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Supermarket Loyalty Cards Vs National ID Cards

Posted by samzenpus on from the track-everything dept.

john.wingfield writes "The BBC is running a story on a speech David Blunkett, the British Home Secretary, has given on ID cards and supermarket loyalty cards. He criticises the data protection arrangements for the loyalty cards whilst simultaneously (hypocritically?) promoting his own national ID card scheme, which is exempt from the Data Protection Act 1998. See also the UK Information Commissioner's (data protection and freedom of information watchdog) concerns about the ID card scheme."

19 of 480 comments (clear)

  1. Poetry time! by wrinkledshirt · · Score: 4, Funny

    There once was a man called Blunkett.
    Loyalty Programs? He tried to debunk it.
    But his views on privacy
    Were pure hypocrisy,
    So Britons everywhere said "Man, you flunk it!"

    --

    --------
    Bleah! Heh heh heh... BLEAH BLEAH!!! Ha ha ha ha...

    1. Re:Poetry time! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      The poem was quite swell,
      Yes, all was going well,
      Except one thing,
      You musn't be be king,
      To see that the poem had far too many syllables for it's own good.

    2. Re:Poetry time! by wrinkledshirt · · Score: 3, Funny

      Hey, buddy, YOU try making a poem out of a name like "Blunkett." It isn't as easy as it looks.

      --

      --------
      Bleah! Heh heh heh... BLEAH BLEAH!!! Ha ha ha ha...

    3. Re:Poetry time! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      It's easy, just go post-modern.

      Blunkett.
      Spider eggs in the attic.
      Lost souls cry out at night.
      gonegonegonegonegonegone.
      So alone.

    4. Re:Poetry time! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      There once was a Slashdot story,
      The first post was quite gory,
      It showed a pig,
      Oh, it was big,
      Humping a man's hole o' glory.

  2. resistance is futile by howhardcanitbetocrea · · Score: 3, Funny

    If anyone thinks that just by not having a supermarket loyalty card they have more privacy, they are kidding themselves. If someone wants to know that on Friday I buy women's underwear and what size I prefer they are welcome to the information....as long as I get a free iPod

    --

    President ISES
    (International Society for Elimination of Sigs)
  3. Re:MOD THIS (MASTERFUL) TROLL DOWN by Anubis350 · · Score: 2, Funny

    ::chuckles::
    I didnt click it, I sent to a friend of mine to see what it was when I didnt recognize the link, reaction was priceless.
    ::evil laugh::
    --Anubis

    --
    "goodbye and hello, as always" ~Prince Corwin, from Zelazny's Amber series
  4. Wait your turn! by Chuck+Chunder · · Score: 2, Funny

    Australia's next.

    --
    Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
  5. False Data by Alien54 · · Score: 2, Funny
    I usually fill them out with false data, Tell them that I moved, and the address on my license is out of date.

    tho now they want to mail the things to you.

    --
    "It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
    1. Re:False Data by superpulpsicle · · Score: 3, Funny

      Isn't everyone...

      Name: Test User
      Home: 10 main st, Beverly hills 90210
      Phone: (555) 555-1234
      Email: Test@aol.com

  6. Not a Limerick by Omkar · · Score: 4, Funny

    The rhythm is off, but the rhyme is true, so the reader is left hanging. M yattempt to fix:
    The once was a man named Blunkett
    Privacy? Tried to debunk it.
    But his guv'ment's card
    Hit privacy hard
    Hypocrisy test? He flunked it!

    That was godwaful. See why I'm going to major in math?

    1. Re:Not a Limerick by Stevis · · Score: 2, Funny

      Mmmm. Godwaffles.

      --
      We've got two lives, one we're given, and the other one we make. --Mary Chapin Carpenter
  7. Re:It's a sad time we live in by calibanDNS · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hopefully I can mod my duct-tape wallet to support that. Or maybe ThinkGeek will start offering RFID-blocking wallet/bag/clothing? Hint hint if you're reading this ThinkGeek admins!

  8. Only safe in the right hands by calibanDNS · · Score: 2, Funny

    Your grocery discount card is only safe in the right hands! Just imagine what they'd do if they found your National ID card.

  9. Re:Forget the stupid cards, give me service! by calibanDNS · · Score: 2, Funny

    Excellent. My plot to conquer the world by learning all chain store geographic boundaries is going well. Now if only I can pinpoint the exact location where Mr. Pibb becomes available as only a fountain drink...

  10. Re:Not Interesting (DON'T CLICK) by kfg · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is the pig cute?

    KFG

  11. I mean... by LardBrattish · · Score: 4, Funny

    He criticises the data protection arrangements for the loyalty cards whilst simultaneously (hypocritically?) promoting his own national ID card scheme, which is exempt from the Data Protection Act 1998.

    I mean, you'd have to be blind not to see that wouldn't you?

    --
    What are you listening to? (http://megamanic.blogetery.com/)
  12. Re:You can swap grocery cards with no harm to anyo by bludstone · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is what I do. They think I am Paul R*, a coworker. He was bitching about the card system, and tracking, so I said "so, lets swap cards. That way they'll think you are me, and Im you."

    Funny though, I had previously swapped cards.

    Now Paul is a woman. :)

    --

    no .sig
  13. Haiku time! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    > Firstly you dispose of the classical rules of rhyme.
    >
    > Blunkett's an arsehole.

    Then you apply the haiku rules; stylistically, you're supposed to refer to the environment, or a season, or something like that, and there's supposed to be some sort of internal contrast or conflict going on.

    I came up with the following internal monologue, in haiku form:

    Blunkett's an arsehole.
    My slashdot poetry sucks.
    Fuck you, it's winter.