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How would you define a census?

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We know the census in Urdu as 'Mardam Shumari'. Essentially, it's a process in which we count all the people in a specific area or country. But we don’t just count how many people live in the country. We also learn more about them, like their age, gender, marital status, education, employment, and other things.

Imagine you’re planning a party. You’d need to get enough chairs, food and drinks, right? But how would you know how much to get if you didn’t know how many guests were coming? The census is like that. It tells governments how many people live in their country, how old they are, how much education they have, and what kind of work they do. This information helps the government understand what they need to focus more on, such as education, health, or employment facilities.

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Have you ever been counted in a census? If so, when and what was your experience?

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Yes, I’ve participated in a census before, which was a truly fascinating experience. I’d like to share this experience with all of you.

I was back home from university during holidays in 2017 when the census was conducted in Pakistan. One morning, some people from the census department visited our home. They introduced themselves and explained that they were there for the census.

They asked us several questions, including the number of people in our home, their ages, their professions, and some questions related to education. I remember telling them that I was a university student at the time and was 21 years old.

Initially, it felt strange to share so much personal information with strangers. However, once they explained how this data is used, I understood its importance. This data helps the government understand people's needs, what they require most, and policy decisions are made accordingly.

Anyway, they handled the whole process very professionally. They were very friendly, and they respected our privacy. They only asked necessary questions and did not request any unnecessary information.

Overall, the experience was very educational. I gained a deeper understanding of what a census is and its purpose. I realized that it is not just a numbers game but a way of understanding our society's overall picture.

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What do you think is the importance of carrying out a census? Can you list at least 5 reasons?

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Mardam Shumari, or the census, as you may understand, is a population count. Now, why is it so important? Let me highlight some reasons that underline its significance.

• The census helps understand resource needs like water, electricity, etc.

• This information allows governments to plan for schools, colleges, and hospitals in areas where they're needed most.

• The census gives a snapshot of the employment situation in the country, guiding investments and job creation.

• The census ensures that every voice is heard by determining the representation of each area based on its population.

• The census helps us know more about the various ethnicities, languages, and religions within our country, fostering respect and understanding.

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Are there any problems associated with conducting a census? If so, can you briefly explain them?

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Yes, there are several challenges associated with conducting a census. it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Just like everything else in life, there are some hurdles to overcome. Let’s dive into them.

First off, logistics can be a real pain. Take Pakistan for example - it’s a huge country with some pretty remote areas that are tough to get to. Trying to conduct a census in these regions can be a real headache.

And don’t even get me started on the cost. Training data collectors, printing forms, processing data - it all adds up. For developing countries, this can be a real burden.

Data privacy is another problem. We’re collecting personal information from people, so we need to make sure it’s kept safe and not misused. Easier said than done.

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Then there’s the issue of undercounting or overcounting. Sometimes people slip through the cracks or get counted twice. It’s tough to get accurate data when this happens.

And last but not least, there’s census resistance. Some people just don’t want to participate - maybe they don’t want to share their personal info or they don’t see the point. Whatever the reason, it’s another challenge to overcome.

Despite these challenges, it is crucial to understand that dealing with these obstacles and ensuring a successful census is our collective responsibility.

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Do you think it is possible to carry out a census on the Steemit platform?

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In theory, yes, we could treat each user as a unique individual for the count. But there are some serious hurdles to overcome. For starters, users can have multiple accounts on Steemit, so pinning down the actual number of unique users can be tricky. Then there's the matter of community curation accounts; it's unclear whether they should be included in the census or not.

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If it is possible to carry out a census on Steemit, how would you go about doing it?

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Interesting idea! It would definitely bring its own set of challenges, but here’s how I’d go about it:

First things first - we need to make sure each account is associated with a unique user. This could be tricky since people can create multiple accounts.

Once we’ve got that sorted out, we can start collecting data - things like age, gender, location, content creation and curation patterns, and user engagement levels.

After we’ve got all that juicy data, it’s time to analyze it. We’ll look for patterns in user behavior, demographics and engagement levels to get a better understanding of it.

And finally, we’ll report our findings. This could be super useful for users, platform developers and community members alike.

So yeah, technically it’s possible to conduct a census on Steemit. But it would take time, resources and dedication to pull it off.

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Do you suggest that a census should be carried out on the Steemit platform?

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To do a census on Steemit, or not to do a census – that is the question. The answer depends on what we hope to achieve. If we're interested in knowing more about the active users, their content preferences, and which posts get the most love, it could be a beneficial exercise. Therefore, I’d recommend conducting a census on Steemit so that platform developers also have a clearer picture of what's happening on their platform, which could help them make better-informed decisions.

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I trust that you found the information in my article to be valuable. 😊

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^{I would like to invite @lhorgic, @josepha, @patjewell, @irawandedy, @malikusman1, @josevas217, @paholags, and @dove11 to join this contest through this link, if they have not already taken part in it.}

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^{Author: @waqarahmadshah | Date: 22-July-2023 | Achievement 1}