Re: How do I get this query to work?

On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 19:50:27 +0100, Noel <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 10:43:26 -0700, Gene Wirchenko
><genew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

[snip]

> I do not use auto-increment. I used
>>it once on a student project, and found that it caused other
>>difficulties, so I know whereof I write. When I have to allocate
>>sequentially increasing numbers, I write my own code, because the
>>complications are too much for stupid, blind incrementing. For
>>example, when allocating work order numbers, it is good to avoid
>>skipping any.
>
>Ditto, not just to avoid skipping numbers, but to provide greater
>portability.

That, too.

>>>An SSN does not verify that an entity exists either, when you think
>>>about it. All an SSN verifies is that an SSN exists.
>>
>> It does not even do that. If I give you my SSN with two
>>different digits reversed, it may or moy not be a valid SSN.
>
>I would expect any system using SSN as a candidate key would at least
>validate the number. However, assuming the number *is* valid, it
>still verifies nothing other than the fact that it is an SSN.

It may not be possible to validate it. Do you think that the
U.S. government would offer a SSN validation service? There are
privacy implications.

It may be possible to validate that the entry may be a *possible*
SSN. I do not know that the SSN has a validation for this. Canada's
Social Insurance Number does. By it, 000000000 is a valid SIN though.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

.

Relevant Pages

  • RE: ID Fruad - Is there more hype than risk?
    ... Use an SSN to file tax returns for refunds. ... Use a group of data to validate another persons credentials. ... ID Fruad - Is there more hype than risk? ... At the risk of opening a can of worms, ...
    (Security-Basics)
  • Re: OT: A Solution or Not
    ... Quoting Shawn Gordon: ... has a piss poor method for an employer to validate an SSN, ... employers the tools to validate legality, they really are a bit hampered. ...
    (comp.sys.hp.mpe)