Thou art number 1820383130

[ik911]

In Holland, and I'm sure in other countries and other times, applicationforms are quite often refused for the name on top. A dutch native non-immigrant once sent several application forms to companies under his own name and under the name of Muhammed <?Something> (some foreign name.)

While their applicationforms were the same, the Dutch name was invited for a sollicitation remarkably more often than his Marroccan alias.

Our friends from the government have therefor invented a new rule. Application forms will no longer require a name.

At first sight, this seems an okay rule. Applicationforms will probably get a number or something like that which does not reveal the sollicitant's origin directly at the start, without being given a chance yet.

However, when you think of it as being reduced to a number once more, the situation gets a twist. It might just be applicationforms now to give the immigrants a fairer chance, but this might and probably will continue.

I am many numbers already. At the university I am b1257552, for various organizations I am a reference number or a client code or a passport number.

We might not expect more from large companies, but doesn't this numberification worry you?

I might say: The general individual is put in front of the individual personality.

Or I could put this in a future perspective: In the future I will be a number, costing the company I work for a certain amount, producing a certain quantity and having a certain history of certificates that qualify or guarantee my skills.

So that's what this thread is about. Reducing people to numbers. What do you think?

[Athena]

Inevitable Blasphamy.

[Fiona]

I don't think this is necessarily the way to go.But I do think the problem of bias exists and we need to do something. The kind of research you refer to has been done here and elsewhere with similar results. At present, so far as I can see, we have positive discrimination in favour of white middle class males. All other forms of positive discrimination are illegal. No fair. If you don't like numbers, what do you suggest?

[Ravager]

I have a University number too. And then I have to enter a number whenever I try to use my debit card. Not to mention a dozen other number related things...

Anyway, I don't have that much of a problem with the idea of numbering applications, I suppose if that number sticks with you for your entire life and records are kept under that, it would be different.

Of course, if someone has a real prejudice based on the type of applicants, when said applicant gets to an interview, they could be rejected on the same unfair basis.

I remember that some employers who had a huge amount of application forms to get through would throw away forms that had spelling errors and the like without bothering to look at them. 'If the person can't even spell/be bothered to check their form why should we?'

Oh, I forgot to include my number: 000319459. And I've even memorised that.

[arno_v]

We are becoming numbers in many organisations, the question is if it is a bad thing. I suppose it's not a really big problem. If an organisation is that big it is faster and easier to use numbers instead of names, the people in that organisation probably couldn't remember your name anyway. So I don't think it will be more personal or you'll have better contacts with others if names would be used.

I this case I really see the point in using numbers, it often strikes me how much racism there is under our fellow countrymen so this could be a good way to avoid some of it. It's not a solution though but it may help.

[dj_venom]

I really don't see a problem with it, because as the population grows bigger, names are going to be more and more frequent (except for some of the weird ones... like Apple), so rather than having to differentiate by other means, you can simply assign a unique number.

And I'm still High-school, so the number is small...
4302!

[Kipi]

Hmmm... this topic had made me think...
As a referee, I'm quite often refered by my license number. In university, my student number is only that matters. When filling applications or something else official, I mostly refered by my personal code (numbers) which is individual and is given when I born.

So, actually nothing has changed, IMO. I have already been thought as serie of numbers, and to those numbers is attached my name, occupation, age and so on...

[Hill-Shatar]

It's not much different on a file to me then if your name was stamped accross the front, personally. Instead, your a number, instead of Hill, <firstname> and these are your qualities...

@ DJV: I hate you. My high school number was 390295001.

Actually, the funny thing is that when you first signed up, all the forum knew about you was what you had chosen for your screen name, your member number, and your IP address.

Well, that's all I can think to post for now, 17906.

-23252

[Fiberfar]

We may all have a number of some kind. I feel like number 1 though

[dj_venom]

[QUOTE=Hill-Shatar]@ DJV: I hate you. My high school number was 390295001. [/QUOTE]

I'd hate having to type that in everytime I log on a computer... life is good .

[QUOTE=Hill-Shatar]Actually, the funny thing is that when you first signed up, all the forum knew about you was what you had chosen for your screen name, your member number, and your IP address. [/QUOTE]

Well, only mods and admins know the IP, us commoners aren't privilleged enough . But that's true, Hill1 .