Today's 3rd party commenting systems do more than simply allow readers to post a comment. Most systems support comprehensive features such as spam control, comment moderation, whitelist and blacklist management, social media integration, email notifications, and much more.
In this article, I want to bring you awareness
of three common 3rd party commenting systems
used by bloggers: Disqus, IntenseDebate, and Livefyre. I'll identify some of their key features you may find beneficial for your blog or website. Lastly, at the end of each system, I'll include some helpful links for your reference.
1. Disqus
Founded in 2007, Disqus is one of the more popular commenting systems among bloggers. Whether you're using Disqus for the first time or moving over from another commenting system, integrating Disqus into your current blog or website is a simple straight-forward process.
After signing up, you can either import existing comments from your current blogging platform (WordPress, Blogger, Drupal, Joomla, to name a few) or you can start from scratch using Disqus for new posted comments.
Disqus' interface is mobile friendly. Disqus' dynamic interface will automatically adjust to mobile Web browsers on tablets and smartphones so that commenting is not affected. Additionally, bloggers can moderate comments through Disqus' (1) website through any desktop/laptop, (2) mobile-enabled website on any mobile device, and (3) email.
Leaving comments or replying to comments through Disqus is easy and almost real time. The latest comments are posted instantly without the need to refresh the page to view new comments. Blog and site owners can be notified when a new comment has been posted, and best of all - you can reply to these new comments immediately by simply replying to the email message. Commenters can have the option to attach media (i.e. URLs, YouTube video, photos, etc.) to their comments.
Disqus' core commenting service is free, but there are additional subscription-based tools should you need more out of your blog or website.
Additional Disqus features worth noting include, but not limited to:
- Search engine optimization, or SEO, friendly. This means Discus is compatible with most search engines on the Web.
- Commenters can post as a guest, Open ID, or through other social media profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Disqus)
- Easy-to-use administrative panels to moderate comments
- Commenters can flag comments containing inappropriate or questionable content
Useful Disqus Links:
2. IntenseDebate
IntenseDebate, by Automattic, is a commenting system from the creators of WordPress, Polldaddy, Cloudup, and other Web tools. If you are using the WordPress platform for your blog and looking for third party commenting system, IntenseDebate may be an ideal choice.
One interesting feature is the use of reputation points. Reputation points allows visitors to reward constructive and well-thought out comments with points and have them (the comments) appear above others with fewer reputation points. This can be a great mechanism to encourage high quality discussions on your blog or website.
Additional IntenseDebate features worth noting include, but not limited to:
- Email notification sent to commenters when someone responds to their comment
- Visitors can report inappropriate comments including the option to state the reason for reporting a comment.
- Commenters can simultaneously tweet their posted comment
- Allows users to login via OpenID, Twitter, Facebook or WordPress.com ID.
- Supports numerous widgets to display comment stats, most recent comments, most popular comments and top commenters.
Useful IntenseDebate Links:
- Official IntenseDebate website
- IntenseDebate features
- IntenseDebate blog
- IntenseDebate for developers
- IntenseDebate support
3. Livefyre
Finally, there's Livefyre. Founded in 2009, Livefyre has reach 25 million registered users and 175 million visitors monthly.
Visitors have the option to have their comments simultaneously posted to Twitter, Facebook, or both. When a visitor chooses to “follow” a conversation, they automatically "listen" – meaning they will get notification whenever there is an update. Livefyre shows you how many commenters are online and how many are listening to a particular conversation.
Additional IntenseDebate features worth noting include, but not limited to:
- A rich-text editor
- Media embedding
- Comment editing within a specific time frame
- Synch Twitter and Facebook with Livefyre content through SocialSync
Useful Livefyre Links:
- Official Livefyre website
- Livefyre features
- Livefyre blog
- Livefyre for developers
- Livefyre Help & FAQ
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