This week, the 2011 Census form will have arrived at every household in the UK. This important survey has got a little out of control this decade and weighs in at a monster 32 pages!
Who wants to have some fun with the census? Want to mess with the data? Want to really annoy the historians of the future? I know you do. Standard disclaimer: It is entirely possible that doing any of the things mentioned below may land you in serious trouble. If you do them, it’s on your head. Tough but that’s the way it is.
- Question H5: Organise a massive sleep-over party at your house for the night of 27 March 2011. Have as many guests as you can muster for that night. if lots of other people do the same, whatever information that provides can seriously be skewed.
- Question 15: Consider carefully your regional identity. Many so-called regions of the UK are historically nations in their own right. I shall be describing myself as “Scouse”. You may wish to be “Yorkshire” or “Cornish”. Remember, this isn’t lying but giving a more accurate reflection of the true nations in the UK.
- Answer Question 17 – it doesn’t matter what you put, just say something.
- Question 20: I shall of course be answering Christian. It would be great if anyone who is not actively a member of the people of the Messiah didn’t as a falsely high figure for Christians on this question drives the agenda of dangerous groups like Christian Voice, the Christian Legal Centre, Christian Concern etc. Okay, this one was a bit more serious so, maybe put Jedi or you could actually choose to be original this time around.
- Question 18: Go back to Question 15. Again, it could be argued that my main language is Scouse and so…
- …Question 19: As someone from Liverpool, inevitably, I don’t speak English well at all.
- Question 35: Be creative. I’m a member of the Clergy, so my answer is “I tell people about Jesus”.
Just a few suggestions, perhaps you can offer extra ways we can have Fun with the Census. The serious point of course is that to a lot of the questions asked, the answer ought to be None of your business.
This week, the 2011 Census form will have arrived at every household in the UK. This important survey has got a little out of control this decade and weighs in at a monster 32 pages!
Who wants to have some fun with the census? Want to mess with the data? Want to really annoy the historians of the future? I know you do. Standard disclaimer: It is entirely possible that doing any of the things mentioned below may land you in serious trouble. If you do them, it’s on your head. Tough but that’s the way it is.
- Question H5: Organise a massive sleep-over party at your house for the night of 27 March 2011. Have as many guests as you can muster for that night. if lots of other people do the same, whatever information that provides can seriously be skewed.
- Question 15: Consider carefully your regional identity. Many so-called regions of the UK are historically nations in their own right. I shall be describing myself as “Scouse”. You may wish to be “Yorkshire” or “Cornish”. Remember, this isn’t lying but giving a more accurate reflection of the true nations in the UK.
- Answer Question 17 – it doesn’t matter what you put, just say something.
- Question 20: I shall of course be answering Christian. It would be great if anyone who is not actively a member of the people of the Messiah didn’t as a falsely high figure for Christians on this question drives the agenda of dangerous groups like Christian Voice, the Christian Legal Centre, Christian Concern etc. Okay, this one was a bit more serious so, maybe put Jedi or you could actually choose to be original this time around.
- Question 18: Go back to Question 15. Again, it could be argued that my main language is Scouse and so…
- …Question 19: As someone from Liverpool, inevitably, I don’t speak English well at all.
- Question 35: Be creative. I’m a member of the Clergy, so my answer is “I tell people about Jesus”.
Just a few suggestions, perhaps you can offer extra ways we can have Fun with the Census. The serious point of course is that to a lot of the questions asked, the answer ought to be None of your business.
1 comment
Ian Buchan
15/03/2011 at 08:18 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
I agree, the answer should be None of your business, so why can’t we tell the census takers that? It seems, as a colleague of mine said, like a police state. They are allowed to ask absolutely anything and we have to tell them! As my dad said, “what is it to do with them how many women I have staying overnight?” I think he was joking though! Hmm?