For us it is not only about informing people about what’s happening in our city but showcasing the great things going on in the community and seeking views on a wide range of issues.

We respond to questions from readers and their comments form ideas for new stories and prompt conversations we have about improving our coverage.

But unfortunately the reality of the online world is that a small minority want to personally attack those featured in stories and make defamatory statements in our Facebook posts.

It is pretty low to hector people in the online space; especially to say things you never would should you meet the same person walking down Crawford Street.

The Queanbeyan Age has recently begun showcasing candidates putting their hand up for election on the new local council as part of our coverage of the event.

We do not endorse or support any individual candidates or groups but aim to provide information about all of them to enable readers to be informed before they cast their vote on September 9.

Unfortunately some of these posts have attracted comments we deem to be unacceptable and as a result we have to constantly watch posts to delete problematic statements.

We remove posts on our page when we can not moderate comments for this reason. All candidate profiles remain online on our website.

If you have been wondering why posts about candidates running in the upcoming Queanbeyan-Palerang election disappear in the evening, this is your answer.

It is important the community has their say but continued personal attacks on the subjects of our stories make it difficult for us to do our jobs.

This is an exciting time for Queanbeyan. We are about to elect the first council since the merger of the Queanbeyan and Palerang communities last year.

Don’t rubbish the people who are offering to represent you and make the region a better place to live.

editor.queanbeyanage@fairfaxmedia.com.au