everything about social security numbers is so fucking stupid. here's the most important card in your life with your unique number thats just +1 to the last, we've printed it on 1ply toilet paper and no you cant make copies but if you lose it or its stolen you're unpersoned at your expense and we're uploading them all to biggie ballz's imgur btw
this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2025
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These are the fucking people in charge 
Failing ever upward
Security breaches of private servers are funny when they happen at the expense of a Secretary of State, less funny when they happen to the entire general public.
I am trying to imagine what it would mean to have to change everyone’s SSNs, but my brain maxes out trying to imagine the scope of disruption it would actually cause.
IMO, an SSN crisis is something to be accelertionist about. Mine showed up on the dark web and I had to freeze it so nobody can start collecting with it when I'm old enough. If social security is still paying out when I'm old enough, am I going to have to keep checking on it every month to make sure it's still paying out to me and not some rando h4x0r? I'd much rather see everyone's SSN compromised so we can come up with a better system than a 9-digit number you have to give to countless people and systems during your life in the hope that you manage to rack up a 65-year hack-free streak.
I agree with everything you’ve written.
I think I was more thinking about in the sense that it’s the core element that underpins everyone’s identity, next to birth certificates, and it’s buried at the core of things like citizenship verification, tax stuff, job documents, credit scores, etc. so just thinking about how much incredible mess it would cause for people in the short term.
But like you say, it might be worth it if we got to a better system on the other side.
If social security is still paying out when I'm old enough
Good news for you regarding this worry at least
Software engineers really need a version of a PE to mitigate this hellscape. That, and systems like this need a tech equivalent of building codes.
Software engineers are an out-of-shape bunch and definitely need physical education but I'm not sure how that'd help with bad security practices
A PE is an engineering professional who has earned a license to practice engineering. To become licensed, engineers must complete a four-year college degree, work under a Professional Engineer for at least four years, pass two intensive competency exams and receive a license from their state's licensure board. Then, to retain their licenses, PEs must continually maintain and improve their skills throughout their careers.
Didn't know the jargon, but I totally agree. It is absolutely wild that you can graduate with a CS degree and immediately start working on the largest computing systems known to man without having ever taken a security course or ethics course, studied software engineering disasters, or passed any kind of competency exam.
any version of PE should be revised to include more firm accountability. PE laws are as much about setting up liability scapegoats as anything. the scale of these systems is such that any one individual or small group of culpable individuals isn't capable of responsibly covering the liability for their decisions. individual PE liability is good for malpractice and whatnot, but the companies that own and derive the majority of the surplus value from building and owning these systems need to be more on the hook too. failing that, PE rules just turn into a way to shunt liability from the company to the individual while retaining profits
this is the real reason those kids beat up big balls... they were just looking out for us...
...bruh
social insecurity 