Can't believe it's five years since the last one.

Forms will be delivered as of tomorrow for census night on the 8th of August.

Do you go to trouble of finding out the information they need? Or just take a rough guess? Or, it's none of their business and you lie all over the form?

I try to be reasonably close to the mark but some options are educated guesses. I am working that night, so will have to do it when I get home.

Oh, did you hear that when Norwegian explorer Leif Ericsson returned from his long voyage to America, there was no record of him at the Bureau of Statistics- apparently they had taken Leif off their census... (sorry! )

I suppose I already told you that was one of my first 'real jobs'? I was eighteen, or thereabouts, and I was so terrified at asking people personal questions and punching in the answers on a punch data card. We had to insist and return about three times.

We had to ask them how many bathrooms they had and which ethnic group they identified themselves.

Australia has its census every five years. I worked on the 1996 and 2001 censuses (no, the plural is NOT censi).

I wasn't going to do it this time around but they contacted me and asked me to do it. In a moment of weakness I said yes. Now I am hoping I haven't bitten off more than I can chew with this and my regular job too.

But the extra money will come in handy and I can use the exercise!

Edited to add: this is the first time we are having "e-census" facilities. Australians will be able to do their survey online if they want to.

Oh my god ozzz, that was AWFUL!!

We just had a census in May in Canada... ooooh, it was good to be counted for the first time (I've managed to miss all of the previous ones that I could have taken part in).

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Do you go to trouble of finding out the information they need? Or just take a rough guess? Or, it's none of their business and you lie all over the form?

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Oh my gosh, don't lie! Your descendents who are infected with the genealogy virus will forever curse you. You will become known as "The Brick Wall". *shudder*

Or are you from that place that doesn't allow anyone to look at the census? In that case, never mind...

She's right. I know I was thrilled to catch a glimpse of so many of my ancestors and found out about my great great grandparents and their households.

What kind of things do they want to know? I don't think there's ever been a census in the Netherlands for as long as I've been alive, hence my cluelessness on the subject.

I just received my form, and they ask questions about nationality, marital status, language, ancestry, medical care situations, schooling, occupation, children, salary, transport options, size and configuration of dwellings, internet access, and more.

It is VERY comprehensive, and runs to 17 pages.

The information is all tabulated, and the forms themselves are destroyed. The raw statistics are available to government departments, businesses and others, but the individual details are not released.

Census time again! Better go pick up some Chianti.

Was just out washing the car and someone crept up behind me wielding this big yellow 'War and Peace' lookalike. It was so tempting having that hose in my hand, I tell ya.

Got mine too. Will probably be away that night so do I take that form with me or where-ever I am go onto that form? I mean the forms belong to the house and not the person don't they?

I'm so confused

You go on your host's form- see the notes for Q2, and then you have to complete Q53. I am not sure what you do if you are on an all-night bender..

I might use the online facility, as the pickup guy could not specify a time and date.

Oooo.. someone has a guilty conscience?

Well, as a census collector, I'm really hoping lots of people will try the e-census - then I don't have to pick up the forms!

I think the reason most people in the US are reluctant to answer census questions is because they have either failed to file their income tax returns, or have lied on those returns. I worked for the US Census Bureau for a couple of years, initially on wrapping up the 1992 Census of Agriculture which is taken every five years, rather the decennial census. The Census Bureau does not share the information it collects with other agencies until the data is tabulated and in statistical form. The personal information has been stripped from the data long before then.

Got one delivered today. Just too bad they had to do it at nine o'clock on a Sunday morning!