[LINK] It's 2030, and digital wallets have replaced every card in our purses and pockets

[Jan Whitaker]

On 25/09/2023 9:33 am, Kim Holburn wrote:
> I do wonder though, if we get to the point that all important 
> documents are in a single device, what happens if someone loses their 
> device, it gets stolen or confiscated by a representative of a 
> government?

Good things to wonder about. Single point of failure is just as bad or 
possibly worse depending on the circumstances than multiple points of 
failure. The power went out in Aldi's last week. They threw us out.

Another problem for single access: who can change that 'one' copy? Pair 
it with identity theft and you're sunk unless there are, of course, 
attached biometrics, but we know how that's turned out - not well.

I have a pretty stupid smart phone. Bare bones. It does have my Covid 
status on it because we had to. I don't use payment wallets. I don't 
even know if my phone could do it.

We walked into the tap and go payments, so now we're being charged for 
EVERY card transaction so the middle parties can make a buck, too. Even 
EFTs. The banks and 'money' handlers have won.

Democracy is under threat. I don't wear a tinfoil hat (people actually 
used to do that!), but the storm clouds are there to be seen. Australia 
is a bit player. We follow, we seldom lead anything, so whatever is 
happening in the tech world will influence our 'democratically elected' 
"leaders", no matter what we warn them about. Just look at the continual 
money dump of the My Health Record that has had so many different names, 
I've lost track. It's an everready bunny that just keeps on going and 
getting funding.

I've reached the point myself where it's all just too hard to even think 
about or waste any brain space on it. I admire folks like Roger and 
others who keep fighting the good fight (he's older than me and still 
does it!).

I'm out for a dinner Wednesday night and the restaurant can't split 
bills (or won't) for 18 people. In a different eatery, where we go 
monthly, they manage just fine for over 30 people. So I had to tell our 
members to bring cash Wednesday night so we can cover the cost of the 
meal. The restaurant shifted the 'work' to the CUSTOMER. It's nuts!

And then there's the fake SMS messages from Google that are going 
around. Remember 2FA? Yeah, that's working well - not when the fakes get 
hold of it.

Oh, and my other member who came by my place to pick something up last 
Tuesday who was nearly in tears because she'd been hit by a 'Telstra' 
faker who had her credit card number and address! Only, the payment she 
makes to Telstra was from a DIFFERENT bank. The "Telstra" faker was 
after her CSV number for that card number he had. She went to the bank, 
but the bank did NOT offer for her to get a new number. I sent her back 
to get one. I don't know if she has or not.

It's all too damn hard.

Jan