Category Archives: Uncategorized

AFOID With an Expanded A: If You Pay the Money, Who Needs REAL ID Anyway?

I’ve vented about this for years. Some people have vented about this for decades. And it’s been discussed for decades.

But before I launch into my rant, let me define the acronym of the day: AFOID. It stands for “acceptable form of identification.”

And for years (decades), we’ve been told that the ONLY acceptable form of identification to board a plane is a REAL ID, U.S. passport, or a similar form of identity. A REAL ID does not prove citizenship, but it does prove that you are who you say you are.

USA.GOV put it best:

“If you do not have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state-issued ID, you will not be able to use it to:

“Access federal government facilities or military installations

“Board federally regulated commercial aircraft

“Enter nuclear power plants”

Pretty straightforward. Get a REAL ID (or other acceptable document such as a passport), or there are some things that YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO.

So you needed that AFOID by May 2025…

Whoops, I mean May 2027, because TSA is allowing exceptions for a couple of years.

Whoops, I mean probably never.

If you pay some bucks, you can use a MODERNIZED system. Biometric Update alerted me to this new item in the Federal Register.

“The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is launching a modernized alternative identity verification program for individuals who present at the TSA checkpoint without the required acceptable form of identification (AFOID), such as a REAL ID or passport. This modernized program provides an alternative that may allow these individuals to gain access to the sterile area of an airport if TSA is able to establish their identity. To address the government-incurred costs, individuals who choose to use TSA’s modernized alternative identity verification program will be required to pay an $18 fee. Participation in the modernized alternative identity verification program is optional and does not guarantee an individual will be granted access to the sterile area of an airport.”

I’ve love to see details of what “modernized” means. In today’s corporate environment, that means WE USE AI.

And AI can be embarrassingly inaccurate.

And if you want to know how seedy this all sounds, I asked Google Gemini to create a picture of a man waving money at a TSA agent. Google refused the request.

“I cannot fulfill this request. My purpose is to be helpful and harmless, and that includes refusing to generate images that promote harmful stereotypes, illegal activities, or depict bribery of public officials.”

So I had to tone the request down.

Pourquoi Bredemarket ne propose-t-il pas ses services dans d’autres langues que l’anglais ?

Il y a deux semaines, Bredemarket a reçu une demande de réunion entièrement rédigée en français. J’ai dû la faire traduire pour comprendre la demande. J’ai trouvé le site web de son entreprise, lui aussi entièrement en français. Je ne savais pas trop comment aider cette personne, mais j’ai maintenu la réunion pour voir ce qui se passerait. Au cas où, j’ai utilisé Google Traduction pour préparer un message du type « Je ne parle ni n’écris en français ».

Et j’en ai eu besoin.

Le prospect a rejoint l’appel, ne parlant que français et incapable de comprendre mon anglais. J’ai finalement dû partager mon écran avec mon message traduit, et là, il est resté muet. J’avais oublié comment dire « au revoir » lors d’un appel professionnel en français, alors j’ai raccroché.

« Mais John », me direz-vous, « pourquoi ne pas écrire en anglais et traduire ensuite ? Tu pourrais gagner des fortunes comme ça ! » Cet article de blog devrait vous démontrer les inconvénients de cette approche. Quand les mots sont essentiels, il vous faut un rédacteur qui maîtrise les subtilités du français des affaires. Pas un texte traduit automatiquement. (« Une tonne d’euros ??? »)

The paragraphs above were “written” by Google Translate. Here’s what I sent to it:

Two weeks ago, Bredemarket received a meeting request written entirely in French. I had to run it through a translator just to see what the person was requesting. I found his company’s website, which was again written entirely in French. I wasn’t sure how I could help this person, but I kept the meeting anyway to see what would happen. Just in case I needed it, I used Google Translate to prepare a “I don’t speak or write in French” message.

Turns out I needed it.

The prospect joined the call, speaking only French and unable to comprehend my English. I finally had to share my screen with my translated “I don’t speak or write in French” message, at which point he said nothing. I had forgotten the proper way to say “good bye” on a French business call, so I just hung up.

“But John,” you’re saying, “why don’t you write in English and just translate it to French? You can make a ton of Euros that way!” This blog post should demonstrate the drawbacks of this approach. When words are critical, you need a writer who understands the nuances of business French. Not some text translated by a bot. (“Ton of Euros???”)

Differentiation…Again

I provided the background for this picture in a post in the Bredemarket Picture Clubhouse on Facebook.

And elsewhere. As usual, I enjoy repurposing.

But the point here is that those who differentiate truly stand out.

Credit to Zayne Harbison for the original generative AI prompt that I adapted. Because you should reference your sources.

Google Gemini.

Bredemarket Essentials November 2025

If I had to choose three videos that represented today’s Bredemarket, I would choose the three listed below:

  • Landscape.
  • The Seven Questions I Ask.
  • Bredemarket: Services, Process, and Pricing.

I placed all three in this YouTube playlist.

I’ve shared all three as an Instagram story (which will probably have expired when you see this).

And I’m sharing them again below.

Landscape.
The Seven Questions I Ask.
Bredemarket: Services, Process, and Pricing.

Those are good essentials.

If you want to know more, visit https://bredemarket.com/mark/ and book a free meeting with me.

Stop losing prospects! Use Bredemarket content for tech marketers