Stevo985 Posted March 11, 2011 Author VT Supporter Share Posted March 11, 2011 What's question 17? You know you're not supposed to fill it out until March 27th don't you? Really? Hahaha, I filled mine in and posted it back same day. Tuesday I think!? Yeah. That's why all the questions are based around March 27th. It's a census of where everyone is on that date. Anything could happen between now and then? That guy who's drive you park near might blow up your house and you'll be living somewhere else on the 27th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted March 11, 2011 Author VT Supporter Share Posted March 11, 2011 Until what....lunch or end of work? End of work. Half days on a Friday for us. Highlight of my week (I'm not even joking) I'd say you're both lucky but I guess from my position, I can't....so 'ahhhh, that's good!'... if that's your highlight of the week though...is there even any point in ending work early!! Guess you can sit on a bench on friday night and stand in the cold between goalposts on a sunday! Haha, sitting on the bench is straight after work today. Rolling subs though so should get on pretty early. If someone was to take away my half day fridays I'd be seriously gutted. I love them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 You know you're not supposed to fill it out until March 27th don't you? I found that hilarious actually. I actually thought it was a mistake, as you never specify a single date to complete a survey on. It's nonsense. It's what our company do as a business, people and staff surveys. Like anyone in their right mind is going to wait until the 27th, and then think, "right, I'm now allowed to fill in this survey and send it back". They really should have put, "Please complete this survey on or before the 27th March". I guess they want the data to be accurate to a specific single day in the calendar, but logistically that is nonsense ... people will have been filling them in at various points since they got them. Does it make them invalid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theunderstudy Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 No wonder they piss people off. They're designed to incensus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Do it online Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerlad Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 No wonder they piss people off. They're designed to incensus. excellent Andrew!! I think you are close to usurping The Dratmeister!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I actually thought it was a mistake, as you never specify a single date to complete a survey on. I'd guess that they have specified a single date for the census each time it has happened else it wouldn't be a snapshot 'as at this date' picture. :? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I actually thought it was a mistake, as you never specify a single date to complete a survey on. I'd guess that they have specified a single date for the census each time it has happened else it wouldn't be a snapshot 'as at this date' picture. :? why can't you have a snapshot say between March 1 and 31st? Why does it have to be a specific date, and not a range? Specifying a single date actually renders the data less reliable, as hundreds of thousands will not fill it in specifically on the 27th March. The data will in fact be a snapshot of information garnered from whenever people complete the survey, and that will not be on March27th for many, but over a range of dates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theunderstudy Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I would love it if the entire country put "tl;dr" on it. That'll show the future! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 why can't you have a snapshot say between March 1 and 31st? Why does it have to be a specific date, and not a range? Specifying a single date actually renders the data less reliable, as hundreds of thousands will not fill it in specifically on the 27th March. The data will in fact be a snapshot of information garnered from whenever people complete the survey, and that will not be on March27th for many, but over a range of dates. :? You can't have a snapshot over a month. People can fill the form in whenever they want; they are not instructed to all fill it in simultaneously at midnight on the 27th. What they are supposed to do is convey what the situation in their household is at that moment (including overnight visitors, &c.). If people filled it in to give their own particular snapshot at any point during an entire month then the census may well end up indicating that we have a population of 6 billion (may be a slight exaggeration ). p.s. Not a fan of it, tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted March 11, 2011 Author VT Supporter Share Posted March 11, 2011 I actually thought it was a mistake, as you never specify a single date to complete a survey on. I'd guess that they have specified a single date for the census each time it has happened else it wouldn't be a snapshot 'as at this date' picture. :? why can't you have a snapshot say between March 1 and 31st? Why does it have to be a specific date, and not a range? Specifying a single date actually renders the data less reliable, as hundreds of thousands will not fill it in specifically on the 27th March. The data will in fact be a snapshot of information garnered from whenever people complete the survey, and that will not be on March27th for many, but over a range of dates. It's "on or as soon after the 27th March as possible" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 why can't you have a snapshot say between March 1 and 31st? Why does it have to be a specific date, and not a range? Specifying a single date actually renders the data less reliable, as hundreds of thousands will not fill it in specifically on the 27th March. The data will in fact be a snapshot of information garnered from whenever people complete the survey, and that will not be on March27th for many, but over a range of dates. :? You can't have a snapshot over a month. Yes, you can. It's a snapshot at a point in time. That could be an hour, a day, a week, a month etc. [ People can fill the form in whenever they want; they are not instructed to all fill it in simultaneously at midnight on the 27th. They are in fact instructed/asked to complete the q're on the 27th. It says so on the form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I actually thought it was a mistake, as you never specify a single date to complete a survey on. I'd guess that they have specified a single date for the census each time it has happened else it wouldn't be a snapshot 'as at this date' picture. :? why can't you have a snapshot say between March 1 and 31st? Why does it have to be a specific date, and not a range? Specifying a single date actually renders the data less reliable, as hundreds of thousands will not fill it in specifically on the 27th March. The data will in fact be a snapshot of information garnered from whenever people complete the survey, and that will not be on March27th for many, but over a range of dates. It's "on or as soon after the 27th March as possible" I know. :? So, do you think people will be waiting until the 27th (or later) to fill them in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 They are in fact instructed/asked to complete the q're on the 27th. It says so on the form. They are in fact asked, "Please complete your census questionnaire on 27 March 2011, or as soon as possible afterwards." (Emphasis is as on front of form) It doesn't mean that everyone has to sit down with a pen at midnight and complete the form. :? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 If people filled it in to give their own particular snapshot at any point during an entire month then the census may well end up indicating that we have a population of 6 billion (may be a slight exaggeration ). and the difference between that and the situation we have now is ...? (Unless of course you think people are actually going to wait until the 27th to fill them in). People will get them, complete them and send them back over the period between receiving them and some sort of cut-off date. That date period may in fact be well over a month, once they have done all the chasing etc ... The date of the 27th is arbitrary and nonsense. In a perfect research world where you could control all of the variables, then specifying a date would work. No problem. But you can't, so it's bollocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 So, do you think people will be waiting until the 27th (or later) to fill them in? I don't know. If they wish to satisfy the intention of the form and unless they are perfectly clairvoyant, they can't be sure that all the information they give will be correct for that point in time. How do you know that your mother in law's house isn't going to have been hit by the terrible Macclesfield gas explosion that hits on 26th March, for example (and that you've taken her in rather than sent her off to the local Holiday Inn). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 They are in fact instructed/asked to complete the q're on the 27th. It says so on the form. They are in fact asked, "Please complete your census questionnaire on 27 March 2011, or as soon as possible afterwards." (Emphasis is as on front of form) It doesn't mean that everyone has to sit down with a pen at midnight and complete the form. :? :? What's your point then? You seem to agree with me that this will NOT in fct be a snapshot of information garnered on the 27th March. You seem to agree that people can and will complete the q're both before, on and after the 27th. Therefore the data will not reprsent a snapshot of information as at the 27th March, but over a range of dates, as I have suggested. Thus the snapshot will be a range of dates, over a period far longer than 1 day, as I have suggested. I'm really not sure of your point, but i'm at work, so have to get back to it .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 and the difference between that and the situation we have now is ...? That the census is indicating what it would like to be, i.e. a snapshot of the situation in this country as at 27th March 2011. The accuracy of the data collected will most definitely be questionable whether that be because some will object to filling in the form, some won't read the form and understand what they are supposed to be filling in, some will read the form and won't care and so on and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 What's your point then? That people don't have to fill the form in at the same time. :? You seem to agree with me that this will NOT in fct be a snapshot of information garnered on the 27th March. Of course it won't. The intention is to try for that. You seem to agree that people can and will complete the q're both before, on and after the 27th. Unless they explode if one puts a pen to it before the 27th then I imagine that it is perfectly possible to complete it before then. In order to know the actual situation as at 27th March, one would have to complete it after that point in time (whether that be just after the stroke of midnight or 10 minutes after or an hour or a day, &c). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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