I got my Census today.

• THE4RINGZ

  

  Just arrived in the mail.
  
  I believe I will fill it out, but am concerned about giving everyone's name and stuff. If it is supposed to be confidential information collected solely for statisitcal purposes why do they need to know the name of everyone living in my house?
  
  I am just not that big of fan of giving the government more information about myself than absolutely necesary.
  
  
  Any thoughts?
• tk421

  

  Just put the number of people.
• BCBulldog

  

  You think they don't already know who you are? Try not paying taxes and see how quickly they know your name.
• vball10set

  ^^this
• THE4RINGZ

  

  Yeah and I am going to take a Sharpie and cross out the bar codes on the form and my address.
  
  At least there isn't a part about income on the form, I was a little worried about that too.
• tk421

  

  Look, the census doesn't even get 70% of the people returning it. You could throw it away and nothing is going to happen. It doesn't come certified or anything so they have no way of knowing if you even got it. Just have to watch out for those annoying idiots coming to your house to try and get your information.
• THE4RINGZ

  

  I believe the government knows who I am am, yes. And have no problem providing them with the ages, nationalities, and reason they live in my house. But their names just seems a little far fetched to me. Unless the Census data is to include how many people living in the US have the name James or something.
• ts1227

  

  BCBulldog wrote: You think they don't already know who you are? Try not paying taxes and see how quickly they know your name.

  Yeah, it's not like you are giving them anything they don't already have on you. Don't overthink it here...
• queencitybuckeye

  Why the paranoia? There's nothing asked for in the census that anyone couldn't find out from public records.
• tk421

  

  ts1227 wrote:

  BCBulldog wrote: You think they don't already know who you are? Try not paying taxes and see how quickly they know your name.

  Yeah, it's not like you are giving them anything they don't already have on you. Don't overthink it here...

  Then what's the point of the census? Taking all the information from all the different government agencies, I guarantee they pretty much have information on everyone already legally allowed in this country. Seems a pretty good waste of money to count everyone again.
• se-alum

  

  THE4RINGZ wrote: Just arrived in the mail.
  
  I believe I will fill it out, but am concerned about giving everyone's name and stuff. If it is supposed to be confidential information collected solely for statisitcal purposes why do they need to know the name of everyone living in my house?
  
  I am just not that big of fan of giving the government more information about myself than absolutely necesary.
  
  
  Any thoughts?

  Just put on your foil hat, and fill the damn thing out!!
  
  
• bases_loaded

  

  Put the number of people and mail it back. Its supposed to be use to find out how many people live in the country. Fuck big brother
• I Wear Pants

  tk421 wrote: Look, the census doesn't even get 70% of the people returning it. You could throw it away and nothing is going to happen. It doesn't come certified or anything so they have no way of knowing if you even got it. Just have to watch out for those annoying idiots coming to your house to try and get your information.

  I'm going to be one of those annoying idiots later this month.
• THE4RINGZ

  

  Stop in we can have a couple of beers together.
• I Wear Pants

  THE4RINGZ wrote: Stop in we can have a couple of beers together.

  I'm like 12 years old. (20)
• bases_loaded

  

  The sole purpose of the censuses and surveys is to secure general statistical information. Replies are obtained from individuals and establishments only to enable the compilation of such general statistics. The confidentiality of these replies is very important. By law, no one — neither the census takers nor any other Census Bureau employee — is permitted to reveal identifiable information about any person, household, or business. Without such protections, those living illegally in the United States or hiding from the government would be deterred from submitting census data.
  
  I didn't put any names on mine.
• Glory Days

  

  what is the worst that can happen if they have the names of the people in your house?
  
  here is some information maryland put out involving why they ask names.
  
  http://www.census.state.md.us/Whycensusneedsname.pdf
• GoPens

  

  They've been keeping names for the census since the first one in 1790 so it's not like this is nothing new. My dad is big into geneology. Try reading the handwriting of the names, jobs, etc of some of those early censuses. They keep that information private and only release census data every generation or so. I believe they just released access to the 1930 census a couple of years ago, so no one will be able to read your name till the year 2080 or so, so quit worrying for crying out loud.
• BRF

  

  ^^^^This.
  
  And, btw, that 1930 census is pretty interesting reading for geneology purposes.
• dobefan

  I believe the government releases each census 72 years after it was taken. As a genealogy buff myself I can hardly wait to see my parents listed for the first time on the 1940 census when it is released in 2012.
• dlazz

  dobefan wrote: I believe the government releases each census 72 years after it was taken. As a genealogy buff myself I can hardly wait to see my parents listed for the first time on the 1940 census when it is released in 2012.

  get out more
• believer

  

  I Wear Pants wrote:I'm going to be one of those annoying idiots later this month.

  Enjoy the abuse.
• I Wear Pants

  believer wrote:

  I Wear Pants wrote:I'm going to be one of those annoying idiots later this month.

  Enjoy the abuse.

  Pays better than McDonald's.
• justincredible

  

  I Wear Pants wrote: I'm going to be one of those annoying idiots later this month.

• Paladin

  Filled mine out & sent it in. Real quick & easy.