jmh@ns.network.com (1606) (05/15/89)
In article <880@jhereg.Jhereg.MN.ORG> mark@jhereg.MN.ORG (Mark H. Colburn) writes: >In article <508@thor.wright.EDU> jsloan@thor.UUCP writes: >>And I guess while we're at it, I'd better mention that Social >>Security Numbers are not, and were never intended to be, unique. > >It really depends on what you mean by unique. However, for each social >security number which is currently assigned there had better be exactly one >living person which corresponds to that social security number. I know of one case in which two individuals were assigned the same social security number. Too make matters worse, one of them stole money from the government, and the IRS and other agencies went after the other guy. They are still sorting out the mess. It appears that this can happen whenever two people have the same name and birthday. This is because the SSA can interpret a request for a new social security number as a request for information (i.e. what is my number). THey tell the difference by whether there is a number on file already. Thus, the same number is given out twice. Joel M. Halpern jmh@nsco.network.com Network Systems Corporation
sasaki@umbc3.UMBC.EDU (Dr. Jim Sasaki ) (05/15/89)
In article <508@thor.wright.EDU> jsloan@thor.UUCP writes: > It really depends on what you mean by unique. However, for each social > security number which is currently assigned there had better be exactly one > living person which corresponds to that social security number. The government would like this, but it often isn't. I once worked for a company that consulted for the Social Security Administration, and they had a huge poster that mentioned one instance: a wallet manufacturer enclosed a copy of someone's social security card (I guess wallet manufacturers don't like to ship empty wallets). Well, a large number of people decided that the number on their card must be their SSN. (Dozens, if I remember correctly.) Also, don't forget the other side of the problem: a number of people have more than one SSN -- they got one, forgot what it is, and reapplied. I'm pretty sure they have safeguards against this, nowadays. Jim Sasaki (sasaki@umbc3.umbc.edu) Please append standard disclaimer with respect to U of MD, SSA, etc.
jsloan@thor.UUCP (John Sloan) (05/17/89)
From article <1392@ns.network.com>, by jmh@ns.network.com (1606): > In article <880@jhereg.Jhereg.MN.ORG> mark@jhereg.MN.ORG (Mark H. Colburn) writes: >>In article <508@thor.wright.EDU> jsloan@wright.EDU writes: >>>And I guess while we're at it, I'd better mention that Social >>>Security Numbers are not, and were never intended to be, unique. : >>It really depends on what you mean by unique. However, for each social >>security number which is currently assigned there had better be exactly one >>living person which corresponds to that social security number. : > I know of one case in which two individuals were assigned the same > social security number. Too make matters worse, one of them stole : Any large organization that uses SSN as an identifier can tell you that the SSN is not unique. The chance of duplication is slim, but non-zero. The SSN is assigned on the basis of year, where you applied, etc. One of our student information systems database people can take your SSN and tell you all sorts of interesting things about yourself. The SSN was originally intended to be an index into a particular file folder in a particular file drawer in a particular file cabinet in the Social Security Administration. Remember, this was devised before the SSA was computerized. In that file folder could be several people's files... unlikely but possible. I agree that in 99.999999% of the time it is unique. And I agree that 99.999999% of the organizations that use the SSN assume it is unique. And I agree that in 99.999999% of the cases they are safe in doing so. But they are not guaranteed to be unique. John Sloan +1 513 259 1384 jsloan%spots.wright.edu@relay.cs.net Wright State University Research Center ...!uunet!ncrlnk!wright!jsloan 3171 Research Blvd., Kettering, OH 45420 ...!osu-cis!wright!jsloan Logical Disclaimer: belong(opinions,jsloan). belong(opinions,_):-!,fail.