http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080307a1.html

This is an article on something I'd missed and my grand parents have not mentioned. Japan is typing together people's records with the idea of assigning everyone an 11 digit number for Identification. I know Britain is working on a similar ID card but for SR and coming out of Japan. This is getting creepy.

An eleven digit ID code that has your basic info....Well, thats kinda like a Social Security Number, isn't it? Are SSNs comparable to SINs?

Well that's just not true because SSNs will never be used to... Erm... Nvm...

Yeah....I mean, as farout as SR surveillance sounds, we aren't that far away from it.

The difference, at least with regards to the British cards, is that they want to have everyone's fingerprints and other biometric information taken for what will be a compulsory system.

Also, from what I hear canadians already have SINs.

Correct. (not canadian, but i can throw a rock from where i'm at and hit the canadian border)

Well, we got the TIN now. Taxpayer Identification Number. While the number itself is not derived from any taxpayer data, it is associated with the resident's registry office, the local authority issuing ID cards and registering change of address, so our tax office may gain info that has been stored when a citizen got issued an ID card. This means even biometric data if one's gotten himself a passport post-2006.
Yes, it's conformity with our constitution is heavily discussed.

We do have SIN's It's stands for Social Insurance Number though. From the Service Canada website:



It's also been around for decades, it's mostly just a part of our social safety net, makes you eligible for stuff like Employment Insurance and whatnot. So far at least the govt. hasn't expanded it's capabilities beyond attaching your name to it so they can come after you round tax time. It has no biometric data attached to it, doesn't even have your address. It's just a plain white card with a 9 digit number and your name. A rather odd coincidence with the acronym though.

a true conspiracy theorist knows there are no such things as coincidences,just more pieces of the big picture falling into place

We will mold our future to fit Shadowrun. Just wait.

God, I hope not. The cyberware/magic would be cool. The crime part... no thanks. I prefer my world to be a little safer.

Well, we'll know the answer on the magic part in about another 4 1/2 years...

don't forget about those annoying little mana spikes...some of us may be there now !!

True enough. Considering i don't appear to be one of those, i'm still keeping my fingers crossed for the big one.

I just hope I stay a hummie...

I wanna be an elf. Elves rawk. w00t, fanboyism.

If you were destined to be an elf, you already are one...

Now you can only become Troll or Ork (or something even badder...)