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RussellCattle

(1,535 posts) Sat Mar 28, 2020, 01:52 PM Mar 2020

My confirmation number for the U.S. Census was 027a002d-7fe0-45ef-8b42-1cad7g7d85d4 if you....

can believe it. Can anyone explain why some thing like this has to be so complicated?

4 replies

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My confirmation number for the U.S. Census was 027a002d-7fe0-45ef-8b42-1cad7g7d85d4 if you.... (Original Post) RussellCattle Mar 2020 OP

computer generated random numbers and characters? hlthe2b Mar 2020 #1

somebody is impersonating you by now. n/t 5X Mar 2020 #2

I must be paranoid, because, you know, I did change some of the characters when I posted. RussellCattle Mar 2020 #3

It will both identify you, and confirm it's not someone randomly trying out numbers muriel_volestrangler Mar 2020 #4

hlthe2b

(102,236 posts)

1. computer generated random numbers and characters?

Reply to RussellCattle (Original post)

Sat Mar 28, 2020, 01:54 PM

Mar 2020

5X

(3,972 posts)

2. somebody is impersonating you by now. n/t

Reply to RussellCattle (Original post)

Sat Mar 28, 2020, 01:57 PM

Mar 2020

RussellCattle

(1,535 posts)

3. I must be paranoid, because, you know, I did change some of the characters when I posted.

Reply to 5X (Reply #2)

Sat Mar 28, 2020, 02:14 PM

Mar 2020

muriel_volestrangler

(101,311 posts)

4. It will both identify you, and confirm it's not someone randomly trying out numbers

Reply to RussellCattle (Original post)

Sat Mar 28, 2020, 06:00 PM

Mar 2020

There are 32 hexadecimal digits in it (apart from the 'g', which is obviously one of the ones you changed - hex is 0-9 and a-f). That's 32*4=128 bits, which gives 2 to the power of 128 possibilities. You need 29 bits (2 to the power of 29 is 536 million) to give every American a unique number. They can use the rest for a check that you're not someone who's picked any old number (or, if there's another number or way to identify you, they use all 128 bits for that.

They expect you to copy-and-paste it.

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