(Editor's note: This is part two of my series explaining some of the basics of our newspaper and why we do things the way we do. E-mail any questions you have to tcteditor@eritter.net to have them answered in a future column.)

One of the most read sections of our newspaper each week is the "Letters to the Editor" section. Personally, it is one of my favorites as well.

Of course, one of the main reasons people love letters to the editor is because the are often about controversial subjects, but mainly we at the newspaper like to see letters to the editor as conversations. They give the reader a way to voice their own opinions about stories in the paper, editorials and other subjects of general interest.

We do have some guidelines about letters to the editor. They must be signed and include an address and phone number so that we can verify who the author is if necessary. We also do not print anonymous letters. A letter writer is asked to keep his or her comments less than 500 words per letter, and we generally ask that our writers keep their letters to one per month.

We encourage our letter writers to write about things that are of general interest to the community and to stick to commentary about the issue rather than attacks on another person's character. We also try to stay away from what we consider "customer complaints," which consist of a person complaining about a specific business for something customer service related.

Thanks to the new technology age and the advances of the internet, interaction between newspaper staff and readers are easier than ever. Our website, www.tri-citytribune.com, features a section under the "blogs" called speak out. There our online users can comment in a variety of topic areas. Readers may also comment on individual stories as well. Some readers may post a question requesting additional information, and this allows me to be able to answer the question right there on the internet.

The forums on our website are also an excellent way for community members to converse with each other to discuss topics of all kinds. From connecting with old classmates to discussing local sports and politics, there's a place for it on our website.

So, whether you choose to write a letter to the editor or log onto our website and comment, we hope you'll join in the conversation. After all, the newspaper is here to serve you, our readers, and we want you to always be a part of what we do.