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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think people are being oversensitive regarding the census?

116 replies

TrillianAstra · 09/03/2011 16:27

The census is not trying to get at you.

It doesn't matter who is person #1.

No-one is making a moral judgement based on your answers.

Just fill in the form so that the government can count you up and in a hundred years' time your descendants can look up great great aunty Jane and think "isn't Jane a funny old-fashioned name?".

OP posts:
ragged · 09/03/2011 17:27

I think if people are determined to be paranoid then they will find a way. What any institution is going to do with self-reported data about the number of rooms in my house or the religion of 62 million people is beyond me (not that individual Census data is easy to get, it's tricky enough getting Census data down to enumeration district), but if you're determined to find a conspiracy you will.

DilysPrice · 09/03/2011 17:30

YAsoooooNBU

RoundOrangeHead · 09/03/2011 17:31

you do know that they already know LOADS about everyone?

RoundOrangeHead · 09/03/2011 17:32

sorry missed of 'already'

ragged · 09/03/2011 17:35

By the time the data are collated and made available to researchers, it will be early 2013. How much of it will be out of date already? Confused

OTheHugeManatee · 09/03/2011 17:37

I found it briefly irritating but couldn't give a stuff really.

majordanjarvis · 09/03/2011 17:37

I take the point but I don't like the Big Brother aspect of it - then again, I'd rather Govt didn't do half the things it currently does so I'm coming at it from a different angle to most of those on MN!

Grin
Bunbaker · 09/03/2011 17:39

If it wasn't unlawful there wouldn't be be any point in completing it because the results would be inaccurate.

I don't have a problem with completing a cencus form, this being the fourth one I have received (because I am old). It is just a snapshot of life in the UK in 2011.

Unless you have never worked, had a bank account, used social networking sites, owned a store loyalty card, don't drive, have never had a passport, are not on the electoral roll etc, someone is going to have information about you anyway.

BuzzLiteBeer · 09/03/2011 17:39

If you don't want to fill in the census, don't take any of the services provided.
Census asks about you? So does your NHS doctor, give up your right to one. So does your kids scholl, how about you give up your right to that too?

You are incredibly lucky to live in a country with a vast array of public services that on the whole work in your interests. You have safety nets aplenty. You've got protection and justice and representation and a million other things...look around the fucking world and see how many millions of people would die for what you have.

So maybe its not perfect. Not going to get better if wankers decide they are too good for the fecking census and won't do a simple thing like a form, instead bleating on about how much of an imposition it is.

CrystalStair · 09/03/2011 17:39

You give away a lot more info by being on Facebook or paying for things by card. The census is nothing.

NotJustKangaskhan · 09/03/2011 17:42

On the fence on this one - I can see why people could be miffed by lack of representation to stupid levels (No Scottish Qualifications in the English census when the Scottish one has English qualifications) or when questions are leading or just done stupidly.

My personal bugbear on all of these kinds of things is when asked "What is your religion?" the ticky boxes are Christan/Jewish/Sikh...which aren't religions, but titles of people following a religion. Putting Christianity, Judaism, Islam would make a lot more sense and be more inclusive (and would make my life easier as I'm a Noachide, which is part of Judaism, but I am not Jewish). Just a pedantic and personal oversenstivity Grin

GooseyLoosey · 09/03/2011 17:42

YANBU. Accurate data about how and where people live is vital for long term Government planning. They need to be able to work out how much the benefit system is likely to cost, where increased spending might be necessary etc. There are of course many, many other ways of gathering this data and this is just one more, but given that, what's the problem with it.

bibbitybobbityhat · 09/03/2011 17:43

Yanbu.

And wot StayFrosty said.

Never ceases to amaze me how worked up people can get about things that seem so eminently reasonable. Its once every ten years fgs.

I think, in Australia, you are legally obliged to vote?

manticlimactic · 09/03/2011 17:43

I asked on another thread why they asked me my works address. A poster said it was for transport planning.

Had a thought and realised they didn't ask where I worked, they asked for the head office address and since I walk to work how could that have anything to do with transport planning - since I don't work at my H.O?

Anyway, I filled it in - I was just pondering the question about work. There was nothing intrusive, well I didn't think so anyway.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 09/03/2011 17:47

YANBU. All the census does is correlate all of the information that is held about you all over the place. Barclays has your shopping habits, your council has details about your house and residents, the inland revenue has your earnings, your church, synagogue etc has your details if you follow a religion, your GP has your medical details etc etc etc. The census tells us nothing new, just puts it all in one place. No reason for knickers to get twisted.

But I agree that they should ditch the tick boxes or include everything.

pinkfluffyprincess · 09/03/2011 18:07

I'm not doing it, because they've made it against the law not to, and I've got important things to do. What are they going to do about it? Nothing

lecce · 09/03/2011 19:08

I'm not doing it, because they've made it against the law not to, and I've got important things to do. What are they going to do about it? Nothing

Grow up.

Soups · 09/03/2011 19:22

pinkfluffyprincess

You'll find that your important things will be interrupted by a collector knocking on your door. If you stil refuse you'll get visits from the non compliance staff. You'll get more done if you just fill it in Grin

majordanjarvis · 09/03/2011 19:37

pinkfluffyprincess - is it that you don't understand some of the questions?

Choufleur · 09/03/2011 19:40

Well by not doing it you will be reducing funding to people in your local area.

vitriola · 09/03/2011 19:42

Fill it out online - the question booklet looks quite huge and daunting but online it automatically filters out the sections that don't apply to you, which saves you wading through those bits that say 'If NO to Q5.7, go to Q8.9, but only if you live on a houseboat and have broken a toe in the last 30 days' or whatever. It only took me a few minutes, and it's quite nice to have got it out of the way.

StayFrosty · 09/03/2011 19:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

motheroftwoboys · 09/03/2011 19:46

I am (far too) interested in geneology and spend a lot of my time pouring over various census. What is the plural of census? Confused It is a brilliant tool and fascinating source of information. I like to think of my descendants looking at it in years to come. I only wish some of the information on this census was available in earlier years. It is SO frustrating when you can't find people. I wish it said where other members of the family were - ie working abroad/away at Uni etc. I expect it asks all that now. Haven't opened it yet! The 1911 is just available now but you still have to pay quite a lot to view the entries. Terribly addictive.

Trinaluce · 09/03/2011 19:47

YANBU - this will be the first one I've had to fill in, and I love the idea of my grandchildren/great-grandchildren/whoever being able to look me up as I have with my own ancestors. That they might look at it having done their own FAR more invasive census and marvel at how little we're telling them is fascinating to me Smile

ScramVonChubby · 09/03/2011 20:12

There's quite a bit no other rsource would have.

The fact that ds2 helps care for his siblings to a small extent- useful when planning young carers resources, something most people would consider vital.

I am registered as a carer; Dh works however and is not but here he can record what he does and be counted (we have a couple fo sn kids).

Oh and fluffy this year apparently they are actively fining so do beware. And yes the visitors cover alla reas so you will get those too.

Is it worth it?

Is it worth risking provision for carers, or disbaled people, or whoever?