What pivotal prerequisite for machine compatibility did Hollerith impose on nationwide census data collection?
Answer
The rigid standardization of the exact location and meaning of every hole across all census cards
A critical, often underestimated, aspect of Hollerith's success was the standardization of the data input medium itself. For the electromechanical machines to function universally across all collectors gathering data nationwide, it was imperative that the exact positional meaning of every punched hole on the standardized cards be agreed upon and strictly followed. This imposition of a uniform, machine-readable standard onto the previously messy and inconsistent administrative data established a foundational precedent for all automated data handling processes that followed.
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