this post was submitted on 14 Mar 2024
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[–] [email protected] 142 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (5 children)

Not to defend the social security number system (because it's terrible for unique identification of individuals and when it was created it wasn't even intended to be used for that purpose) but you're not supposed to carry it around with you all the time. It's supposed to be in a drawer/safe/fireproof bag with the rest of your important documents, and only brought out when you need it.

[–] [email protected] 121 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Why make it a card then? If it's meant to be stored as a document then it should be the size of an envelope, or a standard A4 sheet.

I keep mine attached to the envelope sized paper it came on. But it shouldn't be a card shape, that encourages people to carry it. My grandpa always carried his.

[–] [email protected] 54 points 8 months ago (5 children)

Don't mention A4 paper, it scares the Americans. If any of them could read, they would be very afraid right now.

[–] [email protected] 95 points 8 months ago (1 children)

A4

Is that a type of rifle? I'll take 12!

[–] [email protected] 20 points 8 months ago

You’ll get either 8 ½ or 11 and you’ll like it.

[–] [email protected] 45 points 8 months ago

Using entirely reasonable standards that most of the rest of the world has adopted is too hard for us for some reason.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Today I'm going to use paper to feel superior to someone else.

[–] Gabu 15 points 8 months ago

To be fair, simply not having to live in the US already gives that rush.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

Amateur, we professionals don't have to use anything for that

[–] yuriy 18 points 8 months ago (1 children)

This week on “Things Non-Americans Think Americans Don’t Know About!”

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Right?

Like just because we export all our media to you (because it's better) and make fun of our stereotypes in that media, doesn't mean that most of us are like that. Believe it or not we actually have cool stuff that's uniquely American.

And the reason you see Kraft singles is because we don't want to share our BBQ with you.

[–] TheBat 7 points 8 months ago (3 children)

export all our media to you (because it's better)

Lmao. Get back to me when you've got something like Taskmaster, Would I Lie To You, or QI.

[–] Alexstarfire 8 points 8 months ago

We can't do everything for you guys. We're holding down the imperial system almost single handedly. Help a brother out.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

America has the Squid Games reality show and Mr Beast. They're kind of like Taskmaster if the point of Taskmaster was dangling life changing money in front of poor people.

[–] TheBat 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

They're nothing like Taskmaster then lmao.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

That is the joke, yes.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

You're proving my point though? Those all look like C rate game shows that show up in the worst time slots here in the states.

If you said Doctor who, like 15 years ago, then I'd give you a solid maybe.

[–] TheBat 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

look like

Yeah that's an American problem. Preferring a glossy looking garbage over something non-glamorous but substantial.

FYI I'm neither American nor European.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Tell me what country you're from, then, so I can look up how to roast it in the book of Places No One Gives a Shit About.

[–] TheBat 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Wow you're a really thinskinned dicktip.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Nah, I'm trolling you because you're stupid.

[–] yuriy 3 points 8 months ago

American here, you’re straight up wrong. We have no equivalent to their panel shows. Comparing them to game shows is like comparing open heart surgery to being stabbed.

[–] NocturnalMorning 12 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Hey now, I can read...but, what's this A4 paper you speak of?

[–] [email protected] 20 points 8 months ago (5 children)
[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago (1 children)

8/11.5

Not sure if a joke or an actual paper size

[–] problematicPanther 8 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Actually a size. More commonly referred to as "letter" sized. It's 8x11.5 inches, which is pretty close to A4, but it'll confuse printers if you mix the 2 up.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

but it’ll confuse printers if you mix the 2 up.

So far all printers I've seen can switch between both. The real problem is your Writer/Word document, because after the slight reformatting it's now all over the place.

[–] Gordon 3 points 8 months ago

It's actually 8.5x11 not 8x11.5

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago (1 children)

sips tea and extends pinky

Am I doing metric right?

[–] [email protected] 17 points 8 months ago

Actually no, the Brits shit on us for it but by most approaches they're actually even worse than we are

The bruvs be usin' STONE out here and acting like they get to crack wise

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

More Square root, you mean!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

You mean 8.5/11?

[–] Gordon 1 points 8 months ago

You mean 8.5x11

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It's a size of paper with an aspect ratio of 1:√2, and the short edge that is 21cm long. The long edge will then be 21√2 = 29.7cm. The aspect ratio has the interesting property that it can be halved and doubled while remaining constant.

This has been your ISO fact of the day.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

ISO 7304-2:2008 defines a standard for cooking spaghetti. Subsection 3.9 "Completeness" closely resembles "al denté" but isn't true al denté; as 3.9 states "no white core visible" when a noodle is inspected crosswise with a razor blade. Al denté phase is sensed via the teeth for texture differential of the inner and outer part of a spaghetti. No agreement has been reached by international consortium of Italian food preparers and dentists as to which tooth is to be used. Thus, the standard must be reviewed every 5 years by sensory analysis.

[–] agent_flounder 3 points 8 months ago

Idk. Maybe because there's only a few pieces of info on it. Someone would say "why do you need to use a whole sheet of paper for just this?"

[–] [email protected] 39 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Every time ya try to fix the NatID problem though suddenly it's a surveillance state system and not just an efficient nexus for federal services and permissions.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 8 months ago (1 children)

There are some people who don't want a national ID system because they think that's like a biblical prophecy. Somehow those people are still allowed to operate heavy machinery.

Some people don't want it because they don't want a functional government.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

Ain't that the truth. Fuckin' lunatics.

[–] Donkter 9 points 8 months ago (4 children)

That's the thing. At this point, anything that could replace ssn cards will be much more technical and much more invasive.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago

No, it would be less technical since it would cut down the number of cards you have to carry around, and be less invasive since it would drastically raise the difficulty of identity theft

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Eh... You guys all use credit cards anyway

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

They voluntarily put webcams in their houses with several known security issues which transmit everything open in the cloud. And they purposefully have a listening device which transmits to Amazon whatever they talk about in order to be able to listen to music without having to use a mouse or tap on a screen.

But having an ID with a photo on it? That's where they put the line

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

oooo yeah my ID card is so invasive, it has my birth date and a photo on it!

[–] Kalysta 2 points 8 months ago

Does it even matter when data brokers already know everything about you and happily sell that info?

People freak about national IDs while happily giving all their info to websites like amazon or facebook. It’s insane.

[–] MisterFrog 1 points 8 months ago

We have the same issue in Australia, and your driver's licence basically fills the same purpose.

But honestly, we should just have a national ID system, and just make it optional, like a driver's licence already is... (You just get asked for other forms of ID)

[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago

I've lost my place to stay more than I've lost my wallet.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

For real. Mine's about 40 years old and still looks pretty mint.

[–] Kalysta 1 points 8 months ago

It’s also techinally illegal to use for identification unless it’s being used for tax purposes. Yet so many people illegally ask for it and barely anyone protests. https://www.justice.gov/opcl/overview-privacy-act-1974-2020-edition/ssn