Disqus Commenting System

July 12, 2009
By: Jay Thompson
Author's Website: http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com

[Author’s note: This article was originally posted on Phoenix Real Estate Guy. Drew and I both thought it might be good for Geek Estate Blog readers as well. It’s been modified ever-so-slightly from the original]

Back in May 2008, I tried out the Disqus (pronounced “discuss”) commenting system on Phoenix Real Estate Guy. That test failed for several reasons, primarily I didn’t like the fact that comments were stored only on the Disqus servers. I was concerned what would happen to the 13,000+ comments on the blog should I wake up one day and Disqus was gone. Another show stopper for me was for someone to subscribe to comments, they were forced to join Disqus (which is free, but still).

A lot has changed with Disqus in the past 14 months, so I’ve decided to try it again.

Comments are now “synched” with and retained in my WordPress SQL database. They are served from Disqus, but I can turn it off with a keystroke and revert instantly to the standard WordPress commenting system.
The ability to subscribe to comments without having to join Disqus has been added. (and comment subscription is “double opt in” – you’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription. This prevent losers from subscribing you to stuff you don’t want. Trust me, it happens.)
Disqus comments are “SEO Friendly” – the content still shows as part of the page in TPREG’s HTML. It is also friendly to those who have javascript disabled.

How to Comment with Disqus

It’s really no different than it used to be, though you have many more options.

Here’s what the comment area looks like:

If you so desire (it’s completely your choice) you can log in via Disqus, Facebook, Twitter or OpenId. Using these services has benefits – it will pull in your avatar so we can see your smiling face and you can post your comment to your Facebook profile, Tweet it, etc. This also helps with “community building” and exposure. It’s the web 2.0 way.

If you prefer, just as in the past, you can enter your name, email and website (optional) and leave a comment that way.

With a webcam and a Seesmic account, you can leave a video comment.

Cool Disqus Features

There are some pretty nifty features available with this system. Those that chose to get a free Disqus account will have links to their various social network profiles available to all readers:

All the comments you leave on Disqus enabled blogs (and there are a LOT of them) are saved to your Disqus profile. Ever left a masterpiece comment on a blog and forgot where it was? Or worse yet, the blog goes offline into the ether? No more worries, your comments are yours to keep, savor and share.

Click on the “Expand” link and a shadow box pops up with the commenters most recent comments across Disqus enabled blogs.

Here is tdhurst’s full Disqus profile. It’s basically a collection of Tyler’s musings across the internet. Kinda cool.

So what?

In theory, this helps you “build your Twitter presence” and followers. It could also (selfishly) drive traffic back to the blog you’re tweeting from (the link in the Tweet points to your blog comment). If nothing else, it allows you to send a charming and witty comment to Twitter with the check of a box.

But wait, there’s more!

An oft requested feature that I’ve never been able to figure out how to do is provide the ability for a reader to subscribe to comments without having to leave a comment. Now you can do that. You can also subscribe to comments on specific posts via RSS. You can tag comments you “like” and even report them to the blog author (useful for helping your friendly blogger kill any spam that slips through). You can even change the sort order of comments.

Heck, you can even reply to comments through email or text messaging, and edit your comments any time you like.

Disqus from the Bloggers Perspective

Here’s a list of benefits for bloggers from the Disqus About page:

Threaded comments and comment ratings
Powerful moderation and admin tools
Filter out spam, trolls, and unwanted commenters
Enable your visitors to become a real community
Moderation by email or mobile
More comments and increased engagement
Connected with a large discussion community
Increased exposure and readership

Spam control looks to be very good. Several systems are used, including Aksimet (which most WordPress bloggers use). The comment admin interface is powerful, yet intuitive. And I love being able to administer comments via email!

One of the nice things about implementing this is the heavy coding is done by the experts at Disqus. Ever tried to get Facebook Connect implemented on a blog? It’ll drive you to empty a fifth of Jack Daniels. Now the real programmers do it and I just upgrade a plugin when they add new features.

The Drawbacks of Disqus

Learning to type “Disqus” instead of “Discuss” is hard.

Disqus comments are “nofollowed”. I’m not sure if this is good or bad. I did have comments “dofollowed” and the amount of spam I had to deal with increased significantly. It was becoming a huge time-sink to manage comments. In order to “share the Google love” with commenters, I’ll probably be installing a dofollow comment widget of some sort on TPREG. I just need to find the right one.

Plugins that enhance/modify the comments in a blog will likely not function in Disqus. On my blog, the CommentLuv and KeywordLuv plugins were rendered useless. These pulled in the commenters last blog post (most of the time) and allowed “hot linked” keywords in the commenters name field. Both also seemed to attract spammers by the boatload and didn’t really increase the frequency of quality comments.

For those that leave comments solely for the link love, sorry. But honestly, that’s a pretty lame reason to leave comments anywhere. Comments do help drive traffic to you and give you exposure, regardless of whether they are followed or not by search engines. Leave comments on blogs to engage with and enrich the community, and yourself, not just for a link that has marginal worth.

Installing Disqus

If you’re a blogger and you want to use (or try) Disqus, it’s pretty simple. Plugins and instructions are available for many blog platforms including WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, Movable Type, Square Space, Drupal, Joomla and more.

Give it a Test Drive

If you want to see the Disqus comment system in action, you can stop by TPREG, Sellsius, Tribus Real Estate, the Roost blog, or even some of the blogiverse heavyweights like Mashable.

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Disqus Commenting System | GeekEstate Blog | Twitter on July 12, 2009 7:59 pm

[...] Disqus Commenting System | GeekEstate Blog If you so desire (it’s completely your choice) you can log in via Disqus, Facebook, Twitter or OpenId. Using these services has benefits – it will pull in your avatar so we can see your smiling face and you can post your comment to your … http://www.geekestateblog.com/disqus-commenting-installed-on-phoenix-real-estate-guy/ [...]
Drew Meyers on July 13, 2009 11:09 am

I just added it to geek estate. Maybe the databases are busy synching up or something, but the site seems slower right now…
Drew Meyers on July 13, 2009 11:09 am

I just added it to geek estate. Maybe the databases are busy synching up or something, but the site seems slower right now…
Drew Meyers on July 13, 2009 11:09 am

I just added it to geek estate. Maybe the databases are busy synching up or something, but the site seems slower right now…
Hawaii real estate guy on July 13, 2009 9:31 am

That is a long post with a lot to digest. Seems like it has some really cool features that benefit both the blogger and his community that is commenting. It also sounds like it has a few disadvantages. Do you know any one using a do follow comment plugin with it? I have been wanting to find a good do follow plugin if you have any suggestions.

I do like the feature that you can subscribe without commenting. Can you get email alerts also or just through RSS?

Thanks Jay
Jay Thompson on July 13, 2009 3:36 pm

You can subscribe by email, not just RSS, without commenting.

I don't know of any dofollow plugin that works with Disqus. My blog was dofollow for a long time and while I did note an increase in comments, the spam increased as well. It's a trade off. Personally, I grew weary of fighting the spammers. People should comment on blogs to help others, to learn, to contribute and even to get other people to their blogs. Commenting solely for the link is silly.

The best WordPress dofollow plugin, by far in my opinion, Lucia's Linky Love.
Jay Thompson on July 13, 2009 3:36 pm

You can subscribe by email, not just RSS, without commenting.

I don't know of any dofollow plugin that works with Disqus. My blog was dofollow for a long time and while I did note an increase in comments, the spam increased as well. It's a trade off. Personally, I grew weary of fighting the spammers. People should comment on blogs to help others, to learn, to contribute and even to get other people to their blogs. Commenting solely for the link is silly.

The best WordPress dofollow plugin, by far in my opinion, is Lucia's Linky Love.
Jay Thompson on July 13, 2009 3:36 pm

You can subscribe by email, not just RSS, without commenting.

I don't know of any dofollow plugin that works with Disqus. My blog was dofollow for a long time and while I did note an increase in comments, the spam increased as well. It's a trade off. Personally, I grew weary of fighting the spammers. People should comment on blogs to help others, to learn, to contribute and even to get other people to their blogs. Commenting solely for the link is silly.

The best WordPress dofollow plugin, by far in my opinion, is Lucia's Linky Love.
Jay Thompson on July 13, 2009 3:37 pm

Looks good Drew! (and the speed seems fine to me)
Jay Thompson on July 13, 2009 3:37 pm

Looks good Drew! (and the speed seems fine to me)
Jay Thompson on July 13, 2009 3:37 pm

Looks good Drew! (and the speed seems fine to me)
Hawaii real estate guy on July 14, 2009 8:30 am

Obviuosly it is silly to just comment for the link, but is nice to reward people with a little love thanks for responding.
Hawaii real estate guy on July 14, 2009 8:30 am

Obviuosly it is silly to just comment for the link, but is nice to reward people with a little love thanks for responding.
Hawaii real estate guy on July 14, 2009 8:30 am

Obviuosly it is silly to just comment for the link, but is nice to reward people with a little love thanks for responding.
Jay Thompson on July 14, 2009 9:15 am

It may be obvious, but a *LOT* of people do it. I plan to install a “recent comments” and/or “top commenter” widget (or something) that is followed to share the love.
Jay Thompson on July 14, 2009 9:15 am

It may be obvious, but a *LOT* of people do it. I plan to install a “recent comments” and/or “top commenter” widget (or something) that is followed to share the love.
Jay Thompson on July 14, 2009 9:15 am

It may be obvious, but a *LOT* of people do it. I plan to install a “recent comments” and/or “top commenter” widget (or something) that is followed to share the love.
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I am very interested. I have everything ready, and would very much appreciate it.Thanks a lot for sharing........
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Bob on July 31, 2009 9:45 am

A dofollow option would be nice.
Bob on July 31, 2009 9:45 am

A dofollow option would be nice.
Bob on July 31, 2009 9:45 am

A dofollow option would be nice.
backlinks on July 31, 2009 12:31 pm

nice blog, thanks for the post.
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Your site Looks good… dofollow it will be great
richardz315 on August 7, 2009 1:33 pm

Nice post. Thanks for sharing
bible study on August 10, 2009 10:25 am

nice post, thanks for sharing
bible study on August 13, 2009 11:20 am

excellent post, I'll have to check back more often, thanks!
NiNJADMiN on August 15, 2009 1:19 pm

dude – disquss makes it easy for us bloggers – no worries about too much. I have joined discuss and realized that it makes it easy to spart a conversation
NiNJADMiN on August 15, 2009 1:19 pm

dude – disquss makes it easy for us bloggers – no worries about too much. I have joined discuss and realized that it makes it easy to spart a conversation
NiNJADMiN on August 15, 2009 1:19 pm

dude – disquss makes it easy for us bloggers – no worries about too much. I have joined discuss and realized that it makes it easy to spart a conversation
Real Estate Internet Marketing on August 17, 2009 8:00 pm

Nice post for the Disqus.. I learn more about it.. Thanks for the information..
Real Estate Internet Marketing on August 18, 2009 5:33 pm

This commenting system of Disqus is really useful and I think there are lots of blogger using this….Thanks for sharing this..
homebusinessreviews on August 20, 2009 12:20 pm

this was really nice info
SEO Miami on August 21, 2009 11:41 am

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cost of a newspaper on September 12, 2009 12:06 am

I'll post the same information to my blog, thanks for ideas and great article.
instrumentals on October 3, 2009 7:41 am

that sounds like something i could use
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Noah Group on October 8, 2009 9:22 am

yes i've beem using disqus commenting and it helps alot and give backlinks and traffics to my site.
The Point on October 11, 2009 9:21 pm

How are you liking the comment system?
The Point on October 11, 2009 9:21 pm

How are you liking the comment system?
The Point on October 11, 2009 9:21 pm

How are you liking the comment system?
100% Mortgage on October 14, 2009 8:46 am

Great to see bigger sites like yourself using disqus and allowing posts. Great real estate blog too, I like it!
100% Mortgage on October 14, 2009 8:46 am

Great to see bigger sites like yourself using disqus and allowing posts. Great real estate blog too, I like it!
100% Mortgage on October 14, 2009 8:46 am

Great to see bigger sites like yourself using disqus and allowing posts. Great real estate blog too, I like it!
johntey on October 15, 2009 1:26 am

Very Informative Website…thanks!
Instant Payday Loans on October 16, 2009 5:56 am

Are disqus comments dofollow? does anyone know?
Instant Payday Loans on October 16, 2009 5:56 am

Are disqus comments dofollow? does anyone know?
Instant Payday Loans on October 16, 2009 5:56 am

Are disqus comments dofollow? does anyone know?
drewmeyers on October 16, 2009 8:57 am

No, disqus comments ate not dofollow. Which is why I'm at such a loss as to why so many people still try to spam this blog with comments.

____________________________________________________
Drew Meyers
Business Development
Direct: (206) 470-7147
Fax: (206) 470-7001
http://www.zillow.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/drewmeyers
drewmeyers on October 16, 2009 8:57 am

No, disqus comments are not dofollow. Which is why I'm at such a loss as to why so many people still try to spam this blog with comments.
drewmeyers on October 16, 2009 8:57 am

No, disqus comments are not dofollow. Which is why I'm at such a loss as to why so many people still try to spam this blog with comments.
David Madona on October 20, 2009 2:28 pm

This is the most amazing service i have found!! very helpful and let people speak the real thing what they feel !! Great stuff
David Madona on October 20, 2009 2:28 pm

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David Madona on October 20, 2009 2:28 pm

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This indeed is a great program, I've been using it for a few months I could not be happier.
geniusre on October 23, 2009 12:35 pm

hmmm very informative thnx for the post
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Fruitfulvine2 on October 27, 2009 9:36 am

I'm researching info on disqus as I decide to use it or not. This post was extremely helpful.
Fruitfulvine2 on October 27, 2009 9:36 am

I'm researching info on disqus as I decide to use it or not. This post was extremely helpful.
Fruitfulvine2 on October 27, 2009 9:36 am

I'm researching info on disqus as I decide to use it or not. This post was extremely helpful.
Viral Marketing on October 27, 2009 7:27 pm

excellent post, thanks alot for the share!
SocialBlogr on November 4, 2009 11:18 pm

I'm big fan of Disqus.. :p Very liked it.
nokfarang001 on November 9, 2009 10:32 am

Disqus Commenting System is advantage for long post, Thanks.

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Yeah !
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I Think Disqus Commenting System is very simply for us to discuss.
WISP billing software on November 19, 2009 5:33 pm

I am a Disqus fan since early last year. I find their system to be unique and really useful in blog commenting. I also noticed that their system provides Dofollow links on comments.
job search on November 22, 2009 11:23 pm

Being a member of the Disqus community, I can safely say that using Disqus is like a walk in the park. It has its ups and downs but its also has benefits in which you can avail if you use it as your system in your blogs.
job search on November 22, 2009 11:23 pm

Being a member of the Disqus community, I can safely say that using Disqus is like a walk in the park. It has its ups and downs but its also has benefits in which you can avail if you use it as your system in your blogs.
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bob1111 on November 30, 2009 2:21 pm

Yeah commenting just for the link is a big waste of time since they are nofollows. But hey, let them waste their time if they want
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bob1111 on November 30, 2009 2:21 pm

Yeah commenting just for the link is a big waste of time since they are nofollows. But hey, let them waste their time if they want
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redrigo on December 1, 2009 6:59 am

disquss makes it easy for us bloggers – no worries about too much…Great to see bigger sites like yourself using disqus and allowing posts for my site Business Blog.
hawaiijobs on December 7, 2009 4:38 am

It is a very great post. From this I know the features and how to use disqus. Thanks for posting it.
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it semms that disqus is really perfect ~ok~i will try it
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louisvuittonoutlet on January 26, 2010 5:28 pm

oh! it is a good system
louisvuittonoutlet on January 26, 2010 5:28 pm

oh! it is a good system
Mary on March 12, 2010 6:56 am

Hi Jay,
I would like to have dofollow comment system while Disqus provides no follow also Commentluv plugin doesn't work with Disqus. How can I solve these issues?
Thanks for the help;
Mary on March 12, 2010 6:56 am

Hi Jay,
I would like to have dofollow comment system while Disqus provides no follow also Commentluv plugin doesn't work with Disqus. How can I solve these issues?
Thanks for the help;
Yasmeen Davis on March 22, 2010 1:37 pm

Disqus has always been my favorite commenting system. The speed of it always amazes me.Disqus is under active development.it is a listen to user feedback..
Yasmeen Davis on March 22, 2010 1:37 pm

Disqus has always been my favorite commenting system. The speed of it always amazes me.Disqus is under active development.it is a listen to user feedback..
coach handbags on April 29, 2010 7:50 pm

Great blog! The information you provide is quiet helpful, why I was not able to find it earlier. It is so pity, hope more and more people can get your site.
lily on April 29, 2010 8:53 pm

I think disqus is good and convient!
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lily on April 29, 2010 8:53 pm

I think disqus is good and convient!
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radj on May 10, 2010 3:21 am

“Disqus comments are “SEO Friendly” – the content still shows as part of the page in TPREG’s HTML. It is also friendly to those who have javascript disabled.”

I tried disabling my browser's javascript and visited my pages but I could not see the comments.
mstardom on May 20, 2010 2:24 am

Indeed, one cannot put all his or her eggs in one basket. The fact that Disqus allows for syncing with one's own database is a plus. I agree with you about not depending totally on the disqus servers to store your comments; in fact, that is a very scary thing to think about. What if there is a fire in the building where those servers are kept? Data could be destroyed forever. The rule of thumb then is to always store data on your own server.
Disqus Commenter on May 29, 2010 11:18 am

This is great, but I've been trying out other commenting systems, and although this seems to have the best interface, other commenting systems do have more useful feautures.
homeopet digestive upsets on May 30, 2010 10:41 am

Anyway, great topic! Disqus is cool. I wish they could also integrate Facebook plugins to make Like and Comments easier.
louis vuitton on June 11, 2010 1:16 am

I like writing, hurriedly, not that you are not
louis vuitton on June 11, 2010 8:16 am

I like writing, hurriedly, not that you are not
Disqus Commenting System | GeekEstate Blog | Intenseblog.com on June 15, 2010 7:32 am

Disqus Commenting System | GeekEstate Blog…

…y Love. Hawaii real estate guy. Obviuosly it is silly to just comment for the link, but is nice to reward people with a little love thanks for responding. ……
wow time card on August 9, 2010 5:44 am

I'm trying to comment out the other systems, and although the interface looks nice comment the other systems, is more useful feautures.
John on August 10, 2010 6:04 am

Disqus really is a great tool for any blog. It will give your blog a sense of community vibe because of how easy readers can now leave comments and messages for you and other readers.
Dino Dogan on August 11, 2010 1:10 pm

huge fan of disqus…Im compiling a list of pros and cons for a future article and this post was tremendously helpful. I've made a note of the URL so I can reference it when my article comes out. thnx
Net Lease Properties on August 14, 2010 8:43 pm

Disqus also helps find people with the same interest. I find Twitter is picking up for certain groups like real estate. When I started on Twitter real estate people were scarce.
Thanks for the information you posted here.