Do I really have to do the census ?

Victor · 09-03-2011 11:15PM

godwin wrote: »

Has anyone ever been convicted?

Yes, although it tends to be aimed at the obstreperous (deliberately filling in incorrect details, e.g. I'm a 145 year old born in Antarctica with 1,234 children living in low earth orbit) and the negligent (say a hotel that didn't distribute the forms to guests or failed to return them), rather than the lazy.

goodgolfer64 · 09-03-2011 11:19PM

Killgore Trout wrote: »

Census data is used to plan things like schools, local amenities, public transport, traffic planning and policing. It is used by many organisations and bodies, not just the government.

If transport planning types discover an area where a load of people need to leave the house at 7 and there is no bus till 8, they may revise their timetable.

If an area has a load of young married couples, and young children there is an need to plan local schools to have capacity.

The more people fill it out the more accurate it is. The data is aggregated - so the evil government doesn't use it to collect personal information Shure they have all that already from the revenue, mobile phone use, credit card and Internet data.

the only person bloggin in the real world.....the others before sit behind a computer with rebel talk

Joe10000 · 09-03-2011 11:21PM

What about in 200 years time your descendants are looking for their great x5 grand father and discover he was not a catholic but a Jedi ? Actually could be funny now that I think of it....

JuliusCaesar · 09-03-2011 11:39PM

snickerpuss wrote: »

It's also an amazing historical record for future generations. *archivist hat*
Looking up all my relatives on the census has been so interesting. I can't wait til 100 years time when some great grandchild realises nanny was a pre-martial co-habiting hussy :-)

I discovered from the census that my great-grandfather, who everyone said was rich, started married life living in Cork St (Dublin) in 2 rooms with his wife and young child (who eventually became my grandfather) in a house in which 4 other families lived.

The riches vanished from the family due to grandfather's gambling problem. When he grew up.

There was masses of information on the census. My grandmother grew up in a slum - all the roads were demolished and don't exist anymore. I'm trying to find an old map to see where it used to be.

Mike 1972 · 10-03-2011 12:07AM

Joe10000 wrote: »

What about in 200 years time your descendants are looking for their great x5 grand father

Would they not have come up with a more reliable method of tracing ancestors by then instead of blindingly assuming that all their forebearers were faithful to their spouses ?

WindSock · 10-03-2011 12:29AM

I'm mad for the census I am. Can't get enough of them. And I was glad of the ones from 100 years ago put online. Helps a lot with geneology.

dxhound2005 · 10-03-2011 01:04AM

I think you mean genealogy.

Cat Melodeon · 10-03-2011 01:38AM

dxhound2005 wrote: »

I think you mean genealogy.

I think you mean "I am a pedant".

nyarlothothep · 10-03-2011 02:28AM

Victor wrote: »

Yes, although it tends to be aimed at the obstreperous (deliberately filling in incorrect details, e.g. I'm a 145 year old born in Antarctica with 1,234 children living in low earth orbit) and the negligent (say a hotel that didn't distribute the forms to guests or failed to return them), rather than the lazy.

Can one not make the defence that one reasonably believes they are a 145 year old Antartican with 1234 children living in low earth orbit, thereby actually having filled out the census with information they believed to be true? In addition can one say that based on their personal convictions they do not recognize the state as a legitimate institution and therefore shouldn't be forced by said state through economic punishment to fill out a census which one believes to be a pointless social custom? Could this not be taken to the international court of human rights under the basis of the exercise of free thought and action?

OldGoat · 10-03-2011 09:53AM

nyarlothothep wrote: »

Can one not make the defence that one reasonably believes they are a 145 year old Antartican with 1234 children living in low earth orbit, thereby actually having filled out the census with information they believed to be true? In addition can one say that based on their personal convictions they do not recognize the state as a legitimate institution and therefore shouldn't be forced by said state through economic punishment to fill out a census which one believes to be a pointless social custom? Could this not be taken to the international court of human rights under the basis of the exercise of free thought and action?

I imagine that for such a defense to work you would have to genuinely believe that you are a 145 year (yadda yadda). Just 'claiming' you believe it is compounding an offence with purgury. I don't think your defence ploy is viable.
Just to push that a bit further what would happen if you did stand up and manage to persuade the court that you are indeed mentaly incapable of filling out a census form? Put into care perhaps?

conorhal · 10-03-2011 11:21AM

FFS! It bugs me no end that many of the self same people that whine about filling out the census, thus frustrating the effective provision of services (which they themselves avail of), are probably all over Facebook and Amazon, companies that I guarantee know a hell of a lot more about you then your local authority ever will.
They probably own a mobile phone also. Well they should read the small print of their mobile contract. It allows for the collection of 'marketing data' that mobile companies sell to firms to allow for the effective placement of ads and billboards.
For example, say you're marketing a new perfume that you want to target at 18-24 yr old women with a high disposable income, well O2 or Vodaphone can tell you what routes to place your billboards along that the highest concentration of that demographic drive to work. They can provide this information because they are entitled to track every move your mobile phone makes, they know where you are every minute of every day, a fact that I find a lot more scary than anything a census may be used for by a government that only want to know whassup once every 5 years.

We broadcast our personal lives all over social networking sites or provide endless amounts of personal data to private firms every single day without a second thought, but the government asks you to do the same in confidence for the betterment of your comunity and you have a problem with it?

ottostreet · 10-03-2011 11:47AM

Why on Earth wouldn't you want to fill out the census?

Christ almighty, the stupidity of some people.

MagicSean · 10-03-2011 11:49AM

nyarlothothep wrote: »

Can one not make the defence that one reasonably believes they are a 145 year old Antartican with 1234 children living in low earth orbit, thereby actually having filled out the census with information they believed to be true? In addition can one say that based on their personal convictions they do not recognize the state as a legitimate institution and therefore shouldn't be forced by said state through economic punishment to fill out a census which one believes to be a pointless social custom? Could this not be taken to the international court of human rights under the basis of the exercise of free thought and action?

No

prinz · 10-03-2011 11:55AM

ottostreet wrote: »

Why on Earth wouldn't you want to fill out the census? Christ almighty, the stupidity of some people.

It's the old Irish disease striking some people again. A perception of beating the system/screwing "the man". Sort of like a T.D. saying 'why should I have to back-up expenses claims?'......of course we all know how the Irish people react to that. Comes to a census..... 'I'm not going to fill in a census form ha ha ha' - Reaction 'You the man, high five!'

KeithAFC · 10-03-2011 11:55AM

Its important for future planning.

bodun · 10-03-2011 12:26PM

The-Rigger wrote: »

Might be a good opportunity to create some people.
Hello Miguel Sanchez.

I find that trying to create more people, the old fashioned way, to be more fun!

jackal · 10-03-2011 12:27PM

Is there any way to distinguish between a TV licence inspector and a census enumerator from behind a closed door? I couln't be dealing with the awkwardness which I believe is the end result of forgetting to get a TV licence, or so the ads on TV said... er or so I heard from someone who has a TV.

Queen-Mise · 10-03-2011 12:31PM

is there a census due soon. Havent heard a word about it - election & libya were only news was following. I always tell the truth - its all anonymous.

prinz · 10-03-2011 12:34PM

jackal wrote: »

Is there any way to distinguish between a TV licence inspector and a census enumerator from behind a closed door? I couln't be dealing with the awkwardness which I believe is the end result of forgetting to get a TV licence, or so the ads on TV said... er or so I heard from someone who has a TV.

Ask to see their ID through the window first.

Daegerty · 10-03-2011 12:39PM

bodun wrote: »

I find that trying to create more people, the old fashioned way, to be more fun!

As long as you don't have to do the pushing them out part

MagicSean · 10-03-2011 12:40PM

Daegerty wrote: »

As long as you don't have to do the pushing them out part

Cant be as bad as having to shave every day. Thats a real pain.

bodun · 10-03-2011 12:43PM

Daegerty wrote: »

As long as you don't have to do the pushing them out part

The artist creates work for the artisan!

suitseir · 10-03-2011 01:30PM

I heard last night that a lot of the enumerators are already working in other jobs and are carrying out this extra curricular activity at night allegedly?

Anybody, know if this is true?

hubba · 10-03-2011 01:35PM

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Just... for the love of God, please don't put yourself down as a Catholic, unless you actually are.

+1. I would go even further and ask those who traditionally have ticked Catholic, to to ask themselves are they really Catholic at all?

MagicSean · 10-03-2011 01:36PM

suitseir wrote: »

I heard last night that a lot of the enumerators are already working in other jobs and are carrying out this extra curricular activity at night allegedly?

Anybody, know if this is true?

Does it matter?

suitseir · 10-03-2011 01:39PM

k_mac wrote: »

Does it matter?

Yes, of course it matters! There are loads of unemployed people out there, like myself, who would be willing and more than able to do this job........

Fozzydog3 · 10-03-2011 01:41PM

hmmm I've always fancied being in the mujahadeen

10-03-2011 01:43PM

suitseir wrote: »

Yes, of course it matters! There are loads of unemployed people out there, like myself, who would be willing and more than able to do this job........

Yes, if only they had advertised these positions like other jobs, for anyone to apply to...
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0105/1224286779958.html

humanji · 10-03-2011 01:48PM

bodun wrote: »

I find that trying to create more people, the old fashioned way, to be more fun!

Cloning?

nyarlothothep · 10-03-2011 01:53PM

OldGoat wrote: »

I imagine that for such a defense to work you would have to genuinely believe that you are a 145 year (yadda yadda). Just 'claiming' you believe it is compounding an offence with purgury. I don't think your defence ploy is viable.
Just to push that a bit further what would happen if you did stand up and manage to persuade the court that you are indeed mentaly incapable of filling out a census form? Put into care perhaps?

Well could one (not I) then argue that in the case where one believes they are a 145 year old antartican, they are simply exercising a difference of opinion to the general masses as to perception of the nature of reality. If one were to demonstrate that one presents no danger to themselves or anyone else one could say they are fully entitled to hold that belief without their personal liberty being threatened through institutionalization. In effect one could be fully mentally capable of filling out the census form with a different perception of reality. Could one not reasonably argue that thought in itself is not a crime?

Do I really have to do the census ?

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