Slashdot Mirror
NYT on RFID
The New York Times has a piece on RFID tags. It's basic, but worth reading as a milestone - the technology is starting to enter the public eye. These RFID tags will have unique serial numbers - every RFID-tagged item you purchase will be uniquely different from every other nearly-identical item, enabling it to be identified and associated with you long after the purchase. And no, microwaving will generally not destroy the tags, and no, most items won't be microwaveable anyway. Try to microwave your couch.
yeah, i should have contributed a beowulf cluster or soviet russia joke like this:0 74387
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=80232&cid=7
There are some objections and a lot of legitimate strengths to RFID technology. I am surprised to see so many on slashdot being such knee-jerk Luddites. This is promising technology and there are clearly ways to limit the risks it poses.
Here are what seem to be the risks:
1. Businesses keep a database of my purchases and spending habits. What do I care? Maybe they will keep stocking and producing more of what I want to buy. Maybe they will use this to market stuff to me that I am actually interested in. What is the problem with that? The grocery stores already do it with the cards they issue and I am happy to have them do it.
2. Bad guys will drive by and scan my house to see what there is worth stealing. This is not a credible threat, as someone else has pointed out, these are passive tags that can't be read easily at a distance.
3. Nefarious gov't figures will be able to track my movements and will imprison me or kill me. Am I overstating this fear for dramatic effect? Well, what exactly is the fear? If this can be determined to be a true threat to our rights against unwarranted search and seizure, all we have to do is pass a law to have the units blanked out upon the point of sale. It also would seem to be technologically unfeasible.
There are probably many many ways to get around these weaknesses which in my mind are not really that great a threat anyway. The laws against unwarranted search are going to end up being a challenge to the worst of them anyway. The creation of these technologies does not suddenly cause the veracity of deeply entrenched law to just evaporate like a mist.
What are the benefits?
1. I am a database developer, and this is going to create a LOT or work for me for years to come. What's wrong with that?
2. This will greatly increase the efficiency of inventory and logistics systems, cutting down on the need for tedious soul-killing work counting widgets and keeping track of stuff.
3. There are a lot of really fabulous futuristic applications for this that I can't wait to see implemented. The article mentioned auto-inventory of medicine to see what is expired.
4. Far more accurate and efficient inventory means less cost to bring stuff to market which means better stuff for lower prices, or better profits for businesses whcih means more $ available to hire ME to beef up their information infrastructure.
5. These benefits are only the tip of the iceberg.