Telephones and people

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Somehow or other, the independent concepts of people and phones have got co=
nflated. It really amazes me. We have known, mentioned, and discussed, here=
 in this group, and I expect these discussions have been reflected in other=
 fire fora, the reality that phones are widely shared in India. At the same=
 time, with the advent of data connectivity devices, portable WiFi hotspots=
, the likelihood of single persons having many phone numbers has also grown=
.=C2=A0
In such a scenario, mandating any public service on an assumed (immutable a=
nd not voluntarily consented) phone number<=3D>individual relationship woul=
d appear to be intrinsically foolish. Yet this is precisely what various go=
vernment departments have begun doing. Partly, and rather sadly, given that=
 it is after all a technology driven service, no matter what else is hugely=
 wrong with it, the unique identity numbering scheme has been intrinsic to =
the spreading assumption that=C2=A0phone number<=3D>individual=C2=A0is mean=
ingful and even workable. But that isn't the whole truth, to me it appears =
that laziness and shirking of basic responsibility on the part of various g=
overnment officers who should know better is also a huge and growing proble=
m.=C2=A0
And it is an expensive problem. In Mumbai alone, the traffic police departm=
ent is owed nearly 120cr, largely I suspect due to the simple reason that t=
ext messages about traffic offences are being sent to people who either do =
not or no longer own vehicles, and who therefore ignore them. The famous la=
ck of coordination between vehicle registration and traffic control departm=
ents then leaves the unpaid penalties in a black hole.=C2=A0

Vickram
________
Adlai Stevenson was once told, "All thinking people are with you."=20
"That's not enough," he replied, "I need a majority."
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Somehow or other, the independent concepts of people and phones have got co=
nflated. It really amazes me. We have known, mentioned, and discussed, here=
 in this group, and I expect these discussions have been reflected in other=
 fire fora, the reality that phones are widely shared in India. At the same=
 time, with the advent of data connectivity devices, portable WiFi hotspots=
, the likelihood of single persons having many phone numbers has also grown=
.&nbsp;<div id=3D"yMail_cursorElementTracker_1538462267178"><br></div><div =
id=3D"yMail_cursorElementTracker_1538462267357">In such a scenario, mandati=
ng any public service on an assumed (immutable and not voluntarily consente=
d) phone number&lt;=3D&gt;individual relationship would appear to be intrin=
sically foolish. Yet this is precisely what various government departments =
have begun doing. Partly, and rather sadly, given that it is after all a te=
chnology driven service, no matter what else is hugely wrong with it, the u=
nique identity numbering scheme has been intrinsic to the spreading assumpt=
ion that&nbsp;<span style=3D"font-family: sans-serif;" id=3D"yMail_cursorEl=
ementTracker_1538462495872">phone number&lt;=3D&gt;individual&nbsp;is meani=
ngful and even workable. But that isn't the whole truth, to me it appears t=
hat laziness and shirking of basic responsibility on the part of various go=
vernment officers who should know better is also a huge and growing problem=
.&nbsp;</span></div><div id=3D"yMail_cursorElementTracker_1538462267357"><f=
ont face=3D"sans-serif"><br></font></div><div id=3D"yMail_cursorElementTrac=
ker_1538462267357"><font face=3D"sans-serif" id=3D"yMail_cursorElementTrack=
er_1538462589851">And it is an expensive problem. In Mumbai alone, the traf=
fic police department is owed nearly 120cr, largely I suspect due to the si=
mple reason that text messages about traffic offences are being sent to peo=
ple who either do not or no longer own vehicles, and who therefore ignore t=
hem. The famous lack of coordination between vehicle registration and traff=
ic control departments then leaves the unpaid penalties in a black hole.&nb=
sp;<br></font><br><div id=3D"ymail_android_signature">Vickram<br>________<b=
r>Adlai Stevenson was once told, "All thinking people are with you." <br>"T=
hat's not enough," he replied, "I need a majority."<br>----------</div></di=
v>
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