Please read the comments: Introducing the Press Democrat's new reader commenting section

We believe the voices of readers like you make our journalism stronger. Your comments help inform, inspire and spread curiosity in the community. That is why we are excited to introduce a new commenting experience on pressdemocrat.com.

Our new commenting system makes it easier for our staff to facilitate conversations and support respectful dialogue in the commenting section on articles. It also includes exciting features commenters have been asking for.

You'll now be able to:

• Keep track of interesting conversations by following comment threads.
• Mute (ignore) commenters you don't want to interact with.
• Create your own communities by following other commenters.
• Up-vote comments.
• Sort comments by time, popularity and activity
• Keep track of all your commenting activity through a notification menu.
• Customize how you'd like to see the comments: you can reorder comments by newest, oldest, most liked, most active and most replies.

We are excited for you to participate in this community. For some answers to frequently asked questions about comments, go to www.pressdemocrat.com/commentsfaq.

Here are a few tips to find success in the comments:

• Discuss the argument, not the person.
• Stay on topic.
• Be concise.
• Respect others and their points of view.
• Don't say anything that would normally be considered offensive or demeaning to others.
• Use your own work, or work you have the right to use with credit to the author.

In short, the comments are a forum for civil discussion, not trolling.

We are also introducing a single sign-on process for the website and the commenting system, making it easier for readers by eliminating the need for multiple accounts. Now as long as you are logged in to your pressdemocrat.com account, you will also be logged in to the commenting section. (Not a subscriber? Sign up for digital access here.)

This should be a simple switch-over, but we know you may have additional questions. To help, we've included an FAQ below.

Can I comment without a username?

No. You must register to comment. You may only read existing comments without registering.

I am already a subscriber. How do I access my account?

If you are not automatically logged in, go to https://myaccount.pressdemocrat.com/pd/home Enter the email address associated with your account and the password. Then click "LOG IN." If that doesn't work, reset your password by clicking the "Forgot your password?" button next to the log-in button. The system will send you an email that will allow you to reset your password.

Am I required to subscribe to comment?

Yes. So, if you'd like to comment, you can check out our subscription offers here: https://subscribe.pressdemocrat.com.

I am a new subscriber. How do I link my account?

Go to https://myaccount.pressdemocrat.com/pd/home and click the "Create Account" button at the top of the box. Enter a valid email address and click "Get Started." This will send a verification link to the email address you provided. Click the link in that email and follow the instructions to set up and confirm a password. You can then return to myaccount.pressdemocrat.com and sign in, if needed. If you have a print subscription, click the "Link Account" button to link the print subscription to your digital access.

How do I set my username?

The first time you go to the comments section of any article, you will be prompted to create a username for your account.Usernames must adhere to our community guidelines; accounts with offensive usernames that violate our guidelines will be banned.

Can I change my username?

What you set as your username will be your permanent username - choose wisely!

I liked the username I had on the previous system. Can I keep it?

Sure, as long as it is not already taken.

Can I change my avatar?

You can choose between a number of avatars unique to you. If you have a Gravatar account linked to the same email address you use to log into the Press Democrat, you can use your Gravatar icon in the comments.

Where are my old comments?

Your old comments will remain on Disqus but will not be displayed on our new system

Have questions, comments or feedback about our new platform? Contact our moderation team at info@pressdemocrat.com, or try posting a comment on this article.