The Time Use Survey 2024 data released last year lets you download a ZIP containing a 900 MB .Nesstar file.
(This is after you register - but the registration is free, and though it requires a reason, it’s automated.)
Nesstar is Norwegian software that’s now end of life. MOSPI provides this guide - with distorted screenshots - explaining how to install the software on Windows.
But I use Linux. The software is end-of-life. Gaah!
However, I have ChatGPT.
I uploaded the .Nesstar file and prompted ChatGPT to “Convert this TUS data to an Excel and Parquet file format so I can download it.” The first attempt failed (the conversation became too long) but the second attempt let me download the data as .parquet and gave me a thrift-based uv script to convert the file to .parquet. (nesstar-reader might work, too.)
The ease of this converstion opens up a wide variety of possibilities in my mind.
- Accessible data. Re-publish data in archaic formats. For example, Saket recently created nesstarR and maintains mospiR - making any MOSPI dataset more accessible.
- Retrospective research. Re-run experiments from old raw data. For example, NASA found two moons from old Voyager data. This is a good reason to capture more data in raw formats - and also not worry too much if we can’t, since future intelligence might probably overcome limitations.
- Rewrite regulatory software. For example, OpenTax is an agent-engineered US federal tax calculator. OpenBooks aims for EU-compliance. It would be nice to replace Singapore’s BizFinx, Pharma Open eCTD publishers, and build an open regulatory compliance infrastructure.