone out of my pocket. Does anybody have one? As for the OP, large companies and the government will always have sensitive information about us. It is important to regulate what they can do with that information and how far they can intrude on our privacy. Recently conservative Canadians were all too happy to give away privacy to government bodies without any oversight. I'm hopeful our new government will add watchdogs to protect us from secret police overreach. You are in a weird spot when you need another tech gadget to monitor your messages on another tech gadget. Quote
Guest Posted February 16, 2016 Report Posted February 16, 2016 You are in a weird spot when you need another tech gadget to monitor your messages on another tech gadget. I don't need one, but a smart watch would certainly extend the capabilities of a phone. I typically have to leave my phone in silent/vibrate mode and occasionally miss texts or calls when it is in my pocket. A vibration on my wrist would fix that, plus give me the ability to glance at notifications as they come in without taking my phone out. Additionally, they can act as pedometers, sleep monitors, the hands free mic for voice calls and I think they can even display the time. Quote
Big Guy Posted February 16, 2016 Report Posted February 16, 2016 I found out from a friend that he tried to get in touch with me by phone two days ago and nobody answered our phone. I think I will get one of those magnificent new technological marvels - a magic boxes which attaches to the phone so that when somebody phones us, it will automatically accept the call and allow the person to leave a message. I can then play it back later when I come home. I am looking forward to this new process and hope it does not make my life any more complicated. Quote Note - For those expecting a response from Big Guy: I generally do not read or respond to posts longer then 300 words nor to parsed comments.
Topaz Posted February 17, 2016 Report Posted February 17, 2016 For all of u that have a cell phone...what's the highest bill u had? Quote
August1991 Posted February 29, 2016 Author Report Posted February 29, 2016 For all of u that have a cell phone...what's the highest bill u had?Me? About 25$ for three months. I'm a pay-as-you-go person with free text messaging. ==== Topaz, there's a bigger question: How many times (or where have you entered) your cell number when accessing a website to verify your identity? Quote
eyeball Posted February 29, 2016 Report Posted February 29, 2016 (edited) . Edited February 29, 2016 by eyeball Quote A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.
eyeball Posted February 29, 2016 Report Posted February 29, 2016 (edited) I had a bill for about $300 that I racked up during a hospital stay. I was about 100 km from home and it didn't occur to me that I was incurring long distance costs. Long distance is the biggest cell phone scam going AFAIC. To me long distance should be when there are discernable gaps in the conversation, like you'd expect during a conversation with someone on the moon. Edited February 29, 2016 by eyeball Quote A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.
eyeball Posted February 29, 2016 Report Posted February 29, 2016 How many times (or where have you entered) your cell number when accessing a website to verify your identity? I don't recall ever having to do that although I've received verification codes by text to use when trying to access a site. OTOH I'm routinely asked to provide me cell number to verify my identity when I'm taking to someone on the phone to government, medical, banking etc. Quote A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.
Bryan Posted February 29, 2016 Report Posted February 29, 2016 With your cell number, Apple/Google know who you are, and Bell/Rogers etc know where you are. Facebook? Your cellphone number is better than your Social Insurance Number. Only if you give it to them. My Google and Facebook IDs don't have any association to my cell phone or to any email that I use for anything personal. With Google, the gmail is the only contact info they have. I know several people whose Facebook accounts are completely fake. Quote
August1991 Posted March 10, 2016 Author Report Posted March 10, 2016 (edited) Only if you give it to them. My Google and Facebook IDs don't have any association to my cell phone...Are you sure that Facebook and Google don't know? For cross data, the link is the cell/handy phone number. Most people don't have several cell numbers and at some point, Google or Facebook has learned your cell number. Most people have different email addresses; they even have different facebook pages. But few people have different/functioning cell phone numbers. ==== Your cell/handy number is the new SIN. Trust the private sector to get this right. Soon, we will pay our income taxes using our cell number - not our SIN. Edited March 10, 2016 by August1991 Quote
eyeball Posted March 10, 2016 Report Posted March 10, 2016 If my cell number replaces all my other numbers and then I only needed one pwd... I'd be a happier guy. Quote A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.
August1991 Posted March 10, 2016 Author Report Posted March 10, 2016 (edited) If my cell number replaces all my other numbers and then I only needed one pwd... I'd be a happier guy. Revenue Canada sends you a statement, and you confirm. As I sometimes say to my employees, "Please, just do your job right. That's all I ask." ===== A government is supposed to know who we all are, and collect taxes. To do it's job, as a minimum, that's all a government is supposed to do. Edited March 10, 2016 by August1991 Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.