Sunday, July 31, 2011

Don't Count Your (Digital) Chickens...



As this (relatively) recent article points out, Paypal President Scott Thompson predicts that by 2015 -- yeah, only four years away, fellow babies -- the wallet will have become a thing of the past.

Mr. Thompson is quoted as saying “We believe that by 2015 digital currency will be accepted everywhere in the U.S. – from your local corner store to Walmart. We will no longer need to carry a wallet.”

In a word, "Yeah, right."

(Okay, okay, that's two words -- my fabled math skills deserted me for a second, it seems -- but you get my freakin' point.)

Let's face it, a man in Mr. Thompson's position is more than just a tad biased on this subject. Add to that a smidgen of wishful thinking, I suppose...

I'm just trying to think of how his electronic-only money system would work at a flea market, a neighborhood yard sale, or when you want to hit your friend Bill up for a twenty-dollar loan until Friday.

Maybe someday, but within four years? As I said above, "Yeah, right."

Oh, by the way: This is Scott Thompson...


...not to be confused with this other Scott Thompson, who does a terrific impression of Queen Elizabeth II.


Just sayin'.

Thanks for your time.


13 comments:

  1. Well, that is interesting.

    So, what will we carry our DL, insurance card, Kroger discount card, and library card in?

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  2. I suppose those things will have to be accessed electronically, too. Good thing computer systems never have glitches.

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  3. Maybe they could make lip gloss, Kleenex and breath mints digital? Then we girls wouldn't have to carry purses, either! :)

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  4. Sounds great! Wonder if they can find a way to fit a comb in there. I hate having full pockets.

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  5. yep~ and if our cars could be started with voice recognition or our fingerprint, no car keys, either! :)

    but I think we're getting completely off topic. ha.

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  6. Off-topic? Heck, no! It's all in a perfectly logical progression.

    Might take five years to accomplish everything, though!

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  7. Does impressions of HM The Queen !!! That is treasonable. How would you like it if we did impressions of your President Washington or whatever you call him.
    (My previous comment was removed by that nice Mr Murdoch chap who has hacked into my computer)

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  8. @Alan: In Scott Thompson's case, it may very well be treasonable... since he's a Canadian.

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  9. As long as they don't start tattooing us with bar codes at birth.

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  10. Yeah that a bunch of BS. Money, as in cold hard cash, isn't going to go away anytime soon.

    I read they were talking about putting a chip in everyone's arm, or more practically cell phone. That had all their information on it. Then just scan their arm or phone and that would be that. Cell phone maybe, arm never.

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  11. @Megan and Pat: Bar code tattoos or embedded computer chips would be too much like a cross between "1984" and what the Nazis did to Jews, gays, and other "undesirables" assigned to the concentration camps. And no, I'm not trying to be funny. It's scary that some are even considering those tactics.

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  12. Oh but it's always "for our own safety" or "for our own benefit"

    Yeah Right! and yeah that's exactly what it would be like.

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  13. He looks like Grover Norquist!
    It's a conspiracy!!!
    See for yourself:
    http://www.citizensinchargefoundation.org/files/images/Grover_Norquist.jpg

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