There’s been a little buzz generated from a recent Committee of 100 survey that finished up a few weeks ago. The biggest problem I had with the study is that it didn’t collect data from a wider and more random audience.

Kinston resident Dennis Hatcher wants to know what people in this area think about their community. He wants to put together an online survey allowing people to answer questions about life in Kinston and Lenoir County.

It’s not meant to be a scientific study, but I think his idea is a fantastic one. It would be nice to know how people in this area really feel about living here.

If you used a few message boards available here as the sole basis of the community’s attitude, you’d think the world is coming to an end. You’d think there really are monsters hiding under everyone’s beds, and that a select group of individuals meets on a regular basis in a smoke-filled, darkened room dreaming up new methods of screwing the little guy.

My guess is those thoughts represent the opinions of a few. Hatcher wants to know what everyone else thinks, and I think it’s something worth participating in.

Step one is getting the questions together. Anyone who is interested can e-mail questions to admin@kinstonnc.net. After about two weeks, Hatcher will get the questions online at www.kinstonnc.net. The site’s not up and running as of yet, but it will shortly.

Once the survey is up, people will be asked to register but will be allowed to post anonymously if they want to. Participants will be asked general information such as their age and the town where they lived.

I’d really like to see this get going. I plan on sending along a few questions myself. I’d also like to see what people think.