SSI Cert card question

[sleepr]

Looking at my SSI card the number under my name is 20 digits long followed by a dash then CA. What is the actual diver number IE what I would write down in a buddy's log book? I understand some of the numbers represent my cert location/LDS.

 

[Bappelt]

Most people just use the last 6 numbers before the -us or -ca in your case.

The beginning numbers refer to the issuing shop and the rest I've never had explained.

 

[Rythmmaker]

Glad you asked the question - I've looked at mine and wondered the same thing. I always just write in the entire gosh-awful-long string and try to remember to ask someone later the same question...

I'm hoping someone in the know will answer this for us both!

 

[Skooter]

The last 6 digits are your certification #. The rest is codes that SSI had to implement when they started the odin site. Just like Bappelt said the fist six numbers are the shop you certified with and the seven or so in the middle well I have never asked either.

 

[MikeMarlow]

Or, as my instructor from long ago said, get up to the pro level, and your number is only 5 digits long

 

[JMcD]

This is an interesting question... I'm not so sure of the answer however...

I've looked at the cards I've issued and the associated card numbers. Based on what I have seen, I can't see how the last 6 digits can be a cert number. Isolating those in particular, they appear to be very random. Agreed that the first 6 are the same, but as for the rest of the numbers/letters, I can't determine a rational for what they may mean or which are associated with what.... students with specialities have, as far as I can tell, no similarities regarding the digits displayed on the different cards...

Thanks for the question... now I will have to see if I can find out... :confused4:

 

[eponym]

I spoke with SSI (Marilyn, maybe) a year or more ago when the card numbers suddenly changed and got so much longer. As I understand it the number encodes the date and time the card was ordered. I wish they had been able to carry the old sequential number approach over to Odin and online card issuing but I understand the technical difficulty of that, especially given that I can now print out a temporary card at the same time I issue a cert.

Happy New Year,
Bryan

 

[JMcD]

Thanks Bryan,

I originally Certified (OW) under another agency... It may seem silly, but I liked having a cert number to write in log books - seemed "official" somehow.

I see no reason that SSI couldn't have started with a new "series" of numbers - like if the old numbers were at 987654... start with 4000001, or add a letter series, 1000000S... whatever. While it obviously doesn't impact the quality of instruction, or anything really, seems it looses a bit on the marketing side.

 

[PittCaleb]

I love how "serial numbers" for some organizations (i.e. SSI, electric company, etc.) are long enough that they could assign multiple numbers to every man, woman and child that have ever lived on Earth plus those for the next 50 years!

My electric company has a 20-digit alpha-numeric code for my account number - 36^20 is something like ... well, you get the picture...

PittCaleb

 

[sleepr]

Well I'm glad to see the question has generated such replies, I find it cumbersome to try writing my "serial number" as PittCaleb so eloquently put it! For the time being I'm going to use the last 6 digits as suggested, or until I find out otherwise.