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My Experience Installing Disqus 2.0.1

My Experience Installing Disqus 2.0.1

I’ve been using Disqus on my WordPress blog for a few months now, and just installed their new version 2.0.1. I thought I’d run down the installation experience and some of the new features for those curious about Disqus.

After signing up at the Disqus website, you’ll download a Disqus plug in for your blogging platform (WordPress, MovableType, Tumblr, Blogger, or TypePad). I use WordPress, so there’s a WordPress plug in that must be installed in the usual fashion. Once installed, the Disqus settings appear under the Comments > Disqus area of the WordPress admin.

After installing 2.0.1, Disqus said it would run in “legacy mode” until I imported all my old comments into Disqus. There’s an “Import” button under Advanced Options. When I first clicked the “Import” button, it took a while for Disqus to copy all my comments to the Disqus servers and process them (I had about 4000). But after an hour or so, the comments began appearing on my blog in the proper place beneath the associated posts.

Controlling the look of the comments on your blog is done at the Disqus website – under Admin > Settings there is an area called apperance.

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Some features I really like:

  • You can moderate comments via email. Whenever I get a comment I’m sent an email to which I can respond with a reply of my own, or reply with “Remove” to delete the comment.
  • You can access the Disqus website from a window within the WordPress admin.
  • Disqus comments are now indexable by search engines meaning they’re SEO friendly.
  • Users can “claim” old comments. When I initially set up Disqus I cautiously set it up so only new comments would use the Disqus service. Because Disqus associates comments with a Disqus profile based on the email address, users can “claim” an old comment by visiting your blog, moving the cursor over the name next to a comment, and clicking “unclaimed profile” in the pop up window. On the next page, click “claim profile” and an email will be sent to the email address left with that comment (which you should have access to). That sounds kind of complicated, but once you claim any email address with your Disqus profile, any of the associated comments tracked by Disqus are instantly linked up.
  • Finally, I’m concerned about data portability and there are some improvements in that area. Disqus doesn’t toss out the existing comments in your WordPress install – they are all still there untouched, in case you decide to deactivate the Disqus plugin. New comments left using Disqus will appear in your WordPress installation also. Lastly, there is an Export feature allowing you to get all your comments out of Disqus. Just log into Disqus and go to Tools > Export to download all your blog’s comments in one XML file.

Anyhow, as you can tell, I’ve been very pleased with Disqus. The best part about the service is comment moderation is much easier on my blog which means more time for blogging.

View Comments (7)
  • Two things you might want to know about Disqus, that I learned recently while trying to post a comment on a blog that uses it.

    I have an old slow computer, so to speed up browsing and to make things more secure, I surf with Javascript turned off, unless something occurs that lets me know it needs to be turned on to make a site work.

    1. Disqus will seem to hang when posting a comment with Javascript turned off, when in fact it is actually posting that comment multiple times. The longer you wait for it to do its thing, watching that little spinning graphic, the more times the comment will be posted. (in my case, a single comment was posted 4 times)

    2. If someone with an old slow computer like mine turns Javascript on, to avoid the multiple comment posting, the page is so slow it is basically unusable, except by those with plenty of time to waste and the patience of a saint.

    I now avoid Disqus pages, entirely. People with old slow computers are more patient than average, so understand that when I say the patience of a saint, I mean that it will take me longer than 1 hour to make a comment the same size as this one, on a Disqus page.

  • Hi, Daniel from Disqus here. Just addressing some things the previous commenter said.

    1) JavaScript is used widely on the web. Google uses it. I understand those who may not have it enabled, but we heavily use this (almost) 15 year old web technology to enable a lot of rich interactions.

    >> Disqus will seem to hang when posting a comment with Javascript turned off, when in fact it is actually posting that comment multiple times. The longer you wait for it to do its thing, watching that little spinning graphic, the more times the comment will be posted. (in my case, a single comment was posted 4 times)

    Yes, JavaScript is required. No, it will not posted multiple times.

  • Hmmm, to Disqus or not to Disqus, this is the question I’m facing right now. Perhaps more reviews from both sides of the fence would help me decide.

  • Hi, Thanks for this post. I, too, am thinking of integrating Disqus in my blog and just waiting to see feedback from users. So thanks. I’m with Jhay on this.

  • Disqus is fine for me. I just worry about the facts that all comments are on their server. If they have a server problems, your comments are in trouble.

  • This is a discussion about DisQus … and it looks like you are recommending ti.

    However, how come you are not using DisQus?

    Did you stop using or de-install it beacuse of problems you may have encountered while using it?

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