Re: Codes sent by text message

"The Real Bev" <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote
| WTF?  Why is the google voice number not a REAL phone number?
|
  As V said, the simple answer is that they want to spy.
Cellphones are so ubiquitous that they've become like
prison camp ID nubmber tattoos. It's assumed that you
have a number to give them. GMail is a good example. It's
a low security medium and people generally don't send
anything critical via email, yet Google wants to ID your
device and/or your cellphone in order to let you get email.
That allows them to greatly increase the volume and
accuracy of surveillance. Also, the more businesses require
that you register a phone #, the more likely that everyone
will be permanently IDed by their number.
  Some services will send a computer spoken number to
a landline, but those sites are few. I'm surprised the evangelical
Christians are not calling this the mark of the beast. I guess
they're all busy texting.
  Recently I was thinking of buying some stock and checked
out the options. Not only am I concerned about the privacy issue,
but I also don't want to be trusting people with my money when
getting it back requires that I have a cellphone and not lose
it. Stockbroker websites don't charge for purchases, but only
because they can automate the whole thing and collect personal
data. But what if I lose my Tracfone and can't get that number
again... then get faced with a computer telling me that I don't
seem to be me, with no human recourse? Do I need a fullscale,
$60/month phone in order to own my phone number?
  I called up Schwabb to ask them about it. I got a very friendly,
competent man who said that I could just skip the cellphone
entry on the application webpage. Not true. He also said I could
sign up in person at their office. But then what if I try to make
a trade and it won't let me do it without a cellphone number?
The trouble is that no one's minding the store. If humans are
involved, it costs money... So I gave up on the investing idea. I
didn't really have much to spare, anyway. :)