Somebody laminated my birth certificate. But what are they going to do about it, unborn me? Wait… will they?
They could make you go get another one when you try to use it, which is a pain in the ass.
How often are you even using your death certificate? I mean, yeah, the discount at Disneyworld is a sweet deal, but otherwise?
That’s how zombies are created.
We’ve really gotta regulate these laminators.
Never going to happen. The lamination lobby has deep pockets.
What is
deadlaminated may never die.“Comimg soon: RE-LAMINATOR!”
I never knew you couldn’t laminate them? Why would they do something like that?
Fun fact, there is a lifetime limit for the number of replacements you can get for these (I forget but I think it’s like 12), if you lose too many no more social security card for you
It’s not impossible, just harder. They’re going to need documentation for it.
But SSN is the root of all identity documentation, except birth certificate I guess
Well it’s more like proving you need it issued again. Although they are going to ask for supporting ID documents too.
True story if you run out of attempts they give you a poncho and deport you to Australia
Shit.
like, you can get a new one though to be fair, I just got a brand new one, granted it was after legally changing my name but I’m certain you can just have one reprinted without a name change, I don’t even think it costs anything.
I also don’t understand carrying it around, my partner does, but I just have my number memorized, and the card itself is kept safe, for the few times in my life I will need the actual physical card.
I’m pretty sure that they removed the restriction on lamination at some point. But I’m not really sure.
You can make a copy and laminate the copy.
I got mine in 1986 and it pretty much looks like the picture.
Fun side note: back then, you didn’t get a social security number until you were old enough to get a job. I was fourteen when I got my social security number.
My wife found out you can get one earlier as long as your parents sign off on it. They then used her social security to scam some loans while she’s a child, which fucked her up later when she moves out on her own and tried to get an apartment.
This is extremely common, and one of the reasons that using SSN for credit reports is a horrible practice. The only way for someone to dispute the debts is to report their parents to the authorities, which is a horrible position to be in when you’re freshly 18. The real solution would be a simple age check, to verify if the person applying for the loan is actually 18. But that
is apparently too difficultwould prevent banks from saddling literal children with mountains of debt.
LOL, no. I was born in '71 and my parents got me one immediately. I remember them showing me as a child and thinking, “Why do I care about this?”
I mean, for sure you could. In my country would didn’t get an ID card/number until you needed to get a job or travel by plane. I got mine when I was 12. But nowadays babies always get their I’d card after birth.
Good for you and your parents, but it wasn’t common until 1986 when Reagan’s new tax code suddenly required social security numbers for dependents. It was 1987 when they started rolling it out as part of the birth at the hospital.
Your lol no tone implies I don’t remember my own teen years.
You said we didn’t get ss numbers until we got jobs and we said no.
Yeah, I was born in 80 and have had it since birth.
Same.
Slip it into one of the thicker plastic baseball card sleeves. It’s a perfect fit, can be easily pulled out, and provides excellent protection.
Get married and change your last name! You’ll get a brand new one. Works for men too, trust me!
You don’t even have to get married just file name change paperwork
Or, you can just order a new one without changing your name.
Or you could get a social security card with the name Turd Ferguson on it. I mean, if you’re already going through the trouble of doing paperwork, what’s a little more?
I’ve heard blur is not destructive. Please use a paintbrush on 100% opacity if you do this
When I post pictures with blurred information, I replace the info with something trollish and then blur it. Nobody appreciated that so far. :(
I’ve switched to a mosaic blur. Looks neat and always destructive.
Actually not always, there is a script that can recover text from mosaic’d screenshots if the font and pixellation technique is known. I just use a fake mosaic.
Thanks for that.
I’m glad I use really huge pixels though. Would be hard to crack these:
Depends on the kind of blur. Some kinds can indeed be almost perfectly removed if you know the used blurring function, others are destructive. But, yes, don’t take that chance. Always delete/paint over sensitive information.
Source: we had to do just that in a course I took a long time ago.
Ah man, I remember when they caught some pedo creep who used a non-destructive blur on the CSAM materials he produced with his face. So satisfying.
He only spiral blurred his face… So they just did it in the opposite direction. It was beyond stupid
wouldn’t you also need to know in what kind of pattern the blur was applied. I am sure if you do it multiple times starting from multiple non identical partitioning of the region, it will be impossible.
You’re severely underestimating the power of weaponized autism.
Always paint over sensitive information.
Not in PDF tho. There, the stroke is saved in metadata…
I prefer sampling the surroundings, typing out a different number or text over it, then blurring with a non destructive effect.
Name: Phil McCracken
SSN: EAT-MY-NUTS
Just for anyone who tries
Signature: …
Wait are we supposed to carry these around? I became a permanent resident back in 2010 and I don’t think I’ve ever taken mine out of my filing cabinet.
No, you don’t need to carry it around. Memorizing it and keeping it safe for the few occasions you do need the card itself is fine.
When do you ever need it? I just remember the number. I don’t think I’ve ever had to scan
I-9 if you don’t have the other stuff it asks for. Generally need to fill one out at every new job. https://www.uscis.gov/i-9
The last several jobs I have taken, they’ve wanted a scan of it for tax purposes.
I think it’s ironic how this super private personal number that is unique to you and not to be shared is what you have to share with every job, college, financial institution, etc.
This is why I think that temporary SSNs should be a thing . It would be a number that links to your real SSN and would be used to verify your identity, but would stop working after a day or two. That way if a company has a data breach, any SSNs that get stolen would no longer work.
Real ID drivers licenses. In Minnesota it’s one of the forms they accept and if it’s laminated… They say… No
Interesting, my wife and I just got Real IDs in Maryland and didn’t take our social security cards…but now that I think about it, we used our passports for ID, so maybe that’s why.
Why are you not allowed to laminate it?
That would make it much easier to fake it
How?
They can’t run it under a tap and see if it falls apart like a real one
That’s a joke right, not something American authorities do?
Yes. It’s a joke. But it is a special type of cardboard-like paper that they use, which is crappy to save money.
My mom laminated mine when I was like 6 years old. It still has my 6 year-old, childish signature on it. Every time I use it someone says “you’re not supposed to laminate these”, and then they accept it anyways. So who’s the fool now?
My ex’s dad laminated his whole ass birth certificate. He had a bitch of a time fixing that lmao.
Though I think people ask for birth certificate less often than they do our SIN (and also our SIN cards are actual literal cards in Canada not just pieces of paper).
I always thought my birth certificate was the little vanity one with my feet prints on it. I learned it isn’t when I actually needed a birth certificate for the first time. Since I live in an entirely different State now it was a bit of a PITA to get the real one.
They stopped issuing cards and just print it on a full 8.5"x11" piece of paper now actually lol.
Someone explain to me why we can’t laminate it.
presumably to be able to verify it’s the correct material/has the right anti-counterfeiting stuff?
The intent is for it to completely disintegrate by the time you need to claim benefits and can’t remember your SSN.
j/k, the completely disintegrating part is true, the last part is that there won’t be any SSN benefits by the time Gen Y and later gets around to retiring.
This is right wing rhetoric meant to convince people that cuts to social programs are needed as a way to make social services solvent, fyi.
Social security is funded by the current tax payers, taxes were raised so that the social security could have some extra money to buy us bonds, allowing them to cash in those bonds later when boomers retire en masse. Eventually the bonds will be gone and social security will be ‘insolvent’ but this is ok! Social security is always being paid into and social security can be paid out with general funds, or by increased tax rates, or by increasing the cap on SS taxes.
There is not actually any indication that social security is going anywhere other than Republican fear mongering.
There will be benefits. Congress has at least five courses of action they can take but will just leave it till the last minute for drama and to make people vote.
The whole design of the SS system is that current workers pay benefits for current retirees. The trust fund was created later in preparation for retiring boomers.
At worst, it goes back to the original system and benefits get reduced to match what workers are putting in. That might be as high as a worst case 20% reduction, but it’s not going to go away entirely. As others have mentioned, even that is completely avoidable.
because i said so
-Gov’ment
I laminated mine, never had an issue.
Punish me, daddy government
Security features used to verify the validity get covered when you add a plastic film.
I’ve been asked for the number many times, of course, but I didn’t think I’ve ever had to show my physical card to someone in my entire life.
You never had a job in your entire life?
You’ve had to present your physical social security card when accepting a job?? I have never and I’ve worked for a dozen different companies
Yes. For taxes. You work under the table or something? Lol
You don’t necessarily need to present your Social Security card as far as I know - I linked to what I think are the requirements below. I used my birth certificate and driver’s license at my current job, for example. https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents
I mean, when every place specifically asks for your social and ID, yeah you do necessarily need to present it.
I ain’t carrying my birth certificate around with me.
You shouldn’t be carrying your social security card around with you either.
Never had to show the physical card myself either. Put the number in the online form and done. And yes I am taxed
Maybe it’s regional? They don’t ask for my card in Michigan. But I do need to present it for a few things done at the SOS office. That’s the DMV in Michigan.
That’s possible. Pretty sure it’s for state and federal taxes though.
I can’t say for the US. In Canada I’ve never had to show the card. Just say the number.
That’s a US ss card in the thumbnail. We’re obviously talking about the US
Just knowing the number has been enough for every job I’ve ever had. The only place that has ever cared about the physical card is the DMV.
They weren’t disputing that it’s a US card though…
Never said they did.
Sorry, I responded to the wrong comment. Meant for this to be to the comment above yours. Whoops.
They weren’t disputing that it’s a US card though…
There are other forms of id that are valid; for most jobs I’ve provided my driver id and my passport
I’ve had to provide the physical card at the start of most jobs I’ve had. What’s that form you fill out? I-9?
Looking at the list of required documents, I may have used a passport at some point as that appears to trump everything, but mine has long since expired and I haven’t been bothered to get a new one.
The jobs I’ve had have surgery been w9 or 1099
I needed two forms of ID for my current job and I used my license and passport
Every job I’ve had has made a copy of the card for payroll/tax purposes.
And this is where the weirdness starts. I’m in Canada and early in I learned from a relative who was in government and finances told me that your SSN is only meant for the government and government services and nothing else.
Banks, companies or corporations do not need to see your SSN no matter what they say. The number was only ever supposed to be used with the government, taxation, government benefits and services.
Banks and companies just started using it as a shortcut to identify people and connect them to government services and taxation. But it was never a requirement, no matter what they said. It’s the banks and the companies job to verify who you are.
I started my bank accounts as a teen in the 90s and with a bit of help, I was able to start them without a submitting a SSN. Every job I had, I actively refused to submit a SSN and told them why which with a bit of arguing they agreed. Funny part is, even though I never submitted one, the bank and every major employer I had already had the number anyway.
From the link you’ve provided.
Documents that may be used under “List C” of the I-9 to establish employment eligibility include:
- A U.S. Social Security card issued by the Social Security Administration
- birth certificate issued by the U.S. State Department
- Etc
Your employer pays a portion of your social security taxes and generally withholds your portion to give to the government on your behalf. How do they correctly do that without your social security number?
I’ve scanned my driver’s license but never my social security card!
There are no security features on a ss card.
https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110201060
One or more of the following security features appear on SSN cards issued since 10/31/1983:
• Tamper-proof background
• Color-shifting ink
• Intaglio printing in some areas on the front of the card
• Latent image on the face of the card visible only when viewed at specific angles
• Red fluorescent nine-digit alphanumeric number on back (beginning February 1996)
• Intaglio microtext in signature line (when magnified, the line is actually letters spelling out SOCIAL SECURITY)
• Yellow, pink, and blue planchettes (small discs) randomly displayed on the front and back of the card
• Anti-copy pattern that is discernable when the card is photocopied
• For original cards, a dash in each column on the same line as the SSN
• Date the card is issued [i.e., Cycle Date (CYD) from the Numident] is printed under the signature line on the face of the card (beginning April 2007).
That’s interesting, I had no idea they modernized it.
But none of that is on in the photo. Mine doesn’t have that either. (Pre 1983)
Same. But mine still says not to laminate.
So glad I was born in ‘82 so I could avoid all this security stuff
I believe the primary reason is that there are counterfeiting counter measures, and if you laminated it, it would make it hard to use verification methods that allow you to make sure it’s a real one. They want to know that it is not copied, altered, or otherwise illegally fabricated.
Also, it should be noted that this is an identification card that can allow you to do crazy things like apply for official documents and loans. This number is extremely helpful for people wanting to steal your identity. I believe the idea is that if you lose it, it should degrade and disintegrate so you can get a new one without worrying that your identity will be stolen. Although, this is just my speculation.
Also, you’re not really supposed to carry it around with you, the ideas that you would put this in a safe document storage place until you need it for something specific.
I googled it, they say it might obscure security features which would mean it wouldn’t be accepted. They recommend a plastic case that can be removed.
You can. This is a myth.
Try using a laminated ss card to get a drivers license. (Real ID).
I obviously did and there was zero issues.
Interesting in Minnesota they would not accept it
The only thing anyone’s ever done with it is photocopy it. Lamination doesn’t affect that at all.
There’s no “security measures” on mine. Maybe there is on more recent ones though.
I was born in the seventies. So not much in the way of security there. Maybe the newer ones have something for security and it’s just a blanket policy.
And also how one can unlaminate it (asking for a friend)
Stick it in your microwave oven on high for about 10 minutes.
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.
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.
That’s the thing. At this point, anything that could replace ssn cards will be much more technical and much more invasive.
Eh… You guys all use credit cards anyway
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
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
oooo yeah my ID card is so invasive, it has my birth date and a photo on it!
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.
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.
Ain’t that the truth. Fuckin’ lunatics.
I’ve lost my place to stay more than I’ve lost my wallet.
For real. Mine’s about 40 years old and still looks pretty mint.
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.
Don’t mention A4 paper, it scares the Americans. If any of them could read, they would be very afraid right now.
Today I’m going to use paper to feel superior to someone else.
To be fair, simply not having to live in the US already gives that rush.
Amateur, we professionals don’t have to use anything for that
A4
Is that a type of rifle? I’ll take 12!
You’ll get either 8 ½ or 11 and you’ll like it.
Hey now, I can read…but, what’s this A4 paper you speak of?
8/11.5 but more metric
sips tea and extends pinky
Am I doing metric right?
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
8/11.5
Not sure if a joke or an actual paper size
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.
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.
It’s actually 8.5x11 not 8x11.5
You mean 8.5/11?
More Square root, you mean!
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.
Subscribe to ISO facts
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.
This week on “Things Non-Americans Think Americans Don’t Know About!”
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.
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.
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.
They’re nothing like Taskmaster then lmao.
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.
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.
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.
We can’t do everything for you guys. We’re holding down the imperial system almost single handedly. Help a brother out.
Using entirely reasonable standards that most of the rest of the world has adopted is too hard for us for some reason.
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?”
I’ve kept mine in a tight card slot in a leather wallet for longer than some of these commentators have been alive and it honestly still looks great.
Anyone else imagining this as the wallet
Yeah that’s the one, they don’t make them like that anymore.