Since the Herald became the first newspaper web site in the Chippewa Valley to invite reader comments in the summer of 2006, it has become one of our most viewed features.

The segment has been so popular that we have received more than 12,000 comments in the past two years. That’s more than 6,000 a year, or more than 500 per month.

Starting Tuesday, posting a comment on one of our stories is about to become a lot faster.

To better accommodate the volume of comments, the Herald is joining the growing number of news sites nationwide in allowing readers to post comments in real time.

In effect, we are turning over the comment section to our readers. It is your participation, after all, that has made it such a success, and it will now be your responsibility to make sure it remains a place to turn for civil discussion about the issues of the day.

In the past, all comments have had to be approved by a member of our news staff. Not only did that mean comments were often delayed by several hours before being posted to our site, but it prevented the kind of give-and-take that readers should get from such a forum.

The new procedure will allow your comment to be seen almost instantly under the story.

An easy registration process has been set up for the first time you post a comment. You will create a screen name that will be displayed along with every future comment you make.

Once you register, you will receive an e-mail from us to confirm your e-mail address.

We look forward to reading your opinions. But remember, this is your forum. If you want it to stay that way, we encourage you to use appropriate language and keep the forum civil.

Readers have the opportunity to flag any offensive comments, and those comments may be removed from our site. The person who posts an offensive comment may be permanently barred from making any future comments on our web site.