Let’s be honest. Most people are not pleased to be greeted when they arrive home by a piece of paper informing them that they are being called for jury duty.

There are a number of reasons why jury duty is an experience that many people — especially those who have taken part in it before — dread.

For starters, there’s the requirement to call in for days at a time to find out whether you’ll be able to make plans for the following day. While sitting on a trial that lasts a few days isn’t too bad, there’s always the possibility of getting placed on a jury for a trial that could drag on for weeks.

Then, there’s the inflexibility of the hours. Or the amount of work you’re left to catch up on once you return to your job. Or having to rearrange your schedule if you have children.

You get the point.

And yet, jury duty obviously is important. It’s part of being a good citizen, and you might learn something about how our system works in the process.

Thankfully, Butler County will launch a more modernized system this summer that will enable residents to fulfill their civic duty with less aggravation.

For starters, the county’s new system will allow individuals selected for jury duty to complete the process online or on their smart phones. Residents would receive a notification that looks like a postcard — as opposed to a letter that is often indistinguishable from the type of junk mail that is often dispatched without a second glance — and happens to be labeled “official juror notification.”

Within 10 days, the resident would be obligated to fill out a questionnaire with 23 questions. But instead of mailing it back, they can complete it online or through an automated phone line.

Then, the potential jurors would be sent a text reminding them of their summoning date or other information, such as if jury selection were canceled on a particular day.

Judge William Shaffer said the change in jury selection would help to “streamline” the process and bring the county’s method of communication into the 21st century.

Those selected for the jury would be paid $9 per day and compensated for mileage. They’d be off the potential pool of state jurors for three years afterward.

So, while jury duty might still be a cause of angst for those chosen to take part in it, we believe the county made a good decision in making process leading up to it less inconvenient.