K2K posts are wide-ranging and colorful
"HAVE YOU F***ING LOST YOUR MIND!!!"
That, complete with capital letters, asterisks and exclamation points, is how one K2K member recently described another subscriber's proposal to eliminate the stretch of Interstate 40 through downtown Knoxville.
Profanity is actually relatively rare in the discussions, and in that case it led to several scoldings from other members. But there's no question the forum tends toward unvarnished rhetoric. K2K posts are full of candid opinions and blunt disagreements.
In the early years of mass Internet use, magazines and TV talk shows were rife with warnings about the potential for deceit and fraud in the intimate but anonymous online world. The medium has lived up to those fears in some ways—there are plenty of scam artists stalking the Web. But as K2K demonstrates and some recent studies have confirmed, email can also produce raw honesty.
"It does seem counterintuitive," says Patrick Hunt, a K2K member who works for an online company in Washington, D.C. He says early expectations were that people in online discussions would hide their identities and their views. "Studies are showing that's not true," he says. "They are likely to be more candid and frank than they would in person. I think it can be healthy, because you perhaps get more of an honest dialogue."
Healthy or not, K2K's ongoing conversation is undeniably colorful. Some posts read like excerpts from academic dissertations; others read like playground taunts. What follows is a sampling from some of the scribes (with typing and grammar uncorrected):
Nov. 9, 1999
From: Robert Loest
(Re: PBA's downtown development plans)
It is a disgrace to Knoxville that whoever suggested putting a dome over Market Square was not laughed out of the state. They apparently don't like to see the sun shining on those gorgeous historic buildings in the evening. In fact, probably never have. It is a testament to the bad taste and lack of appreciation of historic buildings by many in the planning process that the idea was even included.
Nov. 17, 1999
From: John Gill
(Re: discussion of the new justice center)
Please understand there is only a prison not a Justice Center to be built downtown. There will be no Justice in the center, it will be a downtown prison only. The Supreme Court of Tennessee which was considering being part of a Justice Center has withdrawn, deciding instead to built adjacent to their current location in Knoxville. The Knoxville Police Department will soon announce they will not be a part of the complex. A state wide study of court needs done for the Tennessee Legislature determined Knox County already has twice the number of Criminal Court needed, which means there will be no addtional Criminal Courts to the ones already adequately housed in the City/County Building. This means there will be no court building next to the downtown prison on State Street for 10-15 years, if ever. If there ever was a justification for locating such a justice center downtown, it no longer exists. This leaves aside the question of whether a 90 Million Dollar Prison is needed at all.
Dec. 16, 1999
From: Barbara Simpson
(Re: the justice center)
I spoke with David Collins (my county commissioner) last night and he assured me that county commission has no immediate plans to do anything with the S&W or any of the other buildings in that block of Gay St. According to him, commission has not approved a demolition contract. He did say there has been some discussion with the sheriff about temporary parking on that site (to cover his butt because the jail is so over budget they have had to cut the planned parking garage from the project) but that he did not think commission was so inclined. He seems to think that the sheriff has lost some credibility with commission—his exact words—"There are some chinks in the armor".
I also discussed with him the possibility of canning the jail. He thinks there is a very slim chance of that. There are several commissioners who still believe (or are controlled by) the sherriff when he spouts overcrowding and the need for a new jail. I suggested to David that the prudent thing to do would be to bring in an independent consultant (not someone who designs, builds, or otherwise would profit from a new jail) to assess our current facility, look at the real occupancy numbers and make reccommendations. I sort of challenged him to raise this at Monday's commission meeting—we'll see if he has the balls to do it.
Dec. 6, 1999
From: Rachel Craig
(Re: comments by UT President Wade Gilley about a proposed campus bridge.)
Even if the bridge did not bring a single additional car onto campus, it's still wrong-headed. UT's goal should be (and is, according to its own master plan, which everybody in UT admin and state government is now ignoring) to move toward a more pedestrian-friendly campus. THAT MEANS FEWER CARS!
Not to mention the $10 million price tag at a time when state government if fiscally strapped and UT has an accountable # of greater needs!
AARGGHH!!!
Jan. 29, 2000
From: Steve Hooks
(Re: the K2K binder distributed to County Commission)
Listen up, Commissioners & all elected leaders...you serve at the pleasure of the voting public...you are there to serve your constituents, and if a number of constituents (or even ONE) are PO'd about this jail, you'd damn well better listen! And you'd damn well better not brush them off! So get used to it...Citizens/voters, keep on these guys' asses big time...don't let up!
Dwight, if ya don't like the heat, get the HELL out of the kitchen!
Feb. 29, 2000
From: Lara Odtallah
(Re: H.T. Hackney's failed attempt to place a warehouse in the Ritta community)
Wally,
I don't think it's so "hick" to protect people's homes and living spaces from OVER development. What's so wrong with protecting what little farmland we have left in this county? And, as for the 350 jobs, if Knox Countians want them badly enough, they'll travel. I did for 6 years. But, the last time I checked unemployment was so low, (3 percent) I don't know where they would have gotten 350 people willing to work in a factory when there are "help-wanted" signs in much better places.
April 4, 2000
From: Jack O'Hanlon
(Re: WUOT's cancellation of Ashley Capp's "Unhinged")
Ken & other radio listeners,
Your assumption that since WUOT is a 'public' station, its management gives a rat's butt about what you and me think. Being familiar with a number of both salaried and volunteers of the station, it's generally agreed that the management is indifferent about radio itself; in other words these are virtual apparatchiks of the state.
I recall talking to Ray Ellis years ago about my frustration with WUOT's programming and he agreed that 'UOT cared little about public input. They had lots of money (unlike most listener-supported efforts) behind them and therefore, their management held sway. Little seems to have changed...
My advice is to simply withhold monies and send it to WNCW and/or WDVX. They would appreciate the gesture a lot more.
April 6, 2000
From: Russell Hopper
(Re: the Dogwood Arts Festival)
Every year I think maybe the Dogwood Arts Festival on Market Square will get better and with the exception of WDVX's great ,great show that everyone should see, I am annually disappointed. they are setting up now, and as usual, it looks like it will be, in a word...CRAPTACULAR!
April 24, 2000
From: Dwight Van de Vate
(Re: allegations by the mayor that Sheriff Tim Hutchison had taken a helicopter to a meeting in Nashville)
The Sheriff traveled to Nashville to attend a meeting of the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards & Training (POST) Commission. He is a past Chair of the Commission and still serves as an active member, appointed by the Governor.
I cannot and will not volunteer to respond to each and every bit of misinformation the Mayor (or anyone else) posts regarding the Sheriff, but for the record, he "flew" to the meeting in a Ford Crown Victoria police car (a reliable automobile, but a primitive aircraft), via I-40 west. Mr. Gordon, if you are operating on the premise that the Mayor is a fair, accurate and unbiased source of information regarding the Sheriff, then there is little point in my offering any reply to your inquiries.
April 27, 2000
From: Victor Ashe
(Re: an item in the Knoxville Journal)
this is for Dwight van de vate to acknowledge....the Knoxville journal claims today in its whispers column that two sheriff deputies took a tax paid cruise to the Caribbean...everyone should be on notice that anything which appears in the Journal is suspect and starts with the presumption of being a lie....however, Dwight I wanted to give you a chance to shoot this whisper by hamby down....the so called journal is one issue on which the sheriff and I usually agree...it is a rag....
May 4, 2000 * Vol. 10, No. 18
© 2000 Metro Pulse
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