RB,

"It seems to be a site mainly aimed at finding fault with any- and everything the government of Roane County does, has done, or considers doing...I don't necessarily believe that the best way to do that is to assume anybody currently in government is bad or corrupt."

As I said before, I don't run this place; however, I'm sorry you read this site that way but I am very glad you posted. :)

I see RoaneViews so differently.

I see us all as individuals, each posting in his or her own ways, each evolving as he or she finds a voice. :) And the site is brand-new. Folks are still experimenting. RoaneViews is still a new fawn, wobbling to find balance on its slender legs and uneven ground. I look forward to seeing it grow into a great stag or fecund doe. :)

I like to hope that I will always extend the benefit of the doubt to my fellow participants. It is a well-documented and unfortunate phenomenon of cyberspace that people need to be extra extra nice and friendly in their writing just to come across as cool and neutral. :( I'm not sure why, maybe the lack of facial feedback, who knows, but there it is. Reading in negativity where none was intended is only too easy. :(

There is some guidance available, though. Folks new to online discussions may enjoy "The Elements of Email Style," a very helpful slender volume. :)

I just hope we can all try to be "extra nice from the fingers down!" :) And I hope I can try to be charitable to those perhaps less used to this "brave new world" of online communication. Maybe someday they will extend me the same grace.

If you look at my posts, I hope you will be hard pressed to find me calling anyone "bad or corrupt."

My modest offerings have ranged from exhorting folks to support their fine local fire department to posting tips for the college bound and tips for showing photos, from reporting recent facts about our country's reading proficiency and voting machines to calling attention to Constitution Week and the Kingston Country Fair, to attempting to welcome folks, even critics. :)

There are some issues I feel are important and pressing for our populace and leaders to address, but I am the first to admit I have no access to information that would enable me to point fingers of specific blame, even if I were so inclined.

From my little cabin in the woods I can see trends and themes, dangers looming and great potential, but can get to know very few individual players.

I would like to hope that most of us here are about positive change. And pointing out a need for change is not about blaming others but about moving forward. Just because a patient is ill and needs tending does not imply that someone must have made him that way.

In the course of events and the fullness of time, things do happen. And even without blame or fault, those things may still need action, sometimes even courageous or imaginative action requiring "thinking outside the box."

I do hope you will keep returning to this forum and add your valuable voice to an increasingly positive mix. We need you and your obvious experience and regard for the county and its people.

And... mazel tov to you too! :)

-- OneTahiti
"...So in the soul of man there lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy...." -- Herman Melville in Moby Dick

Firstly, sorry about breaking up your post. It's nothing personal but we all have to share the front page so use that little box with the line through it to seperate your teaser from the rest of your post.

Now...I think Mark Twain had a good view of government:

History has tried hard to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians. Now, to go and stick one at the very head of the government couldn't be wise.

That's why we invented participatory government, which we call Democracy and made the grandious presumption to place "WE, the people" at the head of it, instead of the politicians.

Problem is that we people are having a hard time finding out what is going on and playing the part of the "participants."

So...In order to to create a more perfect County, some of us decided to create this playground we call RoaneViews.com and leave the gate to the playground open for everybody who wanted to play.

But like any playground we have rules, and some of them are listed over on the left under "Things You Should Know"...But there are some others.

Like for instance, if you are going to make a claim, you are probably going to have to back it up, or suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous snark and maybe a bit of humor, sarcasm, and attempts at wit.

For instance: this claim that RoaneViews is mostly aimed at finding fault with anything the County does...Well, let's test that, shall we?

Not counting your post, I went down the first 20 posts and found 4 that could be considered negative in their main tone, assuming that you think my jab at the School's mission statement being grammatically incorrect more negative than funny. I've also touted that web site in other post as a valuable resource for people who care about the schools.

Now squeaking wheels have gotten a bad rap in some ways... We can deal with them in one of two ways...We can stop the cart, find the problem and fix it...or we can turn up the radio and keep cruising down the road until the wheels fall off. But one thing I know is that if a wheel doesn't squeak, it won't get fixed.

I don't think anybody here wants anything but good things for Roane County and it's citizens.

We love this place, Roane County... And if we need to pick at some folks to get them to pay attention to the things that need working on, so be it. Particularly if it is a job they sought out and got elected or appointed to.

So, RB, you are more than welcome to play the part of the cheerleader and yell, "We're number one!" at the channel 10 camera, and that's fine and everybody needs that from time to time. But just between you and me...we aren't number one and the real kicker is that we could be, and the folks at RoaneViews are here because they want to work to make us better.

If I or someone else gets unjustifyinglyly negative you have the privilege of stating your case and I hope you will.

Thanks for joining us and adding to the discourse and conversation at RoaneViews.

Cheers

Made by 1T and WhitesCreek.

Being able to disagree and discuss without devolving into a bashing session is a valuable thing. And it is necessary if we are to ever get progress made in Roane. We need to be able to engage in debate, to call one another's bad reasoning, to ask for clarification and explanation and more information to make communication work.

As for playing the part of the cheerleader... Sometimes I will, and sometimes I won't Don't mistake me for someone who believes those in office can do no wrong, or that there can't be better ways to do thing than a given government entity or official is doing them. That isn't me, and it would be an error to assume that.

I am one, however, who has a very intense dislike for rumor, innuendo, not-so-veiled implications, etc. NOTE: I'm not saying you two who have responded to my blog have done that, OK? :-) I'm speaking in GENERAL terms - not about 1T and WhitesCreek.

I am also fond of reminding folks - including myself sometimes - that there are often many ways to get to the same goal, and because someone else chooses a path different than the one I would choose does not impart any evil motive or such to them. It's hard, sometime, for all of us to remember that.

I think we'll do just fine on here together, 1T and WhitesCreek.

Talk to ya soon!

RB