Trying Out an Interactive Commenting System
An increasing amount of blogs are implementing interactive commenting systems that encourage readers to engage in conversation — not just with the blog’s author, but with each other.
I’ve enjoyed participating in these forums on others’ blogs, and after evaluating several commenting systems, I installed Disqus (dis·cuss • dĭ-skŭs’), a free, easy-to-use comment moderation tool.
You can use Disqus on many popular platforms, including self-hosted WordPress (the platform I use), Blogger, Moveable Type, Tumblr, and more.
Disqus gives you all sorts of one-click customization options. It also ramps up social media sharing for the truly narcissistic by allowing commenters to broadcast their comments to their Facebook and Twitter feeds.
When I installed the Disqus plug-in, it captured the existing comments on my archived blog posts, so I didn’t lose any of my previous comments (you should back up your database before doing this, just in case).
So, let’s give Disqus a test-drive. In the Comments area of this post, tell us the most interesting thing you’ve done/learned in the last 24 hours.
Katie, Your comment makes me glad I'll be in SJ this week! Spring has officially sprung in Washington state (as of March 20). It has been sunny and in the high 60s. OK… well, today it's raining (just the usual sprinkle), but YESTERDAY it was sunny and in the high 60s. And all the flowering plum/cherry trees are blooming. That means spring.
I hadn't thought of that, but it is very similar to writing on a Facebook wall. Good call.
I hadn't thought of that, but it is very similar to writing on a Facebook wall. Good call.