[nateo]

Far worse info is available for purchase from marketing companies - even if you don't think it is.  Anyway, researchers rarely turn their data over to funding agencies.

Thank goodness my personal info is in the responsible hands of for-profit businesses.

[hopfenundmalz]

The states were in a quasi alphabetical order. At first it was WTF, no Michigan. Had to look after the O's.

[denny]

Knowing Eric, I think his concern was more that the more government knows about homebrewers, the more likely they are to tax it.

[EHall]

No Denny, thats your buddy Dave that thinks that. Plain and simple, I don't trust the govt. If a govt agency is funding something like this they could ask for the results. You really think a college would say no?There's not 'personal' information per se in there, but there is enough info to track folks down. If they need to survey homebrewers to figure out improvements they need to make to better education, they need to rethink their entire process/agenda. Yep, call me paranoid!

[morticaixavier]

No Denny, thats your buddy Dave that thinks that. Plain and simple, I don't trust the govt. If a govt agency is funding something like this they could ask for the results. You really think a college would say no?There's not 'personal' information per se in there, but there is enough info to track folks down. If they need to survey homebrewers to figure out improvements they need to make to better education, they need to rethink their entire process/agenda. Yep, call me paranoid!

So I assume you did not fill out your census documents in 2010? There is no privacy. Every piece of info that someone could want about you is readily available with some degree of digging and the NSA is really good at digging. I am super paranoid but at some point I realized that all my fears about various people and organizations getting info on me were absolutely founded and there was no point in continuing to worry about it. The best possible solution is to flood the buffers. put so much info about yourself out in the world that it's just not worth looking at. You can't stop anyone from compiling the info but you can make it so noisy that it's not worth the trouble.

[nateo]

What helped me get over my paranoia is that I realized it takes a pretty big ego to imagine anyone cares about me or my life. Shadowy gov't bureaucrats are just as self-absorbed and incompetent as everyone else. I mean, they couldn't even fake the moon landing properly!

[phillamb168]

What helped me get over my paranoia is that I realized it takes a pretty big ego to imagine anyone cares about me or my life. Shadowy gov't bureaucrats are just as self-absorbed and incompetent as everyone else. I mean, they couldn't even fake the moon landing properly!

+1 ^^^^

[denny]

No Denny, thats your buddy Dave that thinks that. Plain and simple, I don't trust the govt. If a govt agency is funding something like this they could ask for the results. You really think a college would say no?There's not 'personal' information per se in there, but there is enough info to track folks down. If they need to survey homebrewers to figure out improvements they need to make to better education, they need to rethink their entire process/agenda. Yep, call me paranoid!

Thanks for the explanation, E.  Sorry I mischaracterized you.

[EHall]

Mort, I don't neceessarily agree that putting more 'noise' out there would help. I did fill out the census form. I'm ex-military so yea, my info is out there, fingerprints and all. I think the govt is way to intrusive anymore and I definately don't like the direction we've been going as a country lately... I can't see it getting better anytime soon... and you're right about the NSA, if they want to find something on you, they will! I don't do facebook, linked in or any other social networking, I have a very small footprint online. I highly doubt I'm on anyone's radar and think the only reason they would even glance at me is my firearm purchases... I don't feel I have a very big ego that the govt is watching me.. I just don't like the direction is all be going. My point is, don't blindly go answering questions about homebrewing or anything else for that matter just because someone seems interested.

[morticaixavier]

Mort, I don't neceessarily agree that putting more 'noise' out there would help. I did fill out the census form. I'm ex-military so yea, my info is out there, fingerprints and all. I think the govt is way to intrusive anymore and I definately don't like the direction we've been going as a country lately... I can't see it getting better anytime soon... and you're right about the NSA, if they want to find something on you, they will! I don't do facebook, linked in or any other social networking, I have a very small footprint online. I highly doubt I'm on anyone's radar and think the only reason they would even glance at me is my firearm purchases... I don't feel I have a very big ego that the govt is watching me.. I just don't like the direction is all be going. My point is, don't blindly go answering questions about homebrewing or anything else for that matter just because someone seems interested.

I hear you. didn't mean to snipe. to each...

[malzig]

I think of scientists are people that use the scientific method to answer questions (hypothesis->experiment->observations->conclusions), so Kai and Sean would qualify.

Hehehehe, that's what laymen think about the inner workings of research. It's very different on the inside

Then you're doing it wrong.
(I'm not a layman, by the way, I'm a biochemist.)

[dimik]

I think of scientists are people that use the scientific method to answer questions (hypothesis->experiment->observations->conclusions), so Kai and Sean would qualify.

Hehehehe, that's what laymen think about the inner workings of research. It's very different on the inside

Then you're doing it wrong.
(I'm not a layman, by the way, I'm a biochemist.)

Biochemist and enzymologist turned developmental biologist here You've got to tell me your secret!
This is closer to my research experience (http://electroncafe.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/sciencerage.png)

[bboy9000]

As a school teacher with a degree in archaeology, a masters in science education, homebrewer, and a rock/mineral collector  I completed the survey.   It's obvious to me the point was to gauge how to better communicate the importance and relevance of science in the everyday life of the general public.  In archaeology we called this "public archaeology."  Other goals of the survey seemed to be to get an idea of the importance of science to the average person and how much his/her hobby or public education contributed to this.  Nothing nefarious here.

[punatic]

Ah, yes, the National Science Foundation. Brainwashing us with government propaganda through their insidious IMAX films, episodes of NOVA, and geological kiosks at the grand canyon.

 

There ya go, Big Government wins!  May I PLEASE have more government control of my life!

Science is for thoughtful people who cannot handle the underlying math that defines what's going on.  Many of my fellow engineering students in college transfered from the engineering track to the science track because they could not handle the requisite math. 

College taught me how to learn, more than anything else.  In the nine years since I left college I've taught myself much more than I ever learned for my engineering degree.  And I got to pick the subjects of my attention.

Engineering is applied science: math, physics, biology and chemistry.  We make theories into working models.

FWIW - living where I do, I get to pal around with some of the world's foremost astrophysicists, geophysicists, and oceanographers.  They really enjoy my white dog, and my homebrew too.



Oh yeah, Big Bird must die!   

[phillamb168]