Custom Blog Comment Alternatives
I spent a few hours last night and a little bit of time this afternoon adding comments to my blog. It took much longer than it should have, mostly because of the approach I took. My process looked something like this.
- Find something that might work
- Implement it
- Realize the down-sides to that option
- Remove it
- Repeat steps 1-4
After following this process for Livefyre, Muut, Google+ comments and Disqus, I finally settled on Disqus. I'm not completely satisfied. I want complete control of styling, but it will have to do for now.
I've given my thoughts on each option below. Let me know what you think. If you have a blog, what do you use? Are there other viable options out there?
Livefyre
Livefyre’s website shows a lot of extremely interesting tools. The one that stuck out to me most was Sidenotes. Sidenotes provides similar functionality to the annotation-type comments found on Medium, but sadly, it is out of my price range.
Muut
One interesting thing about Muut is that it has a manifesto. I like that it is based on a set of values, but one of the key values in their manifesto is permanence. They don’t allow comments or accounts to be deleted. The purpose of this rule is the perseverance of actual discussion. After reading their reasoning, I understand where they are coming from, but I want the power to remove comments.
(SEE CORRECTION)
Google+ Comments
Google+ comments look good. But they are not officially supported by Google, and they only allow signing in with a google account. While most people have a google account, I’d prefer to offer more options to my readers.
Disqus
For me, Disqus is the best option available at the moment. It is simple and works well. As I said above, I would rather have more control over styling, but until I build my own, I don't think that will be possible.
(SEE CORRECTION)
Header image from etsy.
CORRECTION: (9/25) Muut does allow for moderating posts as an administrator and better customization. Thanks to Courtney Couch for informing me. Muut may very well be the best option out there. I'd love to get your input.