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
If you enjoyed reading this post, please feel free to share with your networks using the social icons above. You can also leave your thoughts in the comments below and/or subscribe to danny brown to ensure you receive the latest updates.
Twitter: ariherzog
Thanks for the ping — and nice to see you experimenting, once again, with our blogging experience.
Ari Herzog´s most recent blog post …365 Top Blogs You Should Read Today
Twitter: DannyBrown
Cheers Ari – and yes, that’s the beauty of a blog, it’s as static or as fluid as you want to make it. Though the mobile aspect did make it easier to change back over…
I am very interested and like commenting uising Disqus .I’m sure that once you get the complete transfer to DISQUS, you’ll be very happy
Hey Danny, I have yet to try disqus but one of the reason I ended up not trying it is cause of all the “reactions” that it shows. Just like everybody else, I would love to have my posts reteweeted a gazillion times, but I would rather have it shown on a button rather than filling up my content page with “RTs.”
And not being mobile compatible is truly an issue as you pointed out.
Cheers!
Twitter: DannyBrown
Well the good thing is that you don’t have to have the reactions on, Ritu, it’s a choice – but I hear you, it can take away from the comments (especially since trackbacks from actual blogs currently get “demoted” to the end of reactions on the DISQUS system).
But yeah, as I mentioned to Ari, the mobile (or non-mobile) aspect makes a difference.
Hey Danny,
Sorry to hear you go. We’re still developing our compatibility with blackberries but it’s coming. Also regarding reactions we’ll be putting more moderating options in place but that is also under development. To keep up with our future updates you can subscribe to our blog here: http://blog.disqus.com but I’m sure you knew that heh
Take care,
Giannii
Twitter: DannyBrown
Hey there Giannii, thanks for stopping by (though not really surprised – you know I dig the service of you guys!).
Look forward to seeing DISQUS evolve – as I’ve said before, I do think it’s a great system, just needs some fine-tuning (but I’m picky at the best of times!).
Cheers,
Danny.
I started the same discussion a while back:
http://fearlessflyer.com/2009/08/using-the-disqus-comment-system-with-wordpress/
Michael Soriano´s most recent blog post …Look at What They’ve Done with Django! 20 Creative Websites Running Django:
Twitter: jimconnolly
Hi Danny,
Interesting post – Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I have a very different issue. I simply don’t like the idea of outsourcing comments.
However, I agree 100% about the great customer service offered by the guys at Disqus. I have Tweeted with Giannii in the past and he was a great example of how customer service should be done.
Jim Connolly´s most recent blog post …This is marketing madness!
Twitter: DannyBrown
That was one of the things I considered when making the switch originally, Jim (and I know Seth Simonds moved back to WordPress for that very issue). I think DISQUS probably does a better job than most of giving you decent control even though they’re third-party – but, it’s still not full control. And if their servers crash (which has happened in the past), it creates a mountain of issues for users.
I keep flip flopping too there always seems to be a reason to switch off and then I find another to switch Disqus back on again….
Can’t even remember why I currently have it on as I don’t use the Reactions part…hmmm
Roger´s most recent blog post …Free HTML Resume Template to aid job hunting
As a commenter one of the things I like most is the fact that I don’t need to fill in my name and email address to leave a comment on blogs that are using it. I’d imagine this increases the variety of commenters because it removes a hurdle (once logged in to Disqus once you’re logged in everywhere).
Twitter: DannyBrown
Agreed, that is definitely one of the main benefits, Charles. It’s a Catch 22, I think – like anything, you gain in some areas and lose in the others. Guess it really depends on what you prefer as a blogger and reader.
Hi Danny,
I’m with Jim on this one – I wanted to keep my comments on my own site. I don’t have issues with Disqus or IntenseDebate – I just can’t let go of the control. And each aspect of our sites that is controlled by a third party can go down or have issues that we can’t take care of on our own.
Kim Woodbridge´s most recent blog post …Video Highlights of the Upcoming Features in WordPress 2.9
Twitter: DannyBrown
It’s a valid point, Kim, and as one of the people I look to regularly for WordPress smarts, it’s something that is more than worth keeping in mind.
Twitter: JulieWalraven
Hi Danny, I wondered about the Reactions part of Disqus and really didn’t think about it enough to realize what it was. I love the way you all are honest and open about discussing what does and doesn’t work. Everything is evolving so quickly and out in the open today that you more or less have an open door to real time critiquing of your product.
I like seeing Jim and Kim in agreement too. Kim knows it won’t be long before I ask for the next tweak on my blog. It wouldn’t even be connected to my site if it wasn’t for her. CommentLuv has always intrigued me.
CommentLuv is a great way to find new bloggers, Julie, and was actually one of the first plug-ins I had on this blog when I started it last September. Unfortunately it was one of the things I had to let go when switching to DISQUS. It’s certainly worth a look, and can open you up to some really great posts and bloggers at the same time.
Twitter: mattchevy
The less plugins the better. I have dabbled in DISQUS – even IntenseDebate back in the day – but about 6 months ago I made the switch back to standard Wordpress comments and haven’t looked back. Less is more, eh? I like the simplicity and control Wordpress provides.
Twitter: ariherzog
Speaking of WP plugins, one of the tactics I’ve tried in recent months is deactivating some plugins and enabling them via .htaccess code so it runs on the server and not the blog, making the blog load faster.
Ari Herzog´s most recent blog post …Challenging You Not to Skip
I think when it comes to blogging, Matt, less is very often more, for sure. Even ID seems to have its quirks, despite being owned by the guys that make Wordpress. Funny old world
Thanks for sharing your experience here. I’ve avoided DISQUS primarily for the reason Jim noted above – I just don’t like the idea of outsourcing my comments. I also think that the WP comment feature integrates better with the design of my blog.
I don’t require login or moderate comments (Akismet seems to catch nearly all spam), which I decided to do after reading one of Ari’s posts (which he later refuted, somewhat). I think a lot of blogs seemed to implement DISQUS just because other blogs were, but I still haven’t been able to see the value.
One thing I will say, though, is that a lot of the WP comments I make on other blogs seem to get lost on BackType, but BackType picks up nearly all my DISQUS comments.
@amymengel
amymengel´s most recent blog post …Let reporters and bloggers “Choose Their Own Adventure”
One of the good things with DISQUS is that you can work Akismet into it. I agree, it’s got to be one of the most effective filters around, and another reason I really like the standard WordPress comments system, Amy.
Cheers for stopping by!
Twitter: CTK1
Danny as you suggested I contacted Disqus via Twitter and they fixed my problem! It took about 8hrs, but it’s fixed. My “mentions” are back. But I haven’t heard anyone complaining about the phone front on commenting. The beauty of Disqus … ah F*ck, I’m such a Feng Shui whore and Disqus lays it out gorgeously. I’ve never tried “commentluv” but will have a look. However you want to know what really blows chunks? It’s the retweet.com! It doesn’t work one iota. I have to abandon the turd.
Whatever the case may be I’m surprised to hear you stick a knife in the mighty Disqus. Ouch… blood spatter… viscera…ouch.
I bet you’ll get back to using it in a few weeks!
*wink*
Have faith. Okay, then don’t!
Ct KIngston´s most recent blog post …Riding Thigh Machine: In The Situation Room
I don’t disagree, CT – DISQUS does offer a really aesthetic look and feel to comments, and if I could have mobile, control of Reaction placement and more active spam moderation, I could very well be sold again.
Until then, I’ll have to give you a brolly for the splashback
Twitter: CTK1
And another thing, EEKS, seeing an avatar on the right instead of the left, gives me eyesore. Can that be altered? If not, know way I could ever use this. Haha… Feng Shui Danny, Feng Shui. x
Ct KIngston´s most recent blog post …Riding Thigh Machine: In The Situation Room
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.
I can’t believe you just went there with that joke, Frank…
Just a little levity for ya!
Frank Reed´s most recent blog post …Social Media Blues
Twitter: whatawebsite
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
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.
Twitter: whatawebsite
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,
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?
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
Twitter: whatawebsite
Thanks Danny, another great tip, Cheers, Will
Will McCulloch´s most recent blog post …Sites Of The Month – November 2009
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
Twitter: MSchechter
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…
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.
Twitter: TanveerNaseer
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.
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!
Twitter: MSchechter
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…
Thanks for sharing ~it is very useful~
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!
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.
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
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!
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
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
Twitter: afhill
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?
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…
Twitter: greensurrey
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.
Twitter: afhill
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
Twitter: fmsseo
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
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?
Twitter: greensurrey
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
Twitter: owengreaves
I wonder, WordPress buy DISQUS and solve the problems : )
Well they already own the IntenseDebate system so who knows? Though I think DISQUS may have something to say about it