This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

I have been a little concerned lately. More than one person has said that they have been told by people associated with the Villages management that Talk of The Villages is a "negative" forum. I'm not sure why they would think that. This forum is designed to enhance the lifestyle in the Villages. Sometimes that takes the form of discussing things that could be better. This is a real place, not a dream. We have real people in the Villages and they want to talk about their life here. I fully understand why the developer wants to convey the impression that once you move to the Villages, you no longer have any worries, concerns, issues or, for that matter, even have to think anymore. That is just not the case. Sadly, life is just not that simple.

It is a great place to live. Most people encounter complications in their lives and rely on others, through this forum for example, for guidance. I have an issue with not being told about the freight train in my back yard. Others have issues with services, or doctors, or merchants. Life is real. This is a real place to discuss real issues. Most of the time, the discussions here help people enjoy their lives at the Villages a little better. No government entity wants the citizens to have a vehicle to voice opinion openly. That's why goverment officials dislike radio and television talk shows. It gives the people too much power. That is precisely why there is no talk show on WVLG or VNN.

If any of you hear anybody say that Talk of The Villages fosters "negative" discussion. Please set them straight.

And finally, in an open message to the Villages management. Talk of the Villages is here to make life even better for the residents. Everybody, regdarless of age, is still protected by the right to free speech. The topics here are not imagined, they are real topics by real people who, for the most part, love living in the Villages.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO, ETC.........

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

Jan: Maybe you should consider a separate category called "the Vent" or something....where folks can vent their spleens....you know...a space made to express negative comments. You won't be able to keep all the negative stuff off then Gen. Discussion board....but it might help. If you remember one of my posts from wayyyy back....I was a bit concerned about the negative tenor of TOTV...esp. as a potential sponsor.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

If we add a "vent" forum, then that's exactly what people will do and I am afraid we will accomplish exactly what we are trying not to do. People are intrigued by and want to talk and read about "the unusual." The purpose of this forum is let the people decide what they want to talk about. If we begin filtering it, then we are exactly the same thing as the community media group.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

It would be a "filter".....just a separate place.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

As a relative newcomer and not yet a resident, I find this forum extremely informative and helpful. The negativity in my opinion is pretty benign. And as Jan points out, such is life. I live in a country club now with covenants and I can go on and on about our developer. And some of the neighbors too!

I for one feel this is a great board and has only solidified my original opinion of TV. It's the place we want to be.

Anything posted that is construed as negative is helpful to me. It gives me a benchmark and some direction on what to look for and what to avoid.

When I moved from Boston to IL ten years ago (after spending my entire life in Boston); it took me years to find a good doctor; longer to find a good dentist and do I need start on how many different hairdressers I went through! We made mistakes when we had the house we live in now built. We should have done this or that. Now I know, thanks to this forum. At least I feel I have a good start.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

I would expect that any forum is going to bring out some negatives but it also brings out many positives. That is life and that is the way a community such as ours goes. We have people from all over the country with their own ideas of what they want out of TV and what their expectations were from the sales people and the developers and they are going to comment on it - good or bad. Their experience here will only enhance or diminish their expectations.

I for one am a perfectly happy guy with what I perceived and what I am experiencing. Others are different. If you read the covenants that we have to uphold and look at some of the vagrant disregard for some of them (ie - under 55 residents, in area guest passes, etc) you are bound to get upset but in the long run there is not much you can do except vent in the forums.

I haven't been to any forum - either technical or open (aka TOTV) where you do not get negatives.

Personally, if the rants are not to my liking I just do a go back and find another subject.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

The thought that this is a "negative" forum was exactly what I was referring to when asked in one of the other posts if we are telling others about TOTV. Some people automatically assumed it was just another avenue for people to complain. I don't feel this is correct. If you don't agree with an idea or action why is it called "negative" thinking? If we looked at the stats of all the comments and discussions I would think the percentage of discussions on this site are not negative. Jan are you able to do a statistical calculation to hopefully prove this point? I admit I am upset over the "in area guest ID's" but I reiterate that there still is no place else like TV that I would rather live. The powers that be should not fear openess in government.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

i see totv as a place to share experiences and information concerning our community. the fact that some of that may be negative need not detrack from it's value.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

Someone's negative is someone else's cautionary warning. Jan mentions the train and those of us not there yet take notice. Doesn't mean we are not still considering TV. I have found this forum very helpful and i only wish i could be down there to meet some of you face to face.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

I'm not a resident yet, but am seriously considering TV for retirement in about 3 years or so. I stumbled across this site when I was doing research on TV, and I love it. It has answered a LOT of questions and given me a much better feel for what it is like there. It has reassured my somewhat shy wife about a lot of things. We have a much more positive feeling about the area BECAUSE of this site. It's like being in a virtual neighborhood, and we've found we like most of the neighbors based on the threads we follow. If management were smart they would encourage his site (if managment were smart we wouldn't have unions and I wouldn't have dropped out of the corporate world to work for myself several years ago, but that's another story). Anyway, keep up the good work. I'm getting addicted to the site. :) :) :)

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

Jan,
Why not set up a poll where members can indicate their level of satisfaction with TV? I think you will find that, on a scale of 1-10, the results would be between 7 and 10, with 10 being the highest level of satisfaction. Stats like this would provide quantative evidence of the positive nature of TOTV. And then, if it doesn't, it would say something about this site. Just a thought.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

Hey.....

Why wouldn't they make those comments... When they cannot control exactly what they want people to think..then the next best thing is to bad mouth it. I think the positive feed back from all those afar tells the real story.

Jeniffer Parr if you are listening ( and I am sure you are ) PEOPLE want to know what the community is really like... This helps them understand.. IT A GREAT PLACE but not perfect. Learn to live with it.
Maybe focus on your employees not Pi??ing people off with your arrogance.

I would not change a thing about this forum... it is well balanced and a lot of smart people contribute.

:beer3: :beer2:

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

For one....my rating would be a 9. I very much enjoy living in TV and I very much enjoy reading and responding to posts on TOTV as well as engaging in the nightly chats. So there! ;D

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

YOUR RATING OF 9 IS PRETTY GOOD. MY THOUGHTS WERE MORE TOWARD 9.7 TO 9.8 TAKE CARE THE KAR GUY

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

TOTV is a terrific site .. I have learned so much .. it is addictive. I can't stay away from the Forum. People who post on TV seem to be overwhelmingly pleased by the lifestyle and amenities, and the friendliness of the community. I cannot imagine anyone perceiving this site as negative.

If Village "management" perceive it as negative, it is because people are honestly expressing their opinions re mixed messages they sometime get from Village real estate representatives, and perhaps information that should have been disclosed to them by the Villages re noise, tracks, etc. Hey, it will help sharpen up their honest communication, to know we are sharing information.

Sure, people complain about any expenses rising, most of us are on fixed incomes. Frogs in the toilet? We have bears in our backyard.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

When you offer a Forum and open it up to everyone than we have to expect some members to post unpopular opinions. People can and should post how they feel about the subject. We can't expect everyone to feel the same way about a particular thread. I enjoy TOTV and have learned so much more about TV and am looking forward to learning more as more members join the fold. Satisfaction level 9.5.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

LG, great post. :bigthumbsup: It hits the nail exactly on the head. The lifestyle that the Villiages offers is second to none. How people deal with it is up to them. I think TOTV does a great service to current homeowners and prospective homeowners. I would have loved to have known some of the things posted in here before we moved here. It would have made our transition easier. There are issues here and to hide them under a blanket of roses, happy happy music, and a daily paper that reads like a Camp Grenada daily list of games and fun is unrealistic. There is a new generation moving here with different expectations and a much different experience base. However, at the end of the day, The Villages offers a product that is pretty much unmatched anywhere else.

I am glad that we have this TOTV forum.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

Talking about frogs and snakes in the toilet might seem a bit negative to the Villages' developers. Sounds like Moses is getting a little upset with the Egyptians?

TOTV is a very useful resource for getting information about the Villages even if you hear about various problems in the Villages like speed traps, excessive summer heat, frogs and snakes in the toilet, very warm pools, STDs, noisy trains, etc.

It is not like Moses has to exhort God to send in some of the plagues to convince his people's keepers to let his people go.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

I have been here a little over a month. At first I was very homesick and missed everything about Pennsylvania, however I truly think TOTV has tremendously helped me. Every time I login I read a post that either educates me or makes me laugh out loud!

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

Talk Host, my rating is a 9.8 and I know the developer and staff will pass along negative comments about TOTV only because they don't control it!

I have said MANY times that I wouldn't choose to live anywhere else. I LOVE the Villages. That being said, I am very unhappy about how things are handled here. The developer turns a blind eye to any difficulty and would like nothing better than to advertise the millionaire lifestyle in paradise! None of that advertising is true. We are real people living in a real world. The developer, current developer, is not Mr. Schwartz who designed this community for the people. The current family members are simply in it for the money.

From what I have heard from friends who have lived in the historic side for MANY years, Mr. Schwartz was a wonderful and caring man who wanted ALL the comments, good and bad. If he thought your problem should be his, he handled it. Sad to say that his family don't run the business as he did.

Just as Sam Walton was a buy American guy, the owners now of Wal-Mart sell almost all goods made in third world countries that are of a lesser quality, ensuring the lower price.

Mr. Schwartz would probably not be happy to see how thing are today but that being said, his concept lives and TV is a wonderful place to live.....in spite of the developer.

We don't need a place to vent! This is not venting. As Jan said, this is reality and the developer could do himself a favor by reading the threads on this site and attempt to solve the issues instead of burying them.

'nuf said by me. Closing I say, come one and come all. You won't find a better community anywhere in this United States. Freedom of Speech is costly and I indend to use my share of that freedom!!! :bigthumbsup:

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

Well said everyone! I agree with all the comments and even though I've only been to TV once, for four days, I love it already and can't wait to sell our house and move down. And TOTV has really helped develop my feelings and excitement for our future life in TV. I am also addicted to TOTV and think that even in the short time I've been a member I've seen the site grow and develop into a healthy forum for the exchange of ideas, and yes, even complaints, few that they are. To think that TV has no problems is unrealistic and naive. But this site brings people and ideas together and works to improve life for all of us. That is the kind of thinking that built America and long may it live. And if the developers don't see the good in that for all the community, then they should be ashamed.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

I appreciate all of your comments. I am really troubled when I hear somebody say this is a negative forum. I hosted radio and television talk shows for years and years. Quite often I would get a call from a local elected official demanding that I discontinue discussion of a certain topic. They would give the impression that somehow I was subservient to them. Well, of course, all that did was recommit me to the topic.

I am aware that there is a group of homeowners in the Villages that have formed an organization that thrives on developer bashing. That's not us. That's not what we want.

My partners and I had hoped that the Villages would join with us and use Talk of The Villages to help disseminate information of interest to us all. Whenever I have invited Villages departments to participate, they have politely declined saying that they have their own media department and will not be needing us. How unfortunate that is. This is a place where we can tell people in a flash of a second when there are changes in schedules, matters of vital interest or how to further enhance their Villages lifestyle.

Oh well. Our invitation to them is open. Anytime we can be of help of any kind, we are ready, willing and able.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

George, I admire Mr. Schwartz for his desire to do right by those who bought into the concept. I do not admire the way the decendents have run the organization and their holier than thou attitude once they get a signed contract. A lot of changed would have to be made before I change my opinion of the family. Sorry, but that is my reality. As I said, I love TV. Sadly, the family knows that we all love it here and therefore, they give little attention to our concerns.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

:agree: :agree: :) :)
I agree with what you have all said. My wife and I come to TOTV to learn as much as we can so that we don't end up in situations like Jan's. The amount of things I have learned in the past few weeks will, make our eventual purchase and move much easier and smarter. Unfortunately we have too much time to study here at TOTV but, it will be time well spent.
As for the management show us things could be better by helping those owners who are tormented by the trains.
Larry & Bev

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

Jan you are doing a great job.....thank goodness you know how to do it and are willing to take the time to help all of us by managing this board.

In the very beginning I did get a sense that several folks were just generically whining about nothing and everyone was being sooooooo politically correctly nice to them. Now we have several feisty folks on the board who "jokingly" stop the baloney. I don't think anyone will ever call this board negative again.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

This board isn't negative but some of it's users are. They were negative folks back where they came from and unfortunately brought their attitudes with them when they moved to The Villages. They ain't gonna change so just ignore them and maybe they will go away.

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

Jan -

This forum is, what it is. Leave it alone. We love this site. We come to meet our friends, exchange ideas, wonder "What was he thinking??" and generally leave with a feeling of family! Thank you sooo much for this site. Negative... yup Positive, yup It's life. I may not agree with Kar Guy and Donna (I love you both), but then they may be saying " What was DarbyDuff thinking??" And isn't it fun!!!!!! ;D

. I'm additive...How about you guys????????? Can I hear an AMEN!!!!!!!???????????

Re: This is not intended to be a "negative" forum and it isn't
 

Jan - this site is grrrrrreat. I've learned so much. When buying we'll be careful and take into account all the information we have gotten from this site. You and the TOTV team do a great job. I'm on the site everyday for un update. We are in TV next week and we'll be looking around. My rating almost a 10 - 9.9. I take what I want and leave behind some of the comments. :)