Now that one of The Brotherhood has fallen ...

ZeroJunk: How do the credit card companies do it?

Everybody gets fixated on how something can't work. Can't ,can't, can't.
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You didn't read my last post. With current technology you can either have a large database or a complex database. The only way you can have a large complex database is with several smaller databases being tied together with some form of software.

The credit card companies do need to have large amounts of data in their databases, but their databases are not that large and complex as they are separated into different databases. The database that does credit authorizations only has very basic information and thus is able to be very large. It likely only has a few fields that relates directly with credit authorizations.

The billing database would be separate from that and divided into several databases, I believe it is by ZIP code. So each ZIP code is a separate, smaller database that is able to have far more details. Using ZIP codes is a good idea because the postal service never allows ZIP codes to grow too large without being split up. So the databases for the CC company never grows too large. The authorization database is able to use the billing ZIP code in its database to send the transaction information to the correct billing database and get an updated remaining balance figure back for future authorizations.

So, in short, the credit card companies don't have a large central database. The software that ties those databases together may make it appear so. But the data remains separate.
 
Crosshair, you are still coming up with all these reasons why it won't work. I bet if you would consult some of the tech heads that work for the card services, they would tell you exactly how you could make it work at a fraction of the cost the government will piss away on it.

That's neither here nor there, if you don't know who the illegals are, how are you going to enforce any immigration policy. Any way you can come up with to identify who is supposed to be here or not suits me.
 
ZeroJunk: I have told you exactly why it will not work. I did quite a bit of database programing while in school and I even posted an interview with the IT head of a large hospital. Once a database gets beyond a certain size it is simply easier to split the database into multiple smaller databases.

Here is a paper describing redesigning the credit card system. It gives a good description on how the credit card system currently works. It works primarily by accessing and cross references from different databases.

Re-engineering a Credit Card Authorization System for
Maintainability and Reusability of Components – a Case
Study (PDF)

Another problem is that the Credit Card system is inherently unsecure. It relies primarily on the credit card numbers and related data needed to complete a transaction to remain secret to outsiders. Theft of credit cards and fraudulent transactions are a problem that causes billions of dollars in damage every year. So using the credit card method would be completely unsuitable for an ID system because an ID system needs to be as secure as possible.

Different databases in different locations that will require remote access from different areas across the country. There will be holes and they will be exploited. The current system of having 50 different state systems helps keep the scope of projects in check and reduces the magnitude of any security breaches.
 
Well, close down the patent offices.

Not only can a system be developed, it will. Most likely an evolution of the driver's license system. There will be a national ID system in a few years just as sure as the world.
Might as well get ready for it.
 
Fine ZeroJunk. If you believe a system can be developed that won't turn into a TSA class clusterfark, Fine. My experience in IT tells me otherwise. Time will tell who is right.
 
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