There has been a lot of discussion about the inclusion of a citizenship question in the upcoming census. The Supreme Court is set to hand down its decision in the coming weeks, after which the printing of census forms can commence. For while the goal is that most of the country will fill out their own survey online, there will still be a sizable number of people who will use good old paper and pencil.
While the census and its associated form may have changed, it is one of the oldest bureaucratic legacies we have. It was mandated by the Constitution, with the first count being conducted in 1790. It required U.S. Marshals to visit every household and count free white males 16 years and upward (to assess the country's industrial and military potential), free white males under 16 years, free white females, all other free persons, and slaves.
Aside from the possible inclusion of the citizenship question, this year's version asks demographic information more in tune with the times. Race, ethnicity and sex are noted in a "just the facts, ma'am" short form version. For one in six households, a longer multipage version is used. Called The American Community Survey, it asks questions about a range of topics, including social, housing, and economic information such as education, disability status, employment, income, and housing costs. This data is used to plan and determine funding for a wide array of federal, state, local, and tribal programs.
But while the formats might have changed, the need for the forms has not. Organizations both public and private need to get information from their various constituencies to fulfill their mission. Think how many pieces of paper you put pencil to recently. Maybe an insurance form at your doctor's office, a tax statement for an employer or an application for a new health club. We fill them out without much thought; they are the paving stones in the highways upon which civilization rides. They also help paint the picture of our society: medical reimbursement forms illuminate the state of health care, and tax forms reveal the shape of the economy.
But what of the future? As things change, the choices we will have to make and communicate will change as well. Who would have thought your last will and testament would have to include the disposition of your cell phone plan? Or that you'd have to appoint a proxy for your Facebook page for when you're gone? What other decisions will we need to make, and what forms will we need to fill out to implement those decisions? That's the thought experiment behind "The Future of Forms" by Flash Forward podcast host Rose Eveleth.
As Eveleth writes, "The forms we fill out tomorrow will seem just as mundane as the forms we fill out today. But the design and deployment of paperwork is one of those things that's simultaneously boring and incredibly revealing." To that end she imagines the options we'll have and the choices we'll have to make.
Take your standard HR request. Today a manager has to submit a form if they want to add headcount. But what if that staff is a robot? Under the subheading of "Do You Really Need a Human To Do That Job?" she lists a number of considerations for any future position. Is it repetitive? Is it dangerous? Is it union? Or the calculation as author Dan Bouk puts it, "How likely is this machine going to be more expensive to maintain in the future compared to how likely is this worker to negotiate for better wages?"
What about medical issues? Today it's about advanced directives, so called living wills. But what about potential digital interventions? What if decisions could be made based on AI algorithms about your possible survival? Who gives the permission to turn off your Facebook live stream as you're being revived? Or as she succinctly puts it, "When You Die, Where Should We Upload Your Brain?"
Science fiction? Maybe. Or maybe just a little early in the cycle. In that light, it's not hard to imagine a form online that asks if you want the item delivered or 3D printed in your own home. Or one at the DMV that asks whether to you want your new license mailed or implanted. Which box will you check?
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Marc Wollin of Bedford wonders what's next. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
While the census and its associated form may have changed, it is one of the oldest bureaucratic legacies we have. It was mandated by the Constitution, with the first count being conducted in 1790. It required U.S. Marshals to visit every household and count free white males 16 years and upward (to assess the country's industrial and military potential), free white males under 16 years, free white females, all other free persons, and slaves.
Aside from the possible inclusion of the citizenship question, this year's version asks demographic information more in tune with the times. Race, ethnicity and sex are noted in a "just the facts, ma'am" short form version. For one in six households, a longer multipage version is used. Called The American Community Survey, it asks questions about a range of topics, including social, housing, and economic information such as education, disability status, employment, income, and housing costs. This data is used to plan and determine funding for a wide array of federal, state, local, and tribal programs.
But while the formats might have changed, the need for the forms has not. Organizations both public and private need to get information from their various constituencies to fulfill their mission. Think how many pieces of paper you put pencil to recently. Maybe an insurance form at your doctor's office, a tax statement for an employer or an application for a new health club. We fill them out without much thought; they are the paving stones in the highways upon which civilization rides. They also help paint the picture of our society: medical reimbursement forms illuminate the state of health care, and tax forms reveal the shape of the economy.
But what of the future? As things change, the choices we will have to make and communicate will change as well. Who would have thought your last will and testament would have to include the disposition of your cell phone plan? Or that you'd have to appoint a proxy for your Facebook page for when you're gone? What other decisions will we need to make, and what forms will we need to fill out to implement those decisions? That's the thought experiment behind "The Future of Forms" by Flash Forward podcast host Rose Eveleth.
As Eveleth writes, "The forms we fill out tomorrow will seem just as mundane as the forms we fill out today. But the design and deployment of paperwork is one of those things that's simultaneously boring and incredibly revealing." To that end she imagines the options we'll have and the choices we'll have to make.
Take your standard HR request. Today a manager has to submit a form if they want to add headcount. But what if that staff is a robot? Under the subheading of "Do You Really Need a Human To Do That Job?" she lists a number of considerations for any future position. Is it repetitive? Is it dangerous? Is it union? Or the calculation as author Dan Bouk puts it, "How likely is this machine going to be more expensive to maintain in the future compared to how likely is this worker to negotiate for better wages?"
What about medical issues? Today it's about advanced directives, so called living wills. But what about potential digital interventions? What if decisions could be made based on AI algorithms about your possible survival? Who gives the permission to turn off your Facebook live stream as you're being revived? Or as she succinctly puts it, "When You Die, Where Should We Upload Your Brain?"
Science fiction? Maybe. Or maybe just a little early in the cycle. In that light, it's not hard to imagine a form online that asks if you want the item delivered or 3D printed in your own home. Or one at the DMV that asks whether to you want your new license mailed or implanted. Which box will you check?
-END-
Marc Wollin of Bedford wonders what's next. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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