Is Morristown Talking?

Noodling about on the internets, I've been searching for other bloggers and blog-keepers in Hamblen County and haven't really found anyone. I thought that was most curious. There are many, many folks connected via Charter Communications (like me) but where are they talking/writing/commenting about the world around them?

There are some MySpacers, to be sure, but that wasn't what I was looking for.

Then I ran across the many forums for Morristown and Hamblen County at Topix.net.

Not a pretty thing, I'm sad to say.

It's a free-wheeling, wild west, guns a'blazin, anything goes, nothing held back host of discussions and debates. And while that appears to be fairly normal on the necessarily open internet, some of the comments and debates can be pretty intense or wildly ridiculous.

Having overseen some public discussion via my old talk radio show, I do consider the open public discussions are still a new and developing habit locally. While the locals (on Topix) are willing to share info and argue, I do hope the discourse improves with time.

Some intense debates currently are about local problems with dogfighting, concerns about the Sheriff's Dept. and the Humane Association, concerns about immigrants (legal and not) and more happy talk on the news about the Morristown Girl's Softball World Championship.

So on one hand, I am delighted to see/read all the online activity. On the other, I hope some of those involved find a higher degree of civility -- but that will arrive with more use and practice.