Comments on: Who I Am Is No One Else’s Business

By: Mercia Nitzsche

Mercia Nitzsche — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:55:25 +0000

This sure is interesting food for thought. Never gave it a second of my time to even contemplate, but those calls selling you double glazing, kitchens, insurance, advertising, etc. at any given time of the day and night, indeed are most irritating.

By: Niklaus Pfirsig

Niklaus Pfirsig — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:43:39 +0000

Tim, If I recollect correctly, a persons SSN is only for official Social Security Administration use. No one can require your SSN for any business transaction not related to official SSA business.

By: Mindy Carney

Mindy Carney — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:48:35 +0000

Ahhh, good point, Mark. Hadn\’t thought of that, but that makes sense. They ask because they use the information to inundate us with junk mail, unsolicited phone calls and information ad nauseum. Would be nice to lay that to rest once and for all!

By: Alison

Alison — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:17:33 +0000

I think I’ve discovered the absolute only thing good about self-serve checkout after reading this thread. (I don’t care if it’s 11PM and there’s only one cashier - I will wait in that line until I get a discount for checking my own purchases!)

I put myself and my husband on do not call and do not mail lists, and it has helped a great deal with the daily invasions of privacy at home. I never gave much thought to the use of my information when I made purchases, though. Most of the time, since I was purchasing with a credit or debit card, the sellers already had an in on my personal info. So far, I haven’t been asked for anything under other circumstances, but now I’ll be paying more attention.

By: Mark Tiedemann

Mark Tiedemann — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:05:29 +0000

Just a comment to those folks who use fake names and so forth in these instances. I can understand that, I do, because you want to protect your privacy and still do business—but it’s the least direct way to break this system down. A categorical refusal to play would, in the course of a month, make it stop. It’s not so much ME that I’m trying to protect, as the IDEA of privacy. I don’t want to give them false information when they ask, I want them to STOP ASKING.

Just sayin’, y’know?

By: Tim Hogan

Tim Hogan — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:54:31 +0000

I just left a medical office, as I entered the receptionist asked for my Social Security Number.

I asked her if I were “applying for credit, or was there a law which required me to give you my SSN?

“No, it’s policy.”

“Well, I have a policy of getting the name, address, telephone number and SSN of anyone who requests my information, so we’re on equal terms,” I replied. “Or I may need to sue you, your employer or anyone else who misuses my confidential financial information, so may I have your name, address, date of birth, SSN, and phone number?”

“Sir, you don’t have to be difficult,” she said. “I’m only asking you the same questions everybody else routinely gives answers to for our offices.”

“That’s fine, and all I’m asking you is the routine questions which I ask of every person who asks me for confidential financial information, before I give out any such information so we’re on an equal footing.”

“Oh.”

“Now do you REALLY need my SSN?”

“No.”

“Thank you, here’s my insurance card.”

My wife hates when I do this, so I try not to do it when she’s around but, if I have to…

Every day we give up more and more of our privacy and do so without thinking. All I want is to be generally left alone except when I allow or want someone to be in communication. The current corporate/government milieu is such that there are more and more demands for information such that it is inevitable that some part of our most private, confidential information is becoming more and more available where we may be used, abused or refused based upon factors of which we are wholly unaware.

So, I’m Tim Hogan. If you want more give me the same information (or more)!

By: Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:14:09 +0000

I do carry around a pocket-full of H’s at all times. There’s a longer story to it all. I was born “Richard” and Erich is a spelling that retains the name I used until I was 18: “Rich.”

By: (required)

(required) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:50:54 +0000

I think I can top all the name mangling stories because someone actually mangled my last name. Now, I know I shouldn’t give out personal information on the web, but I’ll let you in on a secret. My last name is Jones. I called some place once and I was flabbergasted when they asked my how to spell it. Even if you work in a call center on the other side of the planet, half a percent of Americans are named Jones (and probably another 5% who lie about their name choose Jones).. is it really possible that a person who speaks fluent, accentless English could not be familiar with the name Jones?

By: Erika Price

Erika Price — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:49:16 +0000

Last name manglings are bad, but nothing steams my broccoli like a first name misspelling. I am sure Erich is also a proud member in the “My name is not Eric(a) or Erick(a)” club.

By: NIklaus Pfirsig

NIklaus Pfirsig — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:53:03 +0000

I know someone that found the number for the phone in the breakroom at the local police station and would give that number out when asked for a phone number. A similar ploy is to use fictional characters from novels, or obscure historical figures. (e.g. Robinette Broadhead, Jubal Harshaw, Richard Saunders, Vlad Tepes, Freddy Busara and Roy Bean)