2011 Census

[Stephen Coates]

Have you all filled in your Census forms?

I posted mine off today.

I am curious to know if anyone here put down any 'alternative' religion.

Also, did any of you do it online? I couldn't see any point since they conveniently provided a form and a freepost envelope. I have seen quite a few people carrying them to the post box today. So I expect Royal Mail will be busy.

[Harrison]

Yes, I filled ours out last night. Quite simple and not too much to actually answer on it. Regarding religion, I was so tempted to put Jedi, but in the end didn't.

It seems quite a few people have something against the Census, questioning why they should provide the information. Personally I wonder what they have to hide!

I wonder if in 100 years other people will be using the data I added to help search for long lost relatives or track down their family tree. It's what we have used the 1901 Census for recently, which was very useful.

[Stephen Coates]

They probably will.

My Grandfather has been working on a family tree over the last few years and, if memory serves, has it going back to the 1700s. I know he has had access to census records. Back then, there was a tick box for 'Lunatic'.

[Tiago]

was so tempted to put Jedi :lol:

Here in Portugal we are also doing the Census 2011.
How do you do it in Uk? Do you delivery it by internet ?
Here it's working ok, but i didnt get yet the internet codes/password, so if have to call the them (phone) but the phone line it's always full,
lots of pleople trying to get information and requesting internet/password.

[toomanymikes]

It seems folk are against the census as Lockheed Martin have won the tender to collate the info. Peace News have posted advice about filling it in to cost them money so they dont profit:
http://www.peacenewslog.info/2011/03/how-to-fill-in-your-census-form-without-lockheed-martin-profiting-long-version/
I did mine online, was tempted to put Jedi but i dont want my great grandkids thinking im a nobber if they ever did a family tree! ;)

Ps - still not found my a1200!

[Stephen Coates]

Here, the postman brings you a form and a Freepost envelope. The codes for the online version are on the front of the form, if you choose to do it online. Otherwise, you just fill the form in, put it in the envelope, and post it.

Why anyone would want to do it online though when they provide a nicely laid out form and an envelope is beyond me. I bet the majority of people still did it on paper.

[Harrison]

Plus if you don't fill it in and post it back you will receive a nice fine of £1000. Nice!

I suppose it's one way for the current government to sort out the deficit the last labour government got us into!

[Khephren]

I know a few people who refused to fill it in, generally because it's run by an organisation who who build and sell weaponry.

[Harrison]

That's just silly. As long as the Census data is processed correctly, I don't care who is contracted to process the forms, as long as they can be trusted not to leak the data. And you would thing a weapons manufacturer would have pretty high security experience, so are quite a good choice.

What would the alternatives be? Out source it to an Indian processing centre? Lots of data for the call centres to use! ;)

[Stephen Coates]

All I know about the company that is processing it is that they also did the US census, which appears to have been a much bigger job. So, there didn't ought to be any problems.

[StuKeith]

Yes, I filled ours out last night. Quite simple and not too much to actually answer on it. Regarding religion, I was so tempted to put Jedi, but in the end didn't.

It seems quite a few people have something against the Census, questioning why they should provide the information. Personally I wonder what they have to hide!

I wonder if in 100 years other people will be using the data I added to help search for long lost relatives or track down their family tree. It's what we have used the 1901 Census for recently, which was very useful.

I did put jedi! not posted t yet. Had a bloke turn up asking about it. Said I refuse to do it has it breaches my Human rights and I will go to the ECOHR and complain! he said need to do it by law, I asked if I have to enter trufull information, he said no!

[burns flipper]

Why anyone would want to do it online though when they provide a nicely laid out form and an envelope is beyond me. I bet the majority of people still did it on paper.I did it online - much easier to type, cut and paste stuff, it was easier to follow, and it also only showed you relevant questions, i.e. if you tick the "is a schoolchild" box for one of your children, it doesn't even generate all the job-related questions, so you just fill in all the questions it asks you. I did the entire family in about 20 minutes.

[Harrison]

I think the form was pretty easy to fill in, and did it via the postal method as it gave Royal Mail some much needed work. The electronic version of forms is definitely the logic way for the future though as it removes paper and the middle process of then having to convert the written form into an electronic form to add to the database. But I also still prefer filling out a physical form to an online one.

It also made it easier because we have a student staying with us, so she had to fill her pages in separately.