A letter in last week's Commons was written to reflect the views of the entire congregation of the Putney Friends, to which it was properly attributed. We also identified the person who sent the letter as the agent of the organization who signed it. He was clearly displeased. So contributors should take note:
• When a letter is submitted on behalf of a collective entity - a board of directors, a congregation of a faith community, a municipal board - that organization is directly referenced under the text of the letter. The relevant person or people who submitted the letter are identified below, with titles if applicable.
• As a rule, we publish letters under the presumption that actual human beings are writing and sending them and that it's never a bad idea to give human voice to an organization or corporation. In this spirit, we unapologetically publish the names of the person or people from whom the piece originated. We have followed this procedure for years and believe that it provides essential information for readers.
• We might add a small bio at the end of the letter to provide some context or credentials that are helpful for the reader.
We constantly re-evaluate these processes and will change them if we find better, clearer editing protocols that serve the best interest of our readers. Suggestions for same are always welcome. -Jeff Potter, Commons editor-in-chief and Voices section editor