On Monday, March 2, McClatchyDC.com will launch a new system that will give registered users access to several new tools and features.
You'll still have the ability to comment on every story, but now you'll also be able to track your activity, participate in forums and contact other users from a personal profile page that features user-selected avatars.
Registered users of McClatchyDC.com won't have to sign up again to use the new tools. You'll use your existing user name and password.
Some highlights ...
Forums: Express your opinion. With features such as "reply to post," you can engage other McClatchyDC.com readers in a conversation.
Comments: Improved tools will allow users to flag obscene, abusive, off-topic and profane comments to the Web staff. Help us raise the caliber of the discourse. We're going to start fresh with comments, however. Existing comments won't appear after Monday.
Recommend a story: Did you think a story was especially compelling or worth sharing with a friend? A "Recommend" link will flag it to other readers.
Personal profile: If you want to, you'll be able to share a bit more about yourself with the readers and contributors to McClatchyDC.com. You can enter a brief description of yourself, identify your location, share some of your interests and adjust notification settings on your account.
Avatar: Add your own stamp to your comments, forum posts and personal profile page by uploading an image of your choice.
We hope you'll like the new look. If you have suggestions for improvements or changes, please e-mail web@mcclatchydc.com.