So yeah, Census 2006. Pretty exciting. It’s history in the making. Millions of people cooperating to capture a moment in time for future generations to look back upon and discover that yes, I did have internet access in my home in August 2006. The other appeal for me is that it’s a form to fill out. I love filling out forms. There’s something very satisfying about it. I’m not quite sure what it is.
So did everyone tick the release this information in 99 years box? Or did you feel Big Brother breathing a little too hard down your neck? Did you mark down your religion as ‘Jedi Knight’? If yes, are you a stroker? Wait, don’t answer: I already know. :-)
The best part of this Census was filling in Winter’s details. She’s really a real person now! Are those last two sentences enough of an excuse to post another photo of her? Of course it is.
Quick update, if you’re interested: Happiest baby alive. Sleeping well, feeding well and growing faster than the number of Jedi in Australia. Much faster. She’s trying to talk and coming out with all sorts of weird squawks. Sometimes I’m on the phone to Kate and it sounds like there’s a frantic bird trapped inside attacking her. Winter’s also trying to laugh. It never occurred to me that we need to learn how to laugh! She takes these large gulps of air and makes a funny noise, but mostly ends up with a fit of hiccups. Maybe we’ll have to get David Brent to give her a few pointers? Come on, trust me. Ay? Yeah? Hoohoohoo.
UPDATE: ARGH! The Jedi hilarity has mutated into a tool for social activism! Last night I was fenced into a corner of the tram by two very serious and very earnest young women who were talking with pride about listing their religion on the Census as 'Greenie'. "It felt so good doing that because, like, if enough people do it, the Government will have to pay attention." Yeah, good luck with that. Let me know how it works out.
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There is nothing in the world that brings out my ornery libertarian side quite like Census Day. I remember living the USA and dodging an annoying persistent 2000 Census Taker for weeks, right up to the letters threatening fines. (Eventually they gave up, and if you don't believe me then I can assure you I don't even like fava beans.)
ReplyDeleteI can't even bring myself to "stick it to The Man" by filling in false information; to me even that would add too much legitimacy to a fundamentally illegitimate process.
So Future Spouse filled out the form. She thinks she may have done it wrongly, and a quick glance through it suggests that she got a few things about me incorrect. Which is good, all around.
Confusion to the Thought Police.
Other than someone's obvious paranoia about big brother (don't people realise that we really aren't that interesting?), I found another great reason to laugh -
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuicV5OoVEk
We did it. Very intruding, but hey... 99 years someone is going to read my data and think... 'Bogans... the lot of 'em'.
ReplyDeleteLiv actually filled it in for me, got my birthday wrong and all...
I want to get off this super highway...
Is it really that intrusive? Call me 'The Man's bitch', or just naive if you will, but what parts of the form do you object to? I like my privacy, and I don't want the government peeking in my window to see what sort of boxer shorts I wear, but I didn't find anything on the form too objectionable. Don't the positives of being able to map trends and changes outweigh the negatives?
ReplyDeleteBomber, I'm curious as to what data you provided that you feel will mark you as a bogan. I must have missed the 'How many cans of VB do you (an' ya missus) knock back each day?' question.
Oh, and it seems the 'Information Superhighway' is not the overgrown bush track I imagined and hoped it to be. Bomber just sent me a link for a story published only this morning. And oh, look: it's got 'cyber-space' in there as well.
ReplyDeleteCATS FEEL HEAT OVER RUMOURS
Stephen Rielly
THERE are very few people prepared to dispute the merits of the information super-highway, otherwise known as the internet. There is, though, a football club down the Princes Highway that is doing just that this morning.
Geelong Football Club was engulfed yesterday by an internet-driven scandal that began as a rumour posted on a football gossip site on Monday, but which, by late yesterday, was breathing mainstream media air.
Senior Geelong officials were forced to defend the club, specifically coach Mark Thompson, against the titillating cyber-space rumour after a radio station repeated some of its contents and a television station subsequently did likewise.
I should have written no-one uses it, except sarcastically, and except for sports writers. :-)
As I thought I made perfectly clear in my initial post, my dislike of the Census is purely ideological.
ReplyDeleteTo say that it is based on paranoia would be to assume that if I could be assured that the information collected about me would never be misused, then I would have no problem with giving it. This is most definitely not the case.
To imply that it is because some questions are intrusive is again to suggest that if the questions were less intrusive, I would be happy to answer them. I would still not be.
Apostropher, if you don't want the government asking about your boxer shorts tomorrow, then you shouldn't be so happy about telling them about your internet access today. Neither is any of their business, and giving them the latter will empower them to ask for the former.
ReplyDeleteAnd if they do start spying on you to determine your boxer shorts preferences and it bothers you; don't expect any sympathy from the boxer short exhibitionists who are coy about their means of internet access - after all, you're not supporting them now.
Don't the positives of being able to map trends and changes outweigh the negatives?
Anyone who has studied even basic statistics will tell you that you don't need to sample 100% of the population to map trends. Market researchers and opinion pollsters produce accurate results daily from much smaller samples.
JJ, you make some good points, and I'll be sure to dry my boxers on the front porch from now on. :-)
ReplyDeleteDon't the positives of being able to map trends and changes outweigh the negatives?
...you don't need to sample 100% of the population to map trends.
No, but (as I've just discovered) it's not just about trends. If you'll forgive a big cut 'n' paste from here, do you think these aims are not worthwhile?
The Census aims to:
-measure the population - accurately.
-provide certain key characteristics of everyone in Australia on Census Night.
-understand better the dwellings in which Australian people live.
-provide timely, high quality and relevant information for small geographic areas and small population groups.
-complement the information provided by other ABS surveys.
WHY IS THE CENSUS NEEDED?
The Census provides a snapshot of the nation, which helps define who we are. It underpins Australia's democracy and is crucial to communities, private institutions and all levels of government in the planning of services and facilities.
Federal funding arrangements to the states and territories is also based on Census figures. Census information is used as the basis for the allocation of GST revenue to the states and territories.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A CENSUS?
The Census is of vital importance to Australian communities.
Community organisations, private institutions and all levels of government use Census figures as the basis for many planning decisions, such as where to provide services for the elderly and young people.
The number of seats each state and territory has in the House of Representatives is also based on Census figures, as are federal funding arrangements to the states and territories. Census information is used as the basis for allocation of GST revenue to the states and territories.
All ABS population figures are based on the Census.
Or are you saying it doesn't matter how useful it might be? Feel free to expand on "fundamentally illegitimate process". I'm actually interested. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd people: don't let the comments so far put you off posting effusive praise for Winter! This section is big enough for two simultaneous threads! :-)
ReplyDeleteYES
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful baby you've got there.
And her presence in Australia will no doubt shift the tides of apathy and insufficient parking spaces. (Go Census!)
You have a keen eye there, Will. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd I see it's been reported that over 720,000 households used eCensus to submit their form.