The forums are back

So please, dive in. Here's what you'll find:

• Avatars. If you're registered on Boston.com and have a screen name, you'll have an image, or avatar, that represents you. A generic default image will appear at first; you can pick a different one or upload another image you like.

• Clickable screen names. Your screen name will click through to a new feature - your own Personal Profile page, where you can choose your avatar, fill out information about yourself, and link to friends. All of the content that you contribute on Boston.com will be collected here. And you can choose to make your profile public or private - it's up to you.

• Unread comments. You'll see a gold star beside any discussion that has new comments since the last time you visited. And clicking the star will bring you to the point in the discussion where you left.

• Search. You'll be able to search for words that appear in discussion titles and comments, as well as for particular screen names.

• Ignore this user. Click this link and you won't see the comments posted by an annoying troll anymore.

You can find the new forums here.

As always, we're anxious to hear what you think - particularly as we add more features in the coming months. Just fill out this feedback form with your reactions to what we've done so far, and your suggestions for improvements.

Thanks,