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1997-06-02 - Creating a unique ID number for a dollar

Header Data

From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
To: cypherpunks@algebra.com
Message Hash: 2693a5c106eec0f6039be4aeacc6829f97d6420e6163053b02e5a56baacd10e2
Message ID: <v03102801afb7cce12642@[207.167.93.63]>
Reply To: <v03102800afb7ba21be7b@[207.167.93.63]>
UTC Datetime: 1997-06-02 01:22:23 UTC
Raw Date: Mon, 2 Jun 1997 09:22:23 +0800

Raw message

From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 1997 09:22:23 +0800
To: cypherpunks@algebra.com
Subject: Creating a unique ID number for a dollar
In-Reply-To: <v03102800afb7ba21be7b@[207.167.93.63]>
Message-ID: <v03102801afb7cce12642@[207.167.93.63]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 5:25 PM -0700 6/1/97, William H. Geiger III wrote:

>IMHO the request for SS numbers are usally done out of convieniance more
>than anything else. This is not to justify it just an explanation why so
>many palces request SS numbers.
>
>Anyone that has written database software where unique information is
>stored on individules a SS number is quite convienat as everyone has a
>unique one. Most employee, payroll, medical, insurance, credit, databases
>use SS numbers rather than create individule id #'s. One's SS number has 2
>unique qualities that make it perfect for this use: 1 every person has a
>unique #, and 2 it never changes. This can not be said for any other
>identifiers one may use, names, addresses, DL #'s, ...ect all have the
>possiablity to change over time while your SS # is forever. By using SS #
>as id #'s makes communication of data between diffrent database all that
>much simpler. From personal experiance I can testify that the entier
...

This reminds me of a hack I heard about some years back.

There's a way to generate a number for any person which is unique. It is
not shared by anyone else on the planet.

Best of all, this number can be generated without use of a computer,
without entry of any allegedly random numbers, and without any hashing of
personal data. It's not necessarily a real short number, certainly not as
short as an SS number.

And best of all, the cost is low. Just a dollar, in fact.

I'll explain later.

--Tim May

There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws.
Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!"
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1398269     | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."

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