A letter this week from candidate Catherine Strods did not seek to outline why she should get the public's vote in December and it did not seek to criticise the incumbents or her fellow council hopefuls.

In fact, it did the opposite.

Ms Strods wrote to argue against negativity towards councillors and candidates on social media and to write in praise of debates about ideas (rather than personal attacks).

"I have recently had some long and wonderful conversations with councillors and candidates; everyone has been positive and helpful," she wrote.

"I have been treated with respect and kindness in each conversation, and I appreciated these interactions immensely."

Though Ms Strods' letter certainly stood out among the correspondence received by the Western Advocate this week, some of her themes can be seen elsewhere.

It has been interesting to read a metropolitan columnist or two write in recent years about how they are either limiting their social media use or cutting themselves off from it completely because the negativity is wearing them down - and these are people for whom writing and public interaction is a way of life.

Sydney Morning Herald sports writer Andrew Webster was one of the latest, saying he didn't want to spend any more time watching one anonymous social media user fight with another social media user "like two Kings Cross ibises".

The chances of positivity becoming the new negativity, of kindness becoming the new cruelty, are slim. That's obvious.

But it's good to get a reminder every now and then that the current way - a combative, aggressive social media environment; lots of yelling and not much listening - is not the only way.

If the Western Advocate starts getting other letters from candidates that call for respect for the current councillors, rather than pointing out their shortcomings, this could be the most interesting election yet.