The fiasco of the 2021 UK census

[Brigantia]

I've got some insider info about this from someone on a temporary contract to work on it.

I worked on the 1991 and 2001 censuses and apart from the occasional stroppy householder, it was enjoyable. I attended one or two meetings beforehand, got my supplies and a map of my area, organised my time in accordance with deadlines and for that I was paid a lump sum.

This year, it's all digital and they're encouraging everyone to complete the census online. Census officers are paid by the hour, they have had 4 weeks of preparation that didn't merit a full-time weekly wage as it hadn't been clearly thought out, and was filled by endless Zoom meetings that were mainly waffle and pointless tasks.

This week they're out in the field to visit households that haven't completed it online. In the past you went out a couple of weeks before census day to deliver forms, so all the householders knew about it. This year, they sent letters through the post addressed to 'The Householder' with 'Important census information' on the envelope, and that contained your unique household code to access it online. From what has happened today it seems that many people just thought it was junk mail and tossed it out unread.

The census officers are not happy at all as they're given far too heavy a workload that averages 3 minutes per house. That's hard enough even if you're working in an urban area, walking up one street and down the next, but many areas are rural and the houses are spread out; in my experience finding some houses with house names rather than a number was a nightmare. I've been told that a lot of them have tried this Herculean task and found it impossible, and many have quit after the first day in the field. Many are retirees and would find it an impossible task to race from house to house.

They also have to do 60% of their work during 'unsocial hours', which is weekends and up to 8pm. Although it will be lighter next week after the clocks change it will still be dusk after 7pm, and even though it was still light I was once told off by someone for calling at his house at about 7.30. Some people feel vulnerable and don't like a knock on their door at that time.

So... four weeks of training has been paid to census officers out of public funds who have now quit as this has been so badly thought out and organised. I've been working right through the various lockdowns and paying taxes, and I am not happy about this money being wasted.

To use a WW1 quote, this country is peopled by lions led by donkeys.

[Bill Ryan]

That's interesting! There was a census here in Ecuador a few months ago. Nothing digital (most people aren't online), or by mail (there's no postal delivery here).

So teams of two people went from house to house with a clipboard — and in Ecuador, that's often WAY WAY WAY out in the boondocks. Like, very remote mountainous places where it's hard to even get a vehicle. It must have been an enormous task.

Besides my name and who lived here, the questions I was asked included:

• Did I have a fridge?
• What was my water supply?
• Did I own a vehicle?
• Did I have any kind of heating?
• How much did I spend a month on food?
• Did I own the fields around the house?

Nothing about religion or politics. Just entry-level data on how I lived. They were young and super-pleasant. When they left, they stuck a little sticker on my window to show that I'd been visited and asked the questions.

[Brigantia]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
That's interesting! There was a census here in Ecuador a few months ago. Nothing digital (most people aren't online), or by mail (there's no postal delivery here).

So teams of two people went from house to house with a clipboard — and in Ecuador, that's often WAY WAY WAY out in the boondocks. Like, very remote mountainous places where it's hard to even get a vehicle. It must have been an enormous task.

Besides my name and who lived here, the questions I was asked included:

• Did I have a fridge?
• What was my water supply?
• Did I own a vehicle?
• Did I have any kind of heating?
• How much did I spend a month on food?
• Did I own the fields around the house?

Nothing about religion or politics. Just entry-level data on how I lived. They were young and super-pleasant. When they left, they stuck a little sticker on my window to show that I'd been visited and asked the questions.

That's interesting Bill on how it's conducted in Ecuador; yes, it should be on how you live, those questions sound relevant.

They don't pry into your political views here but yes, they ask about your religious beliefs and also - a new one for this year - whether you identify with your birth gender...

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Besides my name and who lived here, the questions I was asked included:

• Did I have a fridge?
• What was my water supply?
• Did I own a vehicle?
• Did I have any kind of heating?
• How much did I spend a month on food?
• Did I own the fields around the house?

Nothing about religion or politics. Just entry-level data on how I lived. They were young and super-pleasant. When they left, they stuck a little sticker on my window to show that I'd been visited and asked the questions.

Among the questions we had to answer for this 'census' were:

what is your religion
what is your ethnicity
what was your gender at birth
what gender do you identify with now
what is your sexuality
what is your national identity
what is the status with your health

In total there were 50 questions, some very personal.

[Journeyman]

Posted by Brigantia (here)
To use a WW1 quote, this country is peopled by lions led by donkeys.

Some of the donkeys may have other motives...

I think the whole thing is well worth a watch, but the census only comes in at around 29:40


Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/oZwSvu4CG4gT

[happyuk]

Posted by Brigantia (here)
I've got some insider info about this from someone on a temporary contract to work on it.

I worked on the 1991 and 2001 censuses and apart from the occasional stroppy householder, it was enjoyable. I attended one or two meetings beforehand, got my supplies and a map of my area, organised my time in accordance with deadlines and for that I was paid a lump sum.

This year, it's all digital and they're encouraging everyone to complete the census online. Census officers are paid by the hour, they have had 4 weeks of preparation that didn't merit a full-time weekly wage as it hadn't been clearly thought out, and was filled by endless Zoom meetings that were mainly waffle and pointless tasks.

This week they're out in the field to visit households that haven't completed it online. In the past you went out a couple of weeks before census day to deliver forms, so all the householders knew about it. This year, they sent letters through the post addressed to 'The Householder' with 'Important census information' on the envelope, and that contained your unique household code to access it online. From what has happened today it seems that many people just thought it was junk mail and tossed it out unread.

The census officers are not happy at all as they're given far too heavy a workload that averages 3 minutes per house. That's hard enough even if you're working in an urban area, walking up one street and down the next, but many areas are rural and the houses are spread out; in my experience finding some houses with house names rather than a number was a nightmare. I've been told that a lot of them have tried this Herculean task and found it impossible, and many have quit after the first day in the field. Many are retirees and would find it an impossible task to race from house to house.

They also have to do 60% of their work during 'unsocial hours', which is weekends and up to 8pm. Although it will be lighter next week after the clocks change it will still be dusk after 7pm, and even though it was still light I was once told off by someone for calling at his house at about 7.30. Some people feel vulnerable and don't like a knock on their door at that time.

So... four weeks of training has been paid to census officers out of public funds who have now quit as this has been so badly thought out and organised. I've been working right through the various lockdowns and paying taxes, and I am not happy about this money being wasted.

To use a WW1 quote, this country is peopled by lions led by donkeys.

I recently completed mine. Any unfilled entries marked as "optional" I left exactly as I found them - blank.

Though I had no intention of completing it incorrectly, I got the impression that anyone wishing to do so could have probably done so with impunity.

Indeed, according to the Office for Nation Statistics, the 2021 census could be the last one ever ever carried out, and are seeking ways to replace it.

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Star Mariner (here)

what was your gender at birth
what gender do you identify with now
what is your sexuality
what is your national identity
what is the status with your health

In total there were 50 questions, some very personal.

Some answers might be

• What was your gender at birth?
  — I was only a day old, so I can't remember.

• What gender do you identify with now?
  — My own, as per my chromosomes.

• What is your sexuality?
  — High. (Thanks for asking)

• What is your national identity?
  — I am human.
  

• What is the status of your health?
  — Still alive. (And thanks for asking again)

[Tintin]

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Lecter to Starling:

"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."

[avid]

My frend has just gone on a diet, just boiled 6 eggs = (constipation), so is ‘Cool Hand Luke’ back in egg-scoffing fashion??