ID Cards

[Posts: 1077Joined: 31 Mar 2003, 14:31Location: Brum]

So its time to buy shares in DNA labs?:biggrin:

[Posts: 2684Joined: 05 Nov 2002, 15:47]

I've got a question for those who are concerned about the ID cards.

Apart from the cost and the governments determination to play pioneer on this issue (therefore increasing the cost), I've got to say I'm totally undifferent about the whole thing.

Perhaps, in my indifference, I've not heard the counter-arguments.

So, what am I failing to understand?  

What exactly do you guys think big brother's going to do with this information?

Steve

[Posts: 4753Joined: 07 Oct 2002, 11:50Location: Scotland]

Steve, these are the FAQs about ID cards, formerly known as Entitlement Cards

[url=http://www.no2id.net/IDSchemes/faq.php#4]FAQs[/url]

I really don't like the bit about my kids having to have a card .. :angry:

I don't want any government offical building up a picture of what I do or how I live my life. I am a law abiding and private person and I don't want to see billions of pounds wasted on a gimmick that won't work.

[Posts: 2684Joined: 05 Nov 2002, 15:47]

Hoppy

[i]What gives the Government, indeed any Government, the right to collate and hold information about your DNA profile? [/i]

I think we should clarify what we mean by "government" here.

There are some issues about identity fraud, benefit fraud and illegal immigration which concern certain government departments.

They seem to think that this is the way to deal with these things. Personally, I, live most people, are unconvinced.

However, the idea that there is some sort of secret department that's going to do evil things with this info, doesn't convince me.

I've known too many people who've worked in the "less reported" areas of government to buy into that.  

[i]Or your fingerprints (assuming you are entirely law abiding - the occassional bit of puff excepted  )? [/i]

So, it's only those who break [i]certain[/i] laws that should be forced to give up their fingerprints?

Hmmmm...

Don't get me started on people picking and choosing which laws apply to them. <br> <br>[i]given that the reasons for their introduction have been changed after every challenge, it does make me wonder what exactly the motive for introducing them might be.[/i]

That's a very good point. I think this is partly down to the government not really knowing why they are going this.

However, given the government's history on issues where the reasons change whenever the last set of reasons were shown to be nonsense, we should demand that they give clear, consistent and solid reasons for ID cards before we allow them to spend our cash on them.

[i]On the other hand, the Italians (amongst others) have long had an ID card scheme, and they would probably wonder what all the fuss is about. [/i]

The ID cards in countries like France and Germany don't hold the biometric info that ID cards in this country would hold, so they're not really comparable IMO.

Dave

[i]I really don't like the bit about my kids having to have a card [/i]

If I had kids, I''d be too busy trying to sort out the environment to be worried about ID cards.

That's the biggest threat to them right now and, rather than fixing it, we're accelerating towards environmental distaster.  

Steve

[Posts: 2684Joined: 05 Nov 2002, 15:47]

[i]So, Stavros, you've never broken the speed limit then?[/i]

I reckon, when I was younger, I could manage around 19mph over short distances.

However, well into my thirties, the old legs just can't move at that speed anymore.

Steve    

[Posts: 1825Joined: 03 Jan 2004, 19:43Location: north west]

Agree with most of what's been said on this thread. Haven't been able to view the forum regularly of late - but it's nice to see debates such as this still going strong.<br>If only we had an opposition party that included the likes of stevedvg/davej and grasshopper. <br>(As interesting as Ian Davies' views are, I rather think he's more of a " new labour " man.)

[Posts: 2684Joined: 05 Nov 2002, 15:47]

[i]If only we had an opposition party that included the likes of stevedvg/davej and grasshopper. [/i]

[i]Opposition??? [/i] Surely you mean [i]government [/i]

If either Dave Jay or Hoppy stood in my constitution, I'd vote for them (despite the intense personal dislike I have for them).  

:biggrin: :biggrin:

What our parliament needs is honest, principled and independent people who understand that they're employed by their constituants, not a political party and, therefore, put the people first.    

In this lounge alone, there are probably at least 10 people who are or were regular contributers to political topics (including yourself) that fit the bill.

So there'd be no problem finding 650 people in this country to create proper democracy: government of the people, [u]by[/u] the people, [u]for[/u] the people.

Steve

[Posts: 1825Joined: 03 Jan 2004, 19:43Location: north west]

Ian - wow, cracking post considering it was done at such an ungodly hour. Keep them coming (I'm sure you will :biggrin: ).

Stevedg - agree with all you say.<br>(All this agreeing with forumites could be a sign that I'm beginning to mellow with (relative) old age.)<br> I've long since abandoned any faith in politicians.<br> The only one I have any admiration for nowadays is George W. Bush; great guy. I'm sure we're all agreed on that!  :biggrin:

[Posts: 2175Joined: 25 May 2005, 16:04Location: Wombourne]

As has been widely reported, a trial of the ID card system, specifically the biometric aspects, found that facial scans failed to identify around a third of the 1,000 trial subjects

The head of the ID card project at the Home Office recently assured a conference of computer trade delegates that these early failures did not matter because the technology will be thoroughly tested after the bill has passed.

In other words, the legislation will be through before we know whether the current technology is good enough to cope. Still, I'm sure everything will be fine.



(Edited by Aranalde at 2:57 pm on July 6, 2005)