Live data from Hacker News

Shops return to rural Sweden but are now staff-free

bbc.co.uk

401–410 of 428 posts

Re: Shops return to rural Sweden but are now staff-free

#401
post #395
post #345

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be a good idea to remove the 'date' from the number. Edit: because having your birthday right there as part of common ID number is an obvious transgression of privacy that wasn't probably thought of back when the number was established. How anyone could disagree with this is beyond me.

Well it makes it pretty easy to remember. Never heard of anyone complaining about their birthday being known, so it seems to work pretty well.

Do people really have a hard time remembering their phone numbers, which are relatively private?

Having one's date of birth signalled to the world is an obvious breach of privacy in the modern age, and since there is obviously no need for it, it shouldn't be used.

That you have 'never heard of a concern' not hugelry if there are obviously people who are going to take umbrage - moreover - in this new information world order it can be used for all sorts of shady reasons.

There's clearly no need of it.

If the scheme were designed today, there's a 0% chance of DOB being used in the number.

Re: Shops return to rural Sweden but are now staff-free

#402
post #303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's also worth noting that BankID requires access location permission access (at least on Android).

Wait - BankID requires an Android or iOS app in Sweden? Sounds cumbersome. Here in Norway BankID is a SIM application that follows your SIM card regardless of OS or if you swap your phone. So you could basically stick your SIM in a stone age cell phone and still use your BankID.

> Wait - BankID requires an Android or iOS app

No you can use it on a PC too.

Re: Shops return to rural Sweden but are now staff-free

#403
post #303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's also worth noting that BankID requires access location permission access (at least on Android).

Wait - BankID requires an Android or iOS app in Sweden? Sounds cumbersome. Here in Norway BankID is a SIM application that follows your SIM card regardless of OS or if you swap your phone. So you could basically stick your SIM in a stone age cell phone and still use your BankID.

[deleted]

Re: Shops return to rural Sweden but are now staff-free

#404
post #306

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not so sure it's a matter of civilization - it's more a matter of infrastructure: The other piece of the puzzle is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Enforcement_Authority Basically the government runs debt collection in Sweden. They have the ability to withdraw money from your bank account. All of this is enabled by every resident having a (public) personal identity number.

Meanwhile in California people can steal from physical stores with impunity [1]. [1] https://youtu.be/HmOIQv0yu-U?t=480

California classifies this as "crimes of necessity" with zero repercussions and in many cases people defending the acts of lawlessness. In CA everything is upside down!!

Re: Shops return to rural Sweden but are now staff-free

#405
post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love the quick self service checkouts and will line up for them even when a regular staffed checkout is free. I’m just the opposite and instead dislike interaction I guess.

One implicit benefit of the self-service checkouts is that there's often one line for multiple machines. Any student of queuing theory will know how much this reduces waiting time compared to the one queue per cashier that's otherwise common.

> [one que for multiple cashiers] reduces waiting time compared to the one queue per cashier

Is this really correct? Shouldn't one grand queue just decrease variance, not average?

Re: Shops return to rural Sweden but are now staff-free

#406

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There is growing awareness that this service should not be run by private companies/banks. At risk of sounding snarky, I'm growing in awareness that the anonymous nature of paper money and coin had a lot of advantages. I would be unhappy if the only option for groceries in my area required me to strongly identify myself to shop there.

Why? Why are you worried about disclosing how much milk and eggs you buy? I know this is the age old "I have nothing to hide" argument but I truly am curious why people are so afraid of saying where they're travelling (train tickets) or what they're buying (shops). Don't you think that once that dystopian future comes - when that info might be used against you - we'll have much worse things to worry about?

> Don't you think that once that dystopian future comes - when that info might be used against you - we'll have much worse things to worry about?

Maybe you should read some dystopian fiction. You can see just how much we have to worry about, even in a "paradise".

Re: Shops return to rural Sweden but are now staff-free

#407
post #336

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don't you share with the workd your in-person purchases over the last year complete with location and time? It's just eggs and milk after all...

I don't agree with any information tracking, but should note that this type of collection, e.g., of shopping data, doesn't exactly mean the information will be leaked or used for nefarious purposes, etc. And, for many, they do share with the world what they're buying/many parts of their daily lives, just not by pushing a commit or updated a webpage; e.g., Twitter, Instagram, Snap.

Do you not see the difference between willingly sharing and implicitly sharing?

Re: Shops return to rural Sweden but are now staff-free

#408

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My store will shop for you, and deliver to your car. So if you value the time, that's a solution here.

As long as it's not produce. Everytime I try a shopping or delivery service a good chunk of the produce is trash. Bruised, under ripe, over ripe. Yes I am picky.

The same happened to me. I just couldn't to trust them choosing vegetables or fruit.

Re: Shops return to rural Sweden but are now staff-free

#409
post #306

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not so sure it's a matter of civilization - it's more a matter of infrastructure: The other piece of the puzzle is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Enforcement_Authority Basically the government runs debt collection in Sweden. They have the ability to withdraw money from your bank account. All of this is enabled by every resident having a (public) personal identity number.

Meanwhile in California people can steal from physical stores with impunity [1]. [1] https://youtu.be/HmOIQv0yu-U?t=480

This is a pretty common practice throughout the US. Some big chain retail stores will even fire employees if they try to confront a suspected thief.

It's generally cheaper to call the cops and file an insurance claim than it is to deal with worker's comp or lawsuits if something goes sideways.

Re: Shops return to rural Sweden but are now staff-free

#410
post #268

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Try starting a Blockchain company and they will violently fight you until they’ve (the big banks) have shut down your access.

As a Swede, I'm glad this is the case.

Why is preventing people from starting a legitimate business a good thing?
Post reply on HN