----------------------------Original message---------------------------- [Please post this message on appropriate newsgroups and forward it to anyone who might have an interest, especially folks who maintain archive sites on the internet. Thanks.] CENSUS DATA ONLINE ? The census bureau has recently set up an internet host. Some folks would like to ftp public use data files to hundreds of sites (e.g. all state universities, plus others) and all data could be online. We would keep an index or map showing users where to find each type of data and its basic documentation. We could also host a newsgroup and other forums to answer users' questions and poll their needs. Large national data sets containing detailed information for small geographic areas (blocks, tracts, ZIP, places, counties) could be parsed by state and sent to one or more archive sites in each state. Small data sets containing time series estimates on a specific subject (e.g. monthly employment statistics from 1942 to present) could be sent to sites that have special interests in that subject matter. We have the following types of data (very rough size estimates): 1990 decennial census of population (50 gigabytes) 1980, 1970, 1960 census (30 gigabytes) population and housing data at the block and tract level. TIGER maps (20 gigabytes) Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoded Reference files that produce maps at the block level; vector or raster data. 1992 census of agriculture, economy, and governments (5 gigabytes) 1987,1982,1977 census of ag/econ/gov (5 gibabytes) National and state estimates from dozens of monthly surveys on a wide variety of subjects (10 gigabytes). Some subjects have many years of time series data. International and foreign trade data (25 gigabytes) To help us make the case for this plan, please answer the following questions and send any additional advice you might have. Thanks, Bob Hammond [log in to unmask] U.S. Census, voice 301-763-1011 fax 301-763-2633 ============== cut here ============= QUESTIONNAIRE: Please edit the following text and send it to: [log in to unmask] Please answer as many questions as possible. If some answers are not easily available, make a guesstimate or leave blank. Please start your answer on a line beginning with 'A#' or place an 'x' in front of the multiple choice answers. Q1 Would you put census data on your ftp site? y/n A1 Q2 How much disk space could you devote to census data? MB,GB A2 Q3 Some folks don't yet understand the culture of the internet. They have asked why archive sites would want to put census data online; we have told them that most archive sites want to put as much useful data online as they can find to help their users. This is true, right? Please provide a brief statement explaining why you would volunteer disk space for census data: A3 Q4 Would you help relay the data out to other sites? y/n e.g. if we need to send a data set to 10 sites, could we send you a copy and you send it to one other site? y/n A4 Q5 Please mark x before each service you offer anonymousftp archie gopher mosaic wais www other: Q6 Please mark x before each that applies to you: fed library local library state data center state government state university private university commercial other, please indicate: Q7 Please enter your affiliation: org: address1: address2: city: st: zip: voicephone: fax: Q8 Are you the system administrator? y/n A8 Q9 Can you decide what files are posted on your site? y/n A9 Q10 If 'no' to either question above, please send email.addresses for the folks that we should contact about putting census data on your host: A10 Q11 What format, archive and compression should we use? format: archive: compression: Q12 How many different users did you have last month? A12 Q13 How many user connects did you have last month from all users? A13 Q14 How much time online did your users spend last month? A14 Q15 How many hours were you offline last month? A15 Q16 What operating system do you use? A16 Q17 Where did you get this questionnaire? Please mark x before source: email from a friend email from [log in to unmask] email from [log in to unmask] ftp site: gopher server: newsgroup: other: Q18 A list of topics describing various data sets contains almost 200 entries. Would you markup this list to show what data sets you would like to post on your site? y/n (if 'y' the list will be mailed to you.) A18 Q19 Please list all hostnames that currently offer some census data online: A19 Q20 Please provide any other advice, comments or suggestions below: A20 Thanks for your support ... ============== cut here =============