Re: Surrogate keys (Was: enums)

On Thu, Jan 19, 2006 at 12:50:52AM -0800, David Fetter wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 19, 2006 at 12:06:41AM -0500, Tom Lane wrote:
> No, that's not the big problem. The big problem is that it's very
> likely illegal for you to use it for anything unless you happen to be
> the Social Security Administration.

Actually no. From reading here[1] it appears anyone is allowed to ask
you your SSN and they can do what they like with it.

What you're describing is more like the TFN in Australia. Apart from
the fact you're not required to have one or provide it if asked, if
you're not a bank, or share registrary or some other such institution,
you're not allowed to ask for it, let alone store it. Medicare number
the same, if you're not a health service provider, you can't ask for
it.

Anyway, this doesn't mean an SSN is a good key, for all sorts of other
reasons people have already stated.

[1] http://www.cpsr.org/prevsite/cpsr/privacy/ssn/ssn.faq.html#IsItIllegalToAsk

Have a nice day,
--
Martijn van Oosterhout <kleptog(at)svana(dot)org> http://svana.org/kleptog/
> Patent. n. Genius is 5% inspiration and 95% perspiration. A patent is a
> tool for doing 5% of the work and then sitting around waiting for someone
> else to do the other 95% so you can sue them.