On 02-09-2013 16:12, Chris Dickinson wrote: > Gordon Adshead wrote in reply to my: > > > >> At 21:29 01/09/2013, Chris Dickinson wrote: >>> There is an article in the online FT today that may interest some of you (see the subject headline). I don't know whether you can access this, as I am a subscriber: >>> http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/380c2bd4-116b-11e3-a14c-00144feabdc0.html?siteedition=uk#axzz2dfsPfWBo > >> You are right: that FT prefer you to pay or register. > >> However if you Google <scrapping the census> >> there are several free articles of relevance > > > > Drat. So, to summarise: > > > The headline is: > > "Internet survey could replace census. ONS looks at alternative data instead of once-a-decade questionnaire" > > A consultation by the ONS is to propose two options to replace the census. This, unlike a previous report, won't keep the existing arrangement. The two options are to be: an internet survey or a collation of alternative sources. > > Objections are that these options may not provide the existing richness of data ('granular data'), government may not be given enough information to formulate policy, and vulnerable groups may be most impacted. Any survey via internet has the disadvantage that it assumes everyone has some internet and wants to share via this medium their data. The old (not capable any more to learn new techniques) and the homeless are then forgotten (as well as the unwilling to use this way of sharing their info). Maybe I forgot some categories but those two are already enough to make it a bad idea. Richard -- Richard van Schaik f.m.a.vanschaikREMOVE@THISgmail.com http://www.fmavanschaik.nl/ The world is one big madhouse and this is main office.