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The government doesn't use SQL (programming.dev)

submitted 2 weeks ago by suy@programming.dev to c/programmer_humor@programming.dev

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See the post on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/provisionalidea.bsky.social/post/3lhujtm2qkc2i

According to many comments, the US government DOES use SQL, and Musk is not understanding much what's going on.

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[–] senkora@lemmy.zip 40 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Small correction to an otherwise great explanation: SSNs are not recycled after death.

**Q20: *Are Social Security numbers reused after a person dies?*****A: No. We do not reassign a Social Security number (SSN) after the number holder's death. Even though we have issued over 453 million SSNs so far, and we assign about 5 and one-half million new numbers a year, the current numbering system will provide us with enough new numbers for several generations into the future with no changes in the numbering system.

https://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 22 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

"Several generations" well that is fucking garbage

[–] KamikazeRusher@lemm.ee 34 points 2 weeks ago

Nah. It’s worked for 50 years and if we get another 30 then it’s done its job well. Government is supposed to review and adjust things as time goes on and Social Security Numbers weren’t intended to uniquely identify citizens. They probably expected an overhaul to be done by 2020.

They fact that we haven’t reworked portions of it and rely on SSNs to identify citizens shows that we haven’t had a forward-thinking Congress in the last 20 years at minimum.

[–] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

well tbf, the standard coming from computing is doubling the bits until it stops being a problem, or with ipv6 practically having more IPs than there are atoms in the entire planet of earth (i think i did the calculation a while ago, and it was like, most of the atoms in earth, so like, not quite, but for all intents and purposes, might as well be)

[–] Trainguyrom@reddthat.com 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

According to XKCD about 40% of the earth

https://xkcd.com/865/

[–] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 weeks ago

yeah that sounds about right, someone should make an XKCD search engine i think.

[–] invertedspear@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So they’ve issued almost half the possible numbers, current US population is actively using 1/3rd of them. I think unless there is a major drop in birth rates “several generations” is two. Either my great grandkids will be reusing dead people SSNs or there will be 10 digit numbers which is going to be a problem for any systems that coded it as char(9).

[–] Trainguyrom@reddthat.com 1 points 2 weeks ago

Ongoing trends would indicate a significant drop in birth rate is extremely likely. Major cities will most likely be facing population shrinkage by the end of the century