Not sure if I'm rubbish at searching but has a thread already been started about this? ...'cause I looked but couldn't find one guys.:o
Anyway, I'm trying to get a general handle on the mood of others in relation to my own on this issue... and I suppose the basic question from me is - Were you completely happy to complete and return this census, or did you/do you have doubts or indeed feel that some of the questions are nobody's business but your own and those specifically involved in that issue?
I'm hoping you have the time to consider the question because there is much discussion, argument and counter argument amongst my friends and all the members in my family, and whilst I have my current views...I'd like to to know your opinion or how you felt about it, the way its' conducted, the firm that's been contracted to collate the info & even the threatened fine or the field agents and their assitants' rights to interview you "under caution" rules...:rolleyes:
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Didn't bother me, Rog! :p
The first census in this country was the Doomsday Book in 1086, but in its present form, it's 200 years old. Many countries in ancient times carried out censuses (sp?) - Babylon, Greece, Egypt, Rome. http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/census-history/index.html
In fact, around 2,000 years ago, this was a form of census:
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.(Luke 2)
Well, at least don't have to travel to the place of our birth any more!! 😀
Judy
Personally I found it intruding...a book if you like & didn't appricate people calling round asking for the home owner:p, also the census this time round is being done by an American company
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/feb/19/census-boycott-lockheed-martin
xx
Him indoors is a Census Enumerator, and he has enjoyed this project immensely - meeting a diverse and interesting bunch of people on his rounds. I filed our form on line. It wasn't onerous and I didn't feel it was an intrusion at all. The fact that none of this information will be made public until 2101 made me a bit sad.
Took ten minutes or so to complete on line and it asked for no information that could not easily be obtained about me from any number of other sources.
Can't see why it should cause any problems, but then I have no secrets!!
Didn't bother me, Rog! :p
The first census in this country was the Doomsday Book in 1086, but in its present form, it's 200 years old. Many countries in ancient times carried out censuses (sp?) -
Sure Judy, no argument.
But having said that, surely you'd agree that the Doomsday Book was not just a painless survey... It was for the purpose of determining how to exact the most amount of tax out of ‘the people’ but above and beyond that it was also effectively used as a vehicle to both re-apportion (steal) land and wealth from the people to dish out to the new king’s most loyal and murderous senior mercenaries and then to be used as a kind of ‘sword of Damocles’ over those very same ‘lords’ too!
You kinda make them (censuses (sp) ...or is it censi :)...) sound almost benign, yet the census’ used in Holland in the 30's/40's for example helped the Nazis round up all the Jews, & it didn’t stop there, they also got any half jews and even went as far as those that had listed just one of their four grandparent as a Jew!:eeeK:
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I don't get the impression that this present census will be used to that particular end, Roger!
I gather that the only information that will be extracted from this current collection will be the logistical ones, such as the ages of residents which will gauge information for schools/pensions etc. Also, the residences - how towns and villages have grown since the last census, and by what percentage, which will help with NHS provision (or not, whatever the case may be and which ever budget allows!) Other more personal information will be specifically encrypted for a designated time period - by which time we will have been long gone.
I expected to find it intrusive, but actually didn't.
Completed a hard copy and posted it back.
No-one knocking on my door.......no problems.
I don't get the impression that this present census will be used to that particular end, Roger!
I gather that the only information that will be extracted from this current collection will be the logistical ones, such as the ages of residents which will gauge information for schools/pensions etc. Also, the residences - how towns and villages have grown since the last census, and by what percentage, which will help with NHS provision (or not, whatever the case may be and which ever budget allows!) Other more personal information will be specifically encrypted for a designated time period - by which time we will have been long gone.
Yes, see I find myself agreeing again Jabba, but things nag at the back of my mind like AJ brought up Lockheed-Martin as the corporate that running this thing... have you read their record on abuse of data both in the US and the UK?
Moreover, it's a US giant that would be bound by 'The patriot Act' to hand over all data if so required.
My problem is not who is in power when the census is being conducted and the probably genuinely altruistic reasons it's being conducted... no my issue, as an Asian arriving in UK in the 60's - following Idi Amin's expulsion of all Asians (ironically based on data gathered from a census that eventually decided that even those that were second generation Asians were foreigners to be expelled too) is what the data "could" be used for in the wrong hands.
Imagine a far more damaging economic collapse, and it's not impossible to imagine that a party similar to the ideals of the BNP or the EDF might/could get into power... How do you imagine they would treat that data on me, my mother, my half Asian childern & their totally English children with one asian grandparent?
The questions on that form askeed me where I was born, what year I arrived (I've been here more than 40 years with a British passport as a law abiding, home-owning, own business running tax payer), about my wife, my work, my business, my business address, employees, my relations, my standard of English, my ethnicity, my religion... I honestly feared that all I needed to to tick last for 'all the alarms to go off' was "Islam" under religion :confused:
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I filled ours in and sent it back promptly ~ 8 days later they were knocking on doors.
I was quite shocked so soon after, but not to worry I had dropped ours in the post.
Despite being told this, the guy rolled his eyes and said he had to mark it as not collected "like all the others up there!" :rolleyes:
A week later I got a curt letter threatening a £1000 fine for none compliance. 😮
Deeply regretted not getting proof of postage.
Really annoyed I called, waited and waited and waited, put the phone on loud speaker and waited....you get the picture.
I was expecting a long delay.
When I finally got my called answered, apparently I am one of the people who sent their forms in "Too quickly" and they hadn't been able to catch up with them.
She was really surprised they had been knocking and sending letters so soon, because as she said they are processing er lots!!! 🙂
She was very nice about it, took my name and number and told me I will be called in 14 days whether or not it has been processed.
Louisa, your experience is rare - you were perfectly within your rights to take the name and EN (Enumerator Number) of the person hammering on your door - he should have displayed this at the time - you could also make a verbal complaint about how he approached you..
Our house is currently stuffed with returned census forms, which the enumerators (this is in Scotland) have to file in order of postcode, and return to the main collection offices by the end of this week, having first checked that the addresses are correct and the forms are unspoilt. At that time, they will go for processing and after a few more weeks, those people who refused to complete the forms, or failed to return them, will be notified that they may recieve a fine - it has to go to the Courts before a fine can be officially implemented. You should have been handed a green coloured form, which stated you may face a penalty should the form not be received, and then offered a substitute form if the original had been lost in the post. All my my OH's designated forms have been returned. He also received a couple from a different part of Scotland, with a similar town name, which have been forwarded to the correct collection area.
I didn't find the census too intrusive at all, except perhaps a couple of questions... do they really need to know my religious beliefs... that's shouldn't matter, but anyway...
It's only since I started researching my family tree that I came to appreciate how useful the census records of the past are in finding out the families, names and occupations of my long lost relatives. It would be so much harder... nay, almost impossible, to just work it out from birth, marriages and death records.
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All Love and Reiki Hugs
It's only since I started researching my family tree that I came to appreciate how useful the census records of the past are in finding out the families, names and occupations of my long lost relatives. It would be so much harder... nay, almost impossible, to just work it out from birth, marriages and death records.
Yes I remember finding them very handy for just this reason too.
I wasn't bothered by the census. I am sure that all the information I gave can be found out from other sources anyway. It is a shame that the information won't be made available for such a long time afterward though. What is the reason for this?
I don't believe they can really get a true picture of things as lots of people would have put any garbage down just for the sheer hell of it. The one bit that got my goat was asking how many people would be in your home on a particular night...whats that all about!
I don't believe they can really get a true picture of things as lots of people would have put any garbage down just for the sheer hell of it.
Yes - is it an urban myth or did 1% of the population claim their religion was jedi knight in the last census?