Goodbye DISQUS, Hello WordPress

November 30, 2009 91 Comments

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Old Friends So it wasn’t that long ago I mentioned I was moving my comments system to DISQUS.

The fact that the system was being used on more blogs, and also had social media integration with its Reactions feature that pulled stats from anywhere else your blog was being discussed, seemed pretty cool.

Yet, lately, DISQUS seems to have had some continued issues.

One is that the Reactions (the comments from Twitter, Digg, etc, that show up as trackbacks) seem to be stop-start as to whether they show or not. Another issue (and far more serious) is that DISQUS doesn’t seem to be set up for commenting when viewing a blog on a mobile or smartphone.

At first, I thought it may just be me, but then Ari Herzog pointed it out as well. Considering that more people use their smartphones for browsing now, this is a bit of an issue.

So, time to swap back to the good old WordPress standard comments option. I can also switch CommentLuv back on, which for community is one of the best WordPress plug-ins ever (CommentLuv shows your last blog post and is great for finding new bloggers).

I will say this for DISQUS – their customer support is usually pretty top-notch. If they can get the mobile aspect sorted, and also stabilize the features like Reactions (which means stopping the unrelated porn links that can appear), I’d be more than happy to try again.

In the meantime, I kinda like the new stripped down approach. How about you?

photo credit: David Reece

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Filed Under: Insights Tagged With: blog comments, disqus, Wordpress

About Danny

Danny Brown is Chief Technologist at ArCompany, helping clients turn social media intelligence into business results. He’s the co-author of Influence Marketing: How to Create, Manage and Measure Brand Influencers in Social Media Marketing, described as "the book that will change the way we do business today." He’s an award-winning marketer whose delivered results for organizations like Microsoft Canada, BlackBerry, FedEx, Ford Canada and LG Electronics, and his blog is recognized as the #1 marketing blog in the world by HubSpot.

59 comments

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Thomas Ballantyne

Disqus does have a nice feature that when the blog you are commenting on doesn't care to post your comment, then at least disqus remembers it. I find this useful if bloggers don't like my disagreements on their blog comments.

I like LinkLuv and see a lot of benefits to linkluv. Certainly good for community building. I am undecided on which is better so still not using either on my site.

It appears you prefer LinkLuv? Do the outbound links negatively effect link count and SEO? Or is it a javascript link so the links don't show?

Danny

Do you mean the CommentLuv system, Thomas?

The developer has made it so you can choose whether to make it do-follow or no-follow.

Personally I use do-follow, as it's a nice way to thank folks for coming to your blog to start with.

And it hasn't had any negative effect on my SEO or visibility, so all good on that front too.

Edward

hello
Can I install Disqus on a blog hosted @ Wordpress.com?
Edward

Danny

Hi Edward,

As far as I'm aware it's only self-hosted WordPress blogs that you can use it on. However, there is a universal code that you might be able to implement, which you can find details of here:

http://disqus.com/comments/install/

luminousoutsourcing

I think the ability of having the same avatars on the comments will help reinforce the community when they see familiar faces on our FB page.

Deepak

Owen Greaves

I wonder, WordPress buy DISQUS and solve the problems : )

Danny

Well they already own the IntenseDebate system so who knows? Though I think DISQUS may have something to say about it ;-)

Adam Cleaner

oh it definitely appears to be a great way to promote comments, it's just with limited ability to customise it i think that my niche may be scared away from the warnings, where as on a tech blog it perhaps works much better.
.-= Adam Cleaner´s most recent blog post ...Homemade Non-Toxic Grout Cleaners =-.

Adam Cleaner

the thing i don't like about commentluv (and this really is the onyl thing i don't like about it) is that it's extremely hard to customise. i like my eco blog to be perfect and have everything fitting in well (one reason i don't use disqus) and commentluv doesn't do that very well. i am currently playing with the files and having some luck in improving the look of it but still it's very off putting, e.g. "Oh no! comluv had an error" very off putting for someone who doesn't know what this is, being told there is an error and they havn'e tdone anything wrong.

Danny

Hi Adam,

Andy Bailey (the guy behind CommentLuv) offers a great support community over at the CommentLuv site. I have to admit, I've been fortunate so far and not had any issues with it any time I've used it - pre and post-Disqus. Are you using the plug-in or code?

Karl Foxley

Hi Adam,

There is a plugin that works with CommentLuv that styles the link http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/style-commentluv/. This plugin makes the link look nice and fit into your theme, the only trouble is it means having yet another plugin installed on your site.

I've had to deactivate the CommentLuv plugin on my site at this point of time as it has stopped working (probably conflicting with another plugin) but I hope to have it back up as soon as I figure out what the conflict is.

Regards,

Karl
.-= Karl Foxley´s most recent blog post ...My Number 1 Tip For Achieving Your Blogging Goals =-.

Andrea Hill

I've needed to go in and do some commentluv modification myself. It's a great idea, but the code is a little rough, it prevents me from wanting to upgrade because I know I'll need to go in and do some code cleanup.

Still, it IS a great feature to offer site visitors. I probably find most of my new blogs through commentluv links
.-= Andrea Hill´s most recent blog post ...Facebook: It’s Time to Enhance Events =-.

Andrea Hill

The one feature I really like about Disqus is the ability to reply via email. It reminds me of my old livejournal days, and definitely makes it easy for the conversation to keep flowing.

I use Disqus on one of my blogs, but stick with Wordpress for my primary. If Wordpress comments would just add that reply functionality, I'd be set!
.-= Andrea Hill´s most recent blog post ...What is a “Popular” Post? =-.

Danny

There are definitely some great features to Disqus, Andrea, and it's probably the best third-party option around. I just found it to be too temperamental. But never say never... ;-)

Andy Bailey

I am happy to see commentluv back on your site!
Disqus have been tweeting me any time someone asks about commentluv for their system. I just wasn't able to do anything with their iframe and their api although great if you want to make your own comment system, wasn't able to manipulate what was already there.

Intensedebate however, have a WP like API and I was able to knock up a version of commentluv for their system within a few days. It's now available from within the ID dashboard so even more people get to use it (so says my bandwidth logs!)

Personally, I much prefer the wordpress commment system for it's simplicity and with a bit of js and css to make it threadable and paginated, it's good enough for me!

glad you're back spreading the luv :-)
.-= Andy Bailey´s most recent blog post ...Intense Debate CommentLuv is Here! =-.

Andy Bailey

I agree with you about the placement of the url and name boxes. I've always felt most comfortable with a standard Name,Email,Url and then Comment fields
.-= Andy Bailey´s most recent blog post ...Twitterlink updated with German translation =-.

Danny

Hey there Andy,

I did look at the IntenseDebate version, funnily enough, but wasn't too keen on where the URL box had to go (just under the comment box, if I recall?). It's great to see CommentLuv getting the recognition it deserves from third-parties, about time.

And yes, it's good to be back, too :)

Karl Foxley

I've come across Backtype (and plugin) but never heard of UberVu. I've now installed them to see how they work out so thanks for sharing.

Karl
.-= Karl Foxley´s most recent blog post ...Who Else Wants Access To The Largest Database Of CommentLuv Enabled Blogs On The Internet =-.

Karl Foxley

I've been debating whether to use an alternative commenting system on my site for a while now but I think I'll probably be sticking to the Wordpress standard comment system for the time being, it works well and fits our needs.

It's great to see you have CommentLuv Enabled, I find it to be a nice little thank you feature for those that take the time to engage with your posts.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Karl
.-= Karl Foxley´s most recent blog post ...The Really Sneaky CommentLuv Trick For Better Blog Marketing And Promotion! =-.

Danny

I have to admit, CommentLuv was one of the biggest things I missed when I moved to DISQUS - like you say, it's a great way to thank your readers and commenters by sharing their stories too.

And if you want reactions or similar features to the DISQUS system, there are always plug-ins like UberVu (which DISQUS uses) and BackType Connect.

koko

Thanks for sharing ~it is very useful~

Tanveer Naseer

Hi Danny,

Thanks for starting this discussion on Disqus. I've been using the Wordpress in-house comments feature and I've been pretty happy with it. Although I've been considering the move to Disqus after a friend recommended it, I just felt my self hesitating on making the move, not sure if it'd really be a good fit for me. Thanks to the various comments and discussion here, I think I'll probably be sticking with the Wordpress comments feature for now.

Thanks for starting a valuable discussion here. :)

Michael Schechter

Not having the Facebook comments is the part that is killing me. The RSS Notes function is fantastic, but we lose so many comments on our page to our FB audience. We want to make it easy for them to be involved, but would love to have it all wrapped up.
.-= Michael Schechter´s most recent blog post ...Rip This Blog A New One… =-.

Danny

What I'd love to see is an all-in-one option (WordPress, DISQUS or otherwise) that really collates every piece of info you want but in an intelligent manner. So, Facebook note comments would be imported but any reply would go back to Facebook; Digg would go back there; same with Reddit, Twitter, etc. And if that could be done without looking like a pig's breakfast of a mish-mash (which the js-kit Echo system looks like, unfortunately), I'd be sold! :)

Michael Schechter

While there are definitely some challenges that Disqus is going to have to deal with, I am sticking with them, especially on our corporate blog.

Blackberries represent a large audience, but not a massive portion of the web browsing world. Plus, while the mobile commenting is a growing, it is likely still a small portion of how people are responding to blogs. I think the ease of use and lack of fear of providing personal information by using FB or Twitter to log in will result in more comments than you use lose on mobile compatibility. Then again I am coming from a world where our average commenter is less tech saavy and ease of use is essential. From a looks and usability, Disqus really has its act together.

I also think the ability of having the same avatars on the comments will help reinforce the community when they see familiar faces on our FB page.
.-= Michael Schechter´s most recent blog post ...Rip This Blog A New One… =-.

Danny

Don't disagree, fella, and as I mention in both the post and other replies, it's definitely something I'll keep an eye on. But I find about 30% of my traffic is via mobile, so not having an option to comment from there could be problematic. :)

ileane

Hi Danny,

I've noticed some instability with the Disqus system also. It looks like I need to have two different sets of comments combined into one account. Maybe Giannii can give me a hand.

CommentLuv in the bomb! I'm glad you are using it.

Thanks!
@Ileane
.-= ileane´s most recent blog post ...Blog Engage Activity for Ms. Ileane Speaks in November =-.

Brad Harmon

Danny,

I like DISQUS because you can get to know a commenter better by being able to see all the comments they've made on other DISQUS blogs, and the social media network integration is very nice.

It's been acting up lately though, and TweetMeMe too, with a lot of reactions disappearing one day and then back the next. It seems haphazard in how it picks these up too.

The popular posts widget showed nothing all weekend, and the top commenter widget only picks up 4 people who haven't commented in over a month. I thought it was just my site, but it was the same at many blogs I checked.

I just made the decision to downgrade Digg (thanks for the plug Will), and I'm afraid DISQUS and TweetMeMe may be the next casualties. I didn't know about the mobile phone issue, so I am going to add it to my list of things to consider.

Thanks for the info.

Brad
.-= Brad Harmon´s most recent blog post ...Just How Valuable are Customer Referrals Anyway? =-.

Will McCulloch

Thanks Danny, another great tip, Cheers, Will
.-= Will McCulloch´s most recent blog post ...Sites Of The Month – November 2009 =-.

Danny

Oh, for sure Brad, and that's one of the great ways that DISQUS really stands out.

Yet there just seems to be some haphazardness to it at times. Like you say, I also used the mixed version of their widget (Popular Posts, Top Commenter, etc), and I know that the popular posts weren't the ones that would have been that if it was going by either page views or comments. So, interesting to know where that info came from.

With regards Tweetmeme, I had the same issues - I've swapped over to the Backtype one instead, you might want to check it out?

http://www.backtype.com/plugins/tweetcount

Will McCulloch

Hey Danny,

I've been thinking about changing from DisQus to commentluv too recently - but am still not sure if this means losing previous comments or not. ( I presume not - but would be great if you could confirm this!)

On a related comparitive issue, I'd be interested to hear your take on the comparative advantages of Digg and the (relatively) new BlogEngage.com. Hope this is of interest to you at http://bradleyaharmon.com/2009/11/goodbye-digg-hello-blog-engage/

All the best from Hamburg

Will
.-= Will McCulloch´s most recent blog post ...fmsseo.com =-.

Will McCulloch

Hey DAnny,

Thanks a million, that's a great answer and exactly what I wanted to hear. Will follow your lead later in the day ....

Best wishes

Will
P.S. Will look for you now at BlogEngage and hope you become more involved there soon. I truly believe that Brian deserves the support of people like you who can help his site go up to the next level much more quickly. Start playing there soon Danny ! ( you never know until you try .... )
.-= Will McCulloch´s most recent blog post ...Sites Of The Month – November 2009 =-.

Danny

Hi Will,

No, you don't lose any comments. However, any threaded comments that took place on DISQUS won't transfer over that way to WordPress comments - they'll all be consecutive comments instead. Apart from that, you should be good to go.

With regards Blog Engage, I actually registered there a couple of weeks back to check it out for a possible post. Haven't really played with it yet, but as long as it doesn't fall victim to the power user "abuse" that Digg did, then it may be a very good thing indeed.

Frank Reed

Danny,

Did you get Disqus-ted with it?

As always I appreciate your transparency and willingness to tell it like it is.

Keep it up, brother.

Frank Reed

Just a little levity for ya!
.-= Frank Reed´s most recent blog post ...Social Media Blues =-.

Danny

I can't believe you just went there with that joke, Frank... ;-)

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