Previous Politech message: http://www.politechbot.com/2005/11/09/rfid-protesters-target/ My own views on RFID regulation, if anyone's terribly interested: http://news.com.com/Don't+regulate+RFID--yet/2010-1039_3-5327719.html I also received a message from a library director at a public library that I've been asked not to post verbatim. To summarize it, they're planning to replace bar code and security tags with RFID tags within the next three years. That will let librarians check out a pile of books without opening each one -- and also put a scanner in the book return slot too. One huge benefit is to staff ergonomics (that's a lot of book handling eliminated). The RFID tag does not contain any information about the book or patron, just a unique ID like a barcode -- only numbers. A boycott-worthy "spychip?" Or a way to help librarians avoid carpal tunnel injuries, save money, and use their budgets to actually buy more books? -Declan -------- Original Message -------- Subject: RE: [Politech] RFID protesters target Wal-Mart, demand new laws and regulations [priv] Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2005 12:18:38 -0500 From: Jim Harper <jharper@private> To: Declan McCullagh <declan@private> CC: <kma@private> I have long taken a (risky) stance in favor of RFID (but not in government-issued ID cards) because of the benefits to consumers. No anti-RFID activist probably has this problem, but saving nickels and dimes is important to many people on the margins of our society. Rather than painting the debate in such broad brush-strokes, thoughtful people should study the technology and the alternative chip and data designs that blend consumers' interests in privacy, low price, convenience, and so on. Just yesterday, I read about another of dozens of such innovations, an antenna that can be shortened by the consumer to correspondingly shorten the read range. http://www1.rfidjournal.com/article/view/1972/ Each such alternative has its benefits and drawbacks and I won't predict the appropriate design for each potential use of RFID. A variety of factors will influence it. https://www.cei.org/gencon/019,04217.cfm I don't think picketing in front of a store that uses RFID on pallets and cartons helps the process very much. It probably does chill the supply chain efforts that would make immigrants and the poor just a little bit better off. Jim Harper Director of Information Policy Studies The Cato Institute and Editor Privacilla.org _______________________________________________ Politech mailing list Archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Moderated by Declan McCullagh (http://www.mccullagh.org/)
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