The BizOp News

I have installed the Discus comment system to see how it works.

"Disqus, pronounced "discuss", is a service and tool for web comments and discussions. The Disqus comment system can be plugged into any website, blog, or application. Disqus makes commenting easier and more interactive, while connecting websites and commenters across a thriving discussion community.

Disqus is a free service to the general public with absolutely no inline advertisements. A premium service for large-scale websites is in the works but is not yet available."

"Web comments can be difficult for both websites and their readers. We think Disqus is the solution. Disqus makes it easier for people to comment and track their contributions on a single profile which they can display as a comment blog. After all, there is no difference between a great comment and a great published article.

Disqus makes managing discussions on one or multiple websites painless. Enjoyable, even. With a powerful and intuitive admin interface, Disqus allows website owners to spend time elsewhere while Disqus takes care of the comments."

Tell me what you think: does it make your life easier tracking the responses to comments?

Comments

Hello.
:)

The images were released to celebrate the arrival on Monday of Emma Tallulah, the couple's third daughter.
Bye.

Posted by: kibIncickAlek | October 10, 2008 6:31 AM

Sue, I think that you are right. Generally, I allow commentators a wide range of views. Debating issues is the best way to deal with difficult issues.

Unfortunately, on the technical side, my blog doesn't like the disqus plugin, and I am trying to figure out why.

But, thanks for your astute note on editing and liability.

Posted by: michael webster | August 30, 2008 4:36 PM

You said... After all, there is no difference between a great comment and a great published article.

You are right from an entertainment aspect. But there IS one very important difference. A publisher has a responsibility to insure the accuracy of an article and is not protected by the doctrine of free speech if they knowingly publish something that is false and defamatory.

However a blogger can write anything on a blog and it may sound "great" and be well written, but still be nothing but a pack of lies.

For this reason a "published article" should have a higher level of credibility.

One important thing a forum or blog owner should know.... that bloggers have lost multi-million dollar lawsuits by "selectively editing" their blogs and forums. Courts saw this as taking them from the level of a forum provider (protected by free speech) to the level of publisher. That higher level of responsibility cost them a lot of money.

So I would advise anyone that moderates a blog that attracts debate to have a strict, and fair, policy they adhere to when they delete posts and that they apply that policy evenly. If they find themselves deleting posts they simply disagree with, this could put them on shaky ground, legally.

Also, they should keep/save all deleted posts and give the posters the opportunity to repost under the "terms" of the blog rules. This would be good evidence to to have to show that they were trying to apply the rules evenly across the board and could protect them if they were to be sued later.

Posted by: Sue | August 28, 2008 1:13 PM

But, so far it just keeps blowing up - after a promising start.

Posted by: michael webster | August 27, 2008 2:29 PM