One day soon, we will of course all be barcoded by our large sibling. In order to put off the evil day, tattoos should be placed of random numbers all over our bodies with no tattooable area left. At the same time, subcutaneous RFID chips containing random numbers should be inserted under our skins in various places. This would circumvent the authorities so that then, they'd just have to kill us instead of surveilling us. It's a win-win situation.-- nineteenthly, May 22 2010 Alternatively, just tell it that the other six heads are whispering behind its back.-- pertinax, May 24 2010 Tie the necks in a knot.-- nineteenthly, May 24 2010 I don't think we'll be barcoded anytime soon - people may cock-a-snoop at the idea on a number of different levels.
If we are barcoded, it will be figuratively (through being allocated a social security number for example) or practically (through your address, or again, through the requirement of having a social-security number - and address - in order to gain employment - these, plus a non-nomadic lifestyle means people are generally likely to be at predictable locations throughout the day) In which-case, it's already happened, at least twice.
The idea could be conceptually applied to these methods of social constraint however - Perhaps people might be to gain access to multiple social security numbers through shared consent, or to pool addresses, bank accounts, driving licences and passports in a collective manner - should the authorities turn up, just say Spartacus isn't in.-- zen_tom, May 25 2010 Lots of people have barcode tattoos. Twenty years ago it looked a bit edgy and cyberpunk. Now it looks lame and 'me-too'. That's the trouble with making a fashion statement through the medium of tattooing - you're then stuck with it.-- hippo, May 25 2010 Well, in a sense this is not in the real world as such. I don't literally believe in the Beast in Revelations, for example. My main concern with this idea is that a barcode can presumably be retattooed, using something like titanium dioxide to cover up the previous one.
[Zen_tom], good thinking. That's been happening for decades between married couples in a way, now i come to think of it.-- nineteenthly, May 25 2010 [zen_tom] I like the idea, but think it wouldnt work. "They" would just prosecute *all* the Spartacus's for identity theft. Might not even need any additional laws to do it.-- mouseposture, May 25 2010 I have seen a motorcycle painted yellow and adorned with randomly located black adhesive numbers and letters, presumably to avoid detection by ANPR devices. Same principal.
Unfortunately, legislation surrounding compulsory ID is more likely to take a form which prevents the individual from doing anything unless they can prove their individual status. We already have a great deal of legislation based on the new 'guilty until proven innocent' policy.-- Twizz, May 27 2010 [mouse] it isn't "theft" if the identity is relinquished willingly - more a kind of identity loan - Thinking about it, this isn't new, since providing a Cooporation (of individuals) with a single legal-entity status pretty much does this already.
Developing that as an idea, it follows that the best way to ensure you are ignored by the system is through the creation and maintainance of a series of corporate identities behind which you can operate in a climate of relative freedom.-- zen_tom, May 27 2010 random, halfbakery