General Chat

With all the threads about the 1911 census flying around at the moment, I have just one question. Who would you like to get the contract to put it online, an American company or a British one? I would like to keep it in this country.

Hi Roger,I really dont mind to be honest:-)

I don't mind as long as it's accurate.

As long as the transcribers have knowledge of British place names, I don't mind! Having seen the mistranscriptions that Ancestry comes up with (I believe they're transcribed by Americans, with it being an American company), I'd like to at least see Somerset transcribed as such and not as Somalia;) Mandy :)

Roger It has been sent to (India?) I think, for transcribing and digitising. I read that stringent quality control checks will be in place 'at all stages'. We shall see. OC

*Recalls many frustrating phone conversations with call centres based in India and faints with disbelief* Mandy ;)

Mandy Yep. However, a team from ONS has gone out there to train the transcribers and a double entry system will be in operation - two transcribers entering the information independently of each other ...a computer programme will discard non matching entries (that is, where the interpretation differs) and they will be put to arbitration! It cannot be done in this country because it would cost too much, and ONS has contracted the work overseas as part of a practical help under the third world aid scheme. It may not be India, I cannot remember where it is, but it is a third world country which receives aid from us. Where ever it is - it is going to take years and cannot be done overnight and that is a fact of logistics. OC

Well I think Kew and Company should have let the people decide. Why they are our ancestors records, which we are force to pay for, one way or another, if we cannot get to Kew to see them for nothing, which they always seem to point out to you if you query anything with them. Talk of discrimination!!!!! well what is that discrimating against the rest of the country who cannot get to Kew.

Uk but give the Welsh census to Welsh speaker because the placenames can be a 'girl dog' to figure out the best of times with all the blooming mutations.

Roger The census belong to the Government,not to us.They were never intended to be public records. ONS can do whatever they like with them (including destroy them) and are under no obligation to put them online, or in any way make it easier for us to access them. The internet is a relatively recent research tool and those of us who researched before the advent of the internet had no choice - you went where the records were, no matter how inconvenient it was. It still seems astonishingly luxurious, to ME, to be able to see census records without budging from my chair. The Government have set aside £10 million for this project. To do it in this country would probably cost in the region of £100 million. I think our government have worthier causes on which to spend $100 million, don't you? OC

Arent the census availalbe to view *free* at most libraries? So you dont have to go all the way to Kew? or search them on the internet, if your living in the area that your family lived or the library has the returns for the area you need? Mhairi

Someone in this country so they understand the surnames and local geography. Also, I think we should be supporting the employment in this country. To be honest, I'm sure there would be plenty of volunteers that wouldn't mind contributing their time for an equivalent fee. Although there's probably some reason why this couldn't be done.

Lesley One of the reasons it isnt done in this country is the question of confidentiality, as we are not allowed to see any personal details till 2011. I suppose the thinking is that people in India, or Peru, or Surinam, or wherever it is, will have no knowledge or interest in British people's past. But I suspect the main reason is cost - they can cut, or rather, linit the cost and be seen to be doing charitable good works at the same time! I do agree though - an opportunity has been missed here - all the millions of people on the dole could have been put to work doing this under supervision. OC

Thanks OC However, if that's the argument that they use, I think its very poor. Many people in this country have access to confidential records (more confidential I would argue) and sign the Data Protection Act to ensure that they abide by the law. Does anyone know how other countries transcribe their census records?

Lesley Most countries destroy them immediately they have extracted the statisitcs! OC

Not going to complain then!! :-) x Lesley

I don't see the censuses being Government property. We fill them in so really they are our copyright, not the governments. That is the real reason they have the 100 year rule, as if they let them be seen before the 70 years that copyrights exist, they couldn't charge for them.

sometimes people forget (well the government does anyway lol) that the government is set up purely to be of assistance to the people, to make life easier for us. Well that's how I see it anyway.

Lesley you think that the government and councils should do as we say, not do as they tell us. lol.

Roger I wish you lots of luck with that argument! OC