[Gllug] ist that right that the Oyster card got RFID on it?

[Peter Childs]

On 16/01/07, John G Walker <johngwalker at tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
> On Tue, 16 Jan 2007 14:37:34 +0000 Andy Smith <andy at lug.org.uk> wrote:
>
> > On Tue, Jan 16, 2007 at 01:33:18PM +0000, John G Walker wrote:
> > > On Tue, 16 Jan 2007 12:26:31 +0000 Richard Jones <rich at annexia.org>
> > > wrote:
> > > > Ah well, now there's a point.  Why are the cash fares so expensive
> > > > now?
> > > >
> > >
> > > Because they have to employ people to collect and process them.
> > > Oyster cards are all about replacing workers with machines.
> >
> > If you are suggesting this is bad then I assume you'll be selling
> > your computer and paying people to come and do all the things it
> > used to do for you.
>
> No. If this is wrong you should get rid of your computer and employ
> human beings. If I'm right, then it's cheaper to use a computer.
> >
> > Somone had to design those cards.  Someone made them and the
> > machines that make them.  Someone invented the technology.  But no,
> > let's go back to a nomadic lifestyle eh where at least everyone who
> > still survives can be kept busy rolling about in dirt.
> >
>
> This seems to be correct. Your point being?
>
>
> > This thread really seems to encourage the tinfoil brigade - I'm
> > sure there are no-tech communes you can all join, fill the walls
> > with a Faraday cage and live a blissful life of non-RFID.
> >
>
> There is a debate going on here which you don't seem to have grasped.
>
> On the one side, there is what you call the tinfoil brigade, who argue
> that Oyster cards are about surveillance (for reasons not stated).
>

Luddites (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite) it always amazes
me how the IT industry has quite so many Luddites in it. But the more
you look at all the agguments the more you come to aggree with the
Luddites. Has any change in IT in the last 10 years actually been for
the better? And not cost our economy millions in terms of increased
Unemployment, and  Employment fixing failed IT projects (hence money
wasted twice once fixing the problem and once fixing the fix for the
problem which would have been fine left).

Peter.

> On the other side, there are those who might be called  economists, who
> argue that Oyster cards are all about cost-cutting.
>
> I suspect, from what you wrote above, that if you thought about it you'd
> be on the side of the economist,
>
> --
>  All the best,
>  John
>
>
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