Mrs. Fogarty corrects the layperson’s common misconceptions about the danger of tagged items encroaching on individual freedoms but skips over more contemporary considerations, such as the anticipated use of RFID technology to add safeguards to the food and drug supply.

Mr. Connolly, executive editor of the publication, argues that broad item level RFID is unnecessary and unrealistic, but advocates the tagging of high margin goods. His concerns are poignant– he fears poor front end data gathering combined with insufficient tools for analysis will result in expensive disasters.

As the article (which was otherwise pleasant and informative) lacked the crackle implied by a “face off,” RFID News editors would like to append the feature.

Mrs. Fogarty’s fabricated RFID kiosk is neither pertinent nor practical. The technology to provide dynamic cross marketing has existed for years in the form of the bar code. Fortunately, all of us know what matches blue underpants and any information RFID chips might provide to the contrary will go unheeded.

Mr. Connolly’s stubborn refusal to admit that almost all RFID related investment is in the distribution center leaves RFID News wondering how dated his sources are. (Subsequent references to the use of the UPC symbol in 1974 fuel our supposition.) Attention to minutiae is the hallmark of successful retailers and suppliers- demonstrated by P&G and Wal-Mart’s leadership in updating the supply chain.