The Inquisitr: Blogging 2.0: It’s All About The User
StevenHodson
· 1 year ago
Just to add to the Disqus part with it's tie in to FriendFeed. When I first installed Disqus back near its beginnings I began to see a slow but steady increase of comments being left on the blog. As with most bloggers I felt a little trepidation when joining FriendFeed and this "loss of control" but when they added support for Disqus as one of the services for FriendFeed I again saw a nice increase in comments being left on the blog.
I know from conversations with Daniel that they are working with FriendFeed to incorporate a write API for Disqus so that any comments left on FriendFeed within the Disqus part of the comments theere they will also show up on the blog. For me this far outweighs any pluses that things like video comments might bring. At this point I think that any disucssion about comment fragmentation goes right out the window - for Disqus users anyway.
BlueCockatoo
· 1 year ago
In the course of about 3 weeks since starting to use FriendFeed and Disqus, I am more inclined to comment on blogs than I was before if they are connected to those services (and discouraged spending the time and effort otherwise). Mainly because, as a user, it's easier for me to track and follow up on my conversations through those services. Disqus notifies me if there are replies and FriendFeed makes it easy for me to check to see if there are replies to things I've commented on as well. In Blog 1.0, if I left a comment, I might never think to come back and see if anyone replied to my response and keep a conversation going.
I'm so glad to hear that Disqus is working with FriendFeed to aggregate comments back to blogs. That will pretty much close the fragmented loop and make both services even more valuable to me.
Andy C
· 1 year ago
Couldn't agree more. I am genuinely perplexed about bloggers who are obsessive about ownership of blog comments (Disqus), retaining control over 'their' content and fragmentation of the conversation (FF et al).
If I choose to leave a comment on a blog, surely I 'own' that comment as much (if not more so) than the blog owner.
I couldn't care less who/what/where is commenting about my blog, I'm just delighted that they are.
Duncan Riley
· 1 year ago
Andy you've touched on a broader move in mindset towards valuing UGC as well. The days of build it and they will come (or perhaps will comment) have now passed.
Shawn Farner
· 1 year ago
Right on. :) I'm trying to get used to this change myself, but it definitely requires more work. I'm a big fan of Disqus now, as I believe its integration with FF ultimately bring in more blog comments (I've experienced this). I can't wait until Disqus and FF work better together. I think a lot of the criticism (especially my own) will then die down.
Bwana
· 1 year ago
I like the post-TC Duncan. Great article.
Rahsheen
· 1 year ago
I just started blogging recently and have run right into the whole Disqus/FF debate. I'm glad I caught it, though, because it has allowed me to gain a new perspective on how I want to run my blog from the start. I have always viewed the Internet as a place to gain information in as many ways as possible.
I can't fathom how any blogger would NOT want their comments/discussions about their content to reach people that have never even seen their blog...with a link right back to their blog, to boot. The whole walled-garden approach seems silly when you really think about the potential and the benefit to "the user."
Duncan Riley
· 1 year ago
microrahsheen It is a new perspective, but it also throws out a lot of the established practices many of us have grown up with (pardon the phrase) in blogging. It's literally blogging 2.0, finally the social networking/ mesh of other services is transforming blogging as well.
Rahsheen
· 1 year ago
Not to belittle those that have been following these long-established practices. I totally understand how major changes like this can cause havok and confusion...maybe even a little anger :)
Duncan Riley
· 1 year ago
as can I, although I'm not sure this is so much havok and confusion (revolution) as opposed to evolutionary change. We've since bits and pieces of this in the past with the original coComment, some of RSS readers even.
Louis Gray
· 1 year ago
This is a very smart move, and I like the way you summarized the ending. I believe that as much as we can rail against change, we can't stop it, and those who embrace it will be ahead of those who drag their feet. You're doing the right thing for sure.
BlueCockatoo
· 1 year ago
Can you please provide a link to the FriendFeed comment plugin you're using? I haven't come across that one yet and it looks nice!
Does anyone know if any similar plugins have been developed for other platforms (in my case, Blogger)?
Louis Gray
· 1 year ago
There have not been any for Blogger yet that I know of. Otherwise, I'd be all over it.
Glenn Slaven
· 1 year ago
Blogger plugins are difficult because the platform you've got to work with is kinda restrictive, where as with WordPress installs you've got all of php's power to work with :)
Don Jones - VentureDeal
· 1 year ago
Disqus is on the ball. They seem to working with the main services that count and they have a great service. The Seesmic thing is a bit edgy, but I like it. Although I think video blog comments are a tough road to hoe, I'm trying it out (and would done so here). BTW, video comments might make people more civil, because it removes some anonymity.
kenmat
· 1 year ago
Very comprehensive write-up. Thanks!
gregory
· 1 year ago
you are totally right about this trend
and, what nobody wants to talk about.... the death of advertising as a revenue model .... it is going to be out of love and passion for awhile, because the trend makes traffic unquantifiable...
think about it
Phil
· 1 year ago
Wholly agree Duncan. That which you cannot change you must embrace, it's the only way forward, might as well be in front of it.
david usher
· 1 year ago
Web 2.0 is telling big media and big business endlessly that its all about the user. Funny that bloggers are having trouble with the concept. Go where the people are and set your content free:) Im flirting with disqus. Sometimes it seems a bit, well, messy.
Silverbrow
· 1 year ago
As I just commented on Louis Gray, this is very true for tech blogs, but for many non-tech blogs, they use the internet as a tool, nothing more. It's simply a way to disseminate info. It might be a new way, with different rules, but as much as they don't understand how a printign press, or printer work, they don't really care how stuff gets up there and out there. Their readers don't know what disqus is, probably haven't heard of twitter etc. For these people, they're going to be exceptionally slow to get this stuff and cede control. And frankly, their largely likeminded users probably won't care either.
Andrew Watson
· 1 year ago
Duncan, "blogging 2.0 is about enabling the conversation across many blogs and supporting sites and services." So if I post about this from WordPress*, the ping will show up here, right? We'll soon see - or perhaps we won't. But thank you for providing the prod that made me set up a Disqus account. * http://changingway.org/2008/05/19/one-20-too-ma...
Jose Paul Martin
· 1 year ago
"If blogging 1.0 was about enabling the conversation on each blog, blogging 2.0 is about enabling the conversation across many blogs and supporting sites and services. The conversation has matured and no longer is it acceptable to believe that as a content owner you hold exclusive domain over conversations you have started."
Bang on!!!! Copyright probably goes out the window as well! I even killed my blog, of course I reached my target - financially, intellectually and otherwise... Blogging 1.0 is dead.... conversations will rule!
Duncan Riley
· 1 year ago
I wouldn't go as far as saying copyright is dead, but I'd question the moral rights anyone has over comments contributed on a blog. Content yes, participation by others...not really.
CyndyA
· 1 year ago
The biggest problem, IMHO, is how this is going to wear on everyone. Duncan, you well know the burnout associated with this as a job. Add more places you have to "follow the conversation" and more "services" like FriendFeed and I wonder how many people are going to have full-scale melt-downs trying to leverage themselves in Blogging 2.0. Some of these folks have day jobs to fall back on. ;)
Sprague D
· 1 year ago
You've hit it exactly. How does a non-professional blogger maintain their brand when it is diffusing all over the Net thanks to social aggregators that pop up like mushrooms? The "loss" of conversation may not be offset by any benefits of increased awareness of your work -- especially if you don't know about it because it's taking place where you aren't.
But I agree with Duncan - those with a financial interest in commoditizing content will make this inevitable. You might as well go along for the ride...
CyndyA
· 1 year ago
Sprague, that's the argument I've been trying to make with Allen. I hate it. I don't like it, but I'm riding the wave nonetheless.
Jitendra
· 1 year ago
Hey Duncan, Jitendra from SezWho here...Losing control of ones comments (and SEO benefits and freshness etc. of your site - important for Google or TechMeme etc.) is really not needed to get all the community/threading features provided by Disqus. SezWho provides all the community/context services without taking over your content...In addition there are a number of other plugins that will replicate the other features of a comment replacement system without replacing your comments (E.g. Brian Threaded comments for threaded discussion etc.)... My 2 cents.
Thanks, Jitendra
Duncan Riley
· 1 year ago
Hi Jitendra Not an issue in my case as I've implemented the Disqus API plugin (not the JS one) so in theory all of this content should be seen by Google and others, it was one of the selling points to me in implementing it.
Jitendra
· 1 year ago
Duncan, That is certainly an improvement...you might want to make sure that double indexing of content is not an issue with Google...And you have a strategy in place to reimport your comments in case you need to avoid data lock-in...Thanks, Jitendra
Daniel Ha
· 1 year ago
Thanks for bringing this up.
We at Disqus have already been addressing these (very important) issues from the beginning.
All Comments
I know from conversations with Daniel that they are working with FriendFeed to incorporate a write API for Disqus so that any comments left on FriendFeed within the Disqus part of the comments theere they will also show up on the blog. For me this far outweighs any pluses that things like video comments might bring. At this point I think that any disucssion about comment fragmentation goes right out the window - for Disqus users anyway.
I'm so glad to hear that Disqus is working with FriendFeed to aggregate comments back to blogs. That will pretty much close the fragmented loop and make both services even more valuable to me.
If I choose to leave a comment on a blog, surely I 'own' that comment as much (if not more so) than the blog owner.
I couldn't care less who/what/where is commenting about my blog, I'm just delighted that they are.
you've touched on a broader move in mindset towards valuing UGC as well. The days of build it and they will come (or perhaps will comment) have now passed.
I can't fathom how any blogger would NOT want their comments/discussions about their content to reach people that have never even seen their blog...with a link right back to their blog, to boot. The whole walled-garden approach seems silly when you really think about the potential and the benefit to "the user."
It is a new perspective, but it also throws out a lot of the established practices many of us have grown up with (pardon the phrase) in blogging. It's literally blogging 2.0, finally the social networking/ mesh of other services is transforming blogging as well.
and, what nobody wants to talk about.... the death of advertising as a revenue model .... it is going to be out of love and passion for awhile, because the trend makes traffic unquantifiable...
think about it
We'll soon see - or perhaps we won't.
But thank you for providing the prod that made me set up a Disqus account.
* http://changingway.org/2008/05/19/one-20-too-ma...
Bang on!!!! Copyright probably goes out the window as well!
I even killed my blog, of course I reached my target - financially, intellectually and otherwise... Blogging 1.0 is dead.... conversations will rule!
But I agree with Duncan - those with a financial interest in commoditizing content will make this inevitable. You might as well go along for the ride...
Thanks, Jitendra
Not an issue in my case as I've implemented the Disqus API plugin (not the JS one) so in theory all of this content should be seen by Google and others, it was one of the selling points to me in implementing it.
We at Disqus have already been addressing these (very important) issues from the beginning.