Census journey question

check_six

So the census asks about 'usual' journey time to work/school/etc.. Should I be posting my all time record time, or average, or what?

Bearing in mind that *anyone* will be rooting through it in a hundred years time!

Whaddya think?

Kaisr Sose

In 100 years time you may qualify for some posthumous award for fastest commuter in Census 2016...whaddaya think ?

Lusk_Doyle

The clue is in the question. Usual is another word for average, if my Polish is correct.

check_six

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

In 100 years time you may qualify for some posthumous award for fastest commuter in Census 2016...whaddaya think ?

Frankly, yes.

Yes I do.

My brain in a jar will be defrosted to accept the medal.

Seaswimmer

Slightly off topic but who is the oldest regular cyclist anyone knows.

My father is 84 next birthday and does 10 miles every day. Weather permitting..

eeeee

Seaswimmer wrote: »

Slightly off topic but who is the oldest regular cyclist anyone knows.

My father is 84 next birthday and does 10 miles every day. Weather permitting..

That's awesome. My granny did 'a few turns about the yard' every day into her early eighties. You have to love an elder cyclist!

Cee-Jay-Cee

Another thought....is the census a secret ploy to root out those who bought bikes on the Cycle to Work scheme yet don't actually cycle to work, like me....

tomasrojo

Not the hardest to answer question. The one I never know how to answer is "Do you speak Irish?" What does that even mean? I know way more Irish than someone who's never studied it, but way less than someone who speaks it fluently, and way, way less than a native speaker. Does that mean I speak Irish, or that I don't speak Irish?

I assume they're not really interested in a nuanced answer to that, and they just want a result that more or less is the number of people who've been through an average childhood in Ireland.

tomasrojo

The thing is, there are pre-existing categorisations of language competency that can be used. They really can't care about the answer.

(The categorisation would need to be simplified a little, and the bits about "travelling needs" and the like could be left out, as you need no Irish to fulfill travelling needs.)

check_six

tomasrojo wrote: »

Not the hardest to answer question. The one I never know how to answer is "Do you speak Irish?" What does that even mean? I know way more Irish than someone who's never studied it, but way less than someone who speaks it fluently, and way, way less than a native speaker. Does that mean I speak Irish, or that I don't speak Irish?

I assume they're not really interested in a nuanced answer to that, and they just want a result that more or less is the number of people who've been through an average childhood in Ireland.

Yep, that was another question that bamboozled me a bit. I've been to gaeltacht areas. I've fired in the odd phrase as gaeilge. I can remember enough bits to help the kids with their homework (primary level!).
Can I speak Irish? Nope, not a chance! The rest of my family just went with a firm 'yes' and didn't think about it too much.

This is one question where you are just expected to say: yes, I went to school in Ireland, therefore I am 100% fluent in Irish. As you theorised, they are certainly not interested in anything more nuanced than that.

As for the religion question...

Wishbone Ash

I'm torn on the commute question. It's probably 50/50 between car and bike. I think I'll go with the bike.

1bryan

check_six wrote: »

So the census asks about 'usual' journey time to work/school/etc.. Should I be posting my all time record time, or average, or what?

Bearing in mind that *anyone* will be rooting through it in a hundred years time!

Whaddya think?

all time record. This will be stored forever. You don't want your decendants thinking you were some kind of slowcoach when they're reading this in 400 years time.

I put in >10km (which it is) at ~30 mins (which it isn't). They'll be well impressed though. Thats the main thing.

manwithaplan

I walk the kids to school in the opposite direction to work. I leave home at about 8.25. When I reach school at 8.50 ish, I hop on the bike and ride to work. It takes about 20 mins. However, it only takes 10 minutes by bike directly from home to work.

I wrote that I leave at 8-8.30 and my average commute is 10 mins by bike. I expect to be up in court for lying on the census form.

check_six

manwithaplan wrote: »

I walk the kids to school in the opposite direction to work. I leave home at about 8.25. When I reach school at 8.50 ish, I hop on the bike and ride to work. It takes about 20 mins. However, it only takes 10 minutes by bike directly from home to work.

I wrote that I leave at 8-8.30 and my average commute is 10 mins by bike. I expect to be up in court for lying on the census form.

Oh god, I didn't even think about including the school run bit of the morning cycle. I'll be in the queue for the dock after you so!

Doctor Bob

tomasrojo wrote: »

(The categorisation would need to be simplified a little, and the bits about "travelling needs" and the like could be left out, as you need no Irish to fulfill travelling needs.)

The only time I ever use Irish is when I'm abroad.

greendom

Doctor Bob wrote: »

The only time I ever use Irish is when I'm abroad.

Is that just at weekends or do you dress up during the week as well ?

tomasrojo

Doctor Bob wrote: »

The only time I ever use Irish is when I'm abroad.

That should be on the census too.

If 'Yes', do you speak Irish
1. Daily, within the education system
2. Daily, outside the education system
3. Weekly
4. Less often
5. Never
6. For purposes of encryption on train journeys

Beasty

Seaswimmer wrote: »

Slightly off topic but who is the oldest regular cyclist anyone knows.

My father is 84 next birthday and does 10 miles every day. Weather permitting..

Can think of a couple of guys racing with the IVCA in their 80s. One will be 84 this year I think.

tomasrojo

greendom wrote: »

Is that just at weekends or do you dress up during the week as well ?

Pun on "a broad"?

greendom

tomasrojo wrote: »

Pun on "a broad"?

you enjoyed it that much huh?

buffalo

I stated that my commute takes 25mins. My housemate who does the identical commute every day put 30mins.

Oddly enough, we both leave the house and arrive at work at the same time, so one of us is a liar!

traprunner

buffalo wrote: »

I stated that my commute takes 25mins. My housemate who does the identical commute every day put 30mins.

Oddly enough, we both leave the house and arrive at work at the same time, so one of us is a liar!

Possible €44000 fine for incorrect info if I understand right. You might need to back it up with your Strava recordings :P

greendom

I think if possible one should stretch the time taken to commute so that when the results are analysed it would seem that there were more cyclists out on the road at any one time, perhaps allowing more funds to be allocated to cycling infrastructure.

Wishful thinking ?

daheff

check_six wrote: »

So the census asks about 'usual' journey time to work/school/etc.. Should I be posting my all time record time, or average, or what?

buffalo wrote: »

I stated that my commute takes 25mins. My housemate who does the identical commute every day put 30mins.

Oddly enough, we both leave the house and arrive at work at the same time, so one of us is a liar!

the thing about the census is that (theoretically) it will be used to decide/guide public investments. As such -if you are playing the game right- you should put in the answer that will benefit you in the long run. If the census is used to decide where additional public transport /extra bike lanes are to be put in, then you should put that in as how you travel to work.


for me they ask too many irrelevant and ambiguous questions. example of can you speak irish is a good example. define 'speak'!

same with your current health...very good, good ,fair, etc.... Playing the game on health, you put in bad. If enough people in your locality do that they will look at putting in health services/facilities in your neighbourhood.

RobertFoster

daheff wrote: »

same with your current health...very good, good ,fair, etc.... Playing the game on health, you put in bad. If enough people in your locality do that they will look at putting in health services/facilities in your neighbourhood.

I never even thought about healthcare as the reasoning behind this one. I was afraid I'd get a sore throat or something after I checked very good.

doozerie

daheff wrote: »

same with your current health...very good, good ,fair, etc.... Playing the game on health, you put in bad. If enough people in your locality do that they will look at putting in health services/facilities in your neighbourhood.

...or they could organise a cull.

Pepijn89

Or everyone could just be honest and provide accurate information! Heh.

Does anyone know why the census wouldn't be online? Seems much easier and cheaper to me. (With an option to get the paper version of course for folks who'd prefer not to go online.)

Doctor Bob

greendom wrote: »

Is that just at weekends or do you dress up during the week as well ?

Dia dhuit, a mairnéalach! *waves*

(Or should that be *tonnta*?)

Idleater

Doctor Bob wrote: »

Dia dhuit, a mairnéalach! *waves*

(Or should that be *tonnta*?)

Ceart go leoir, ar aghaidh leat, nil aon rud le feicáil anseo.

Census filled in correctly m'lud

RacoonQueen

Pepijn89 wrote: »

Or everyone could just be honest and provide accurate information! Heh.

Does anyone know why the census wouldn't be online? Seems much easier and cheaper to me. (With an option to get the paper version of course for folks who'd prefer not to go online.)

I expect because they can ensure people actually fill in the form this way. The form has to be dropped to you and confirmed so by your enumerator, then has to be collected. Leave people to do it online and they'll keep putting it off or not feel the guilt so won't bother filling it in.
Then you've got the conspiracy theorists...

Wishbone Ash

Pepijn89 wrote: »

...Does anyone know why the census wouldn't be online?..

As well as the reasons given by Racoon Queen, online would be unworkable as they need to identify every residential dwelling in the state including hospitals, hotels, prisons, boarding schools, marine vessel, homeless etc. and who survived the night of the census.

(Our night staff were told not to include themselves on my employer's census which doesn't seem right to me).

nomdeboardie

tomasrojo wrote: »

Not the hardest to answer question. The one I never know how to answer is "Do you speak Irish?" What does that even mean? I know way more Irish than someone who's never studied it, but way less than someone who speaks it fluently, and way, way less than a native speaker. Does that mean I speak Irish, or that I don't speak Irish?

I assume they're not really interested in a nuanced answer to that, and they just want a result that more or less is the number of people who've been through an average childhood in Ireland.

daheff wrote: »

<snip> for me they ask too many irrelevant and ambiguous questions. example of can you speak irish is a good example. define 'speak'! </snip>

check_six wrote: »

Yep, that was another question that bamboozled me a bit. I've been to gaeltacht areas. I've fired in the odd phrase as gaeilge. I can remember enough bits to help the kids with their homework (primary level!).
Can I speak Irish? Nope, not a chance! The rest of my family just went with a firm 'yes' and didn't think about it too much.

This is one question where you are just expected to say: yes, I went to school in Ireland, therefore I am 100% fluent in Irish. As you theorised, they are certainly not interested in anything more nuanced than that. <snip>

I declined to answer for this reason. A "cupla focal" option wouldn't go amiss for starters :P

check_six wrote: »

<snip>As for the religion question...

...don't get me started (I've ranted elsewhere on boards about it, and it features in the above link from the last census too). Again, as a "dribbling contrarian" (a phrase I saw in one of the other census threads, and feels oddly attractive as a description of myself) I declined to answer

All My Stars Aligned

check_six wrote: »

So the census asks about 'usual' journey time to work/school/etc.. Should I be posting my all time record time, or average, or what?

Bearing in mind that *anyone* will be rooting through it in a hundred years time!

Whaddya think?

Perhaps you could have just given a link to your strava

Pepijn89

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I expect because they can ensure people actually fill in the form this way. The form has to be dropped to you and confirmed so by your enumerator, then has to be collected. Leave people to do it online and they'll keep putting it off or not feel the guilt so won't bother filling it in.
Then you've got the conspiracy theorists...

That's true, but you could send people round to anyone who doesn't complete the census at a given time instead of sending them to call on literally everyone in the country. It wouldn't only save time and money on not having to send as many people around the country, but if the information is digital in the first place it would be much easier to process than written forms. As long as digitally challenged folks and the conspiracy theorists get a chance to use the written form I don't see a problem.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

As well as the reasons given by Racoon Queen, online would be unworkable as they need to identify every residential dwelling in the state including hospitals, hotels, prisons, boarding schools, marine vessel, homeless etc. and who survived the night of the census.

That's a good point. I'm not saying the census could do completely without people physically going round the country gathering data. I just think a combination of the current system and the wonder that is the WWW would make more sense.

cdaly_

Pepijn89 wrote: »

That's a good point. I'm not saying the census could do completely without people physically going round the country gathering data. I just think a combination of the current system and the wonder that is the WWW would make more sense.

Sure a bit of data mining on Facebook and gmail should give them all of the answers...