Why all the fuss about the 2010 Census

[Married2009 32]

Actually what happens is that each form is mailed to an address. When the form from that address is returned, the information from the form is entered into a master sheet and the address ticked off so if they don't have a form returned from that address label then they will do the follow up. The data is collected but the names associated with the data are not released I believe it is for 100 years. You can't get public access to any personal census information for a census taken after 1910 at the moment, so in that sense the information is anonymous. They will release statistical data and summaries of the information collated from the many different forms and use that information to identify trends and re-distribute population based finances and resources. Those who have access to the personal details are sworn to secrecy with strong penalties of imprisonment and fines for any abuse of that access. To be honest, census takers deal with so much personal information from so many different people that it is impossible to keep one person straight from another. You just don't remember the details and you just aren't interested in remembering the details.

Thanks for the information, I didn't know.

Edited March 22, 2010 by Married2009

[The_Dude 1,142]

If you are a human being as science knows it, you are unable to answer the questions truthfully before April 1. Plain and simple. Unable, as the questions are phrased very specific (did live, not assume to live) and contain a specific date (4-1-2010).

You can get hit by a bus tomorrow, your husband can have a stroke or heart attack, and something tragic can happen to your son or daughter as well. The fact that people even assume it's easy to predict what happens to the about 300,000,000 US residents within the next 2 weeks is proposterous and proof that people don't take the Census seriously. Hence, there you have it: a huge waste of taxpayers' money.

Trolling regional forums is just poor form. You have failed as a troll, but you have succeeded in being a douche. However, your posts have been quite entertaining, so I gave you a +1

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

I was about to answer the Census truthfully, but since I learned here on VJ that many people are just having fun with it, I just ripped it in pieces and threw it in the trash. Since Uncle Sam has never enforced participation in the past it is doubtful that he will do so this time, and, even so, who really gives a sh*t anyway, right?

A huge waste of taxpayers' money. Soooo sad.

[ashenflowers 5]

So you based your judgments on YOU thinking other people are just having fun with the census, instead of taking it seriously yourself, and doing as YOU interpret the instructions, you decide to throw it away and have your statistics, yourself, your entire household not counted? What do you expect to accomplish with that?

That's sad.

btw, I mailed my Census back the day after I received it. As per instructed.

I hope you're not in my neighbourhood Bob.