Photo by Lars Hammar on Flickr.

For the past six years, we’ve worked to create a dialogue about how to make the Washington region an even greater place. And your participation in the comment threads makes you part of that. We’re considering revisions to the comment policy, and we want your input.

Most of us can agree that we want to build a better Washington. But we don’t always agree on how best to do it. That means our comment threads are rooted in fertile soil. But it also means that sometimes the discussion can get acrimonious.

And that’s why we have the comment policy in place. Because while we want to have an open debate here, we also want all to feel welcome. The internet can be a vicious place that makes it difficult for many to join in the debate, which is exactly what we don’t want for our threads.

And so, in August 2011, we introduced the comment policy.

Even before the comment policy was in place, I was proud of you. I think our pool of regular commenters is among the best on the internet. And I say that with complete sincerity. For the most part, you’re civil to each other. You share your knowledge and your ideas. Frequently I find myself learning things from the comments.

If we compare that to most websites, there’s really no comparison at all. It’s not worth even bothering to read most internet comments because they’re so full of hate and ignorance. That is almost never the case here. And I thank all of you for keeping the threads at such a high standard.

But the Editorial Board feels that while the comment policy has served us well over the past three and a half years, it could inspire us to be even better. We want to make some changes to help improve the discourse.

But we want to know your thoughts first. Do you think the comment policy is falling short? Are there behaviors that you see regularly in our comment threads that you think cross the line? Please let us know. Feel free to suggest language.

Note: Normally discussion of the comment policy is not allowed in the comments. In this thread, that prohibition has been lifted.

Matt Johnson has lived in the Washington area since 2007. He has a Master’s in Planning from the University of Maryland and a BS in Public Policy from Georgia Tech. He lives in Dupont Circle. He’s a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, and is an employee of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation. His views are his own and do not represent those of his employer.