Re: A unique number for every "person" - can it be done?

spinoza1111_at_yahoo.com
Date: 02/28/05 

Date: 27 Feb 2005 18:01:37 -0800

Andrew Swallow wrote:
> Ioannis wrote:
> [snip]
> >> I came up with plenty of ideas, but they were either too
complicated or
> >> creating collisions was too likely, that are not easily resolved.
>
> Try gender + number [1..600 billion]
>
> Where gender = [M ^ F ^ C ]
> M = male
> F = female
> C = corporate, including companies, government agencies
and
> trusts

This taxonomy would discriminate against transgendered people and at a
minimum needs a fourth category of "indeterminate" for gender.

Companies, governments, trusts and other gangs should not be included
in the system, because this would embed the American assumption that a
company is a "legal person". By no means all cultures share this
assumption and it has caused a lot of damage, along with a lot of good
in the form of economic progress, in America.
>
> Generate the number by adding 1 to the previous number. First come
> first served. This is possible if you have got a centralised
registry.
>
> Examples
>
> M100 0
> F234 567
> C500 123 456 789
>
> If you forget your number just search the database by your name, date
of
> birth and place of birth. There is no reason why the database cannot

> hold both the old place name and the new place name.
>
> Andrew Swallow

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