On: Data is not an asset, it’s a liability

[Spooky23]

The reason to collect everything is laziness. It's easier to ask for everything and store everything than tonight's out what you actually need.

My employer's HR collects my date of birth and SSN 4-5 times a year. Why? So some clerk doesn't have to look it up.

[jsprogrammer → Spooky23]

Instead of looking the values up in a database, the clerk contacts you to look up the value...and then readds it to some database?

[ams6110 → jsprogrammer]

Same is true of my kids schools. Every year, we have to fill out (on paper) the same extensive forms to collect parent names and addresses, phone, email, whether you are homeless, what your racial makeup is, on and on.

No option for "everything is the same as last year" and they completely flip out if you don't return the forms.