[Northkeep] Census What does it mean

[Marc Carlson]

> From: willowdewisp at juno.com
> This kind of survey can be twisted to mean anything...

Certainly - and the first way to skew a survey is to add bad data, and the second is to 
withhold data.  That's even before you get to statistical higglety-piggery that can show
up when people try to use the data to support their pet theories, instead of using the
evidence to disprove hypotheses, and construct better hypotheses that meet the
evidence.

OTOH, working with no data at all does mean that all you are going to get is personal
opinions driving decisions.

I agree with you that this is a good thing, regarding the people who have left, since they
are a population who may have some useful information to share.  We may suppose that
"well, they left, who gives a rip what they have to say", and that's valid to a point.  But it
might be good to try to be more welcoming to those who have chosen to leave.

That there were people who bothered to respond who were no longer active members,
would be an interesting bit of data - and if the number is, as has been reported, a higher
percentage of respondents who are former members in Ansteorra than anywhere else,
this could mean a couple of things.  Ansteorra has a naturally small population but maintains
good communications ties with former member (which is nice and makes us look good), or
we have a serious retention problem in Ansteorra (which has some serious implications
regarding the health of the Kingdom).  There are certainly options, but these mark the 
extremes.

Just as a point of personal curiosity, where did those figures come from?  The census was
not supposed to release its results until after it was closed.

M/D