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1. Embed this notice
   Quixoticgeek (quixoticgeek@social.v.st)'s status on Saturday, 18-Jan-2025 22:02:27 JST Quixoticgeek

   "sorry officer, I can't show you my driver's license as my phone battery is dead"

   "Due to a misformated command from the DVLA, all licences issued on the digital license app got accidentally revoked. Oops".

   The failure modes for things like electronic driving licenses are horrible. And I'm not even sure what the problem is they are trying to solve.

   • Embed this notice
     Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Saturday, 18-Jan-2025 22:02:26 JST Charlie Stross

     in reply to

     @quixoticgeek UK driving licenses need renewing every 10 years. IIRC that means a mailing of a physical card and paper counterpart. There are about 40 million drivers, so that's at least 4 million cards and mailings per year—so a plausible cost saving of millions (Post Office prices are spiraling in private ownership).

   • Embed this notice
     Feòrag (feorag@wandering.shop)'s status on Saturday, 18-Jan-2025 22:07:48 JST Feòrag

     in reply to

     • Charlie Stross

     @cstross @quixoticgeek They abolished the paper counterpart. That’s online and has been for ages.

   • Embed this notice
     Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Saturday, 18-Jan-2025 22:08:54 JST Charlie Stross

     in reply to

     @quixoticgeek Yes, but I suspect they're under pressure to cut out ALL the paper stuff. Paper is expensive and bulky and requires storage or scanning. So it's "cost savings" and never mind whose shoulders they offload the overheads onto.

   • Embed this notice
     Quixoticgeek (quixoticgeek@social.v.st)'s status on Saturday, 18-Jan-2025 22:08:55 JST Quixoticgeek

     in reply to

     • Charlie Stross

     @cstross that's a lot of downsides to avoid some mail...