New Comment System Installed on The Mirror

As publisher of The Mirror, it is my responsibility to maintain and improve the technical side of this operation. One of the most challenging aspects of running an online news site is giving readers a chance to comment on the articles we post. On the one hand, a comment system should be very easy to use. Readers want to express their view, not struggle with technical problems. But on the other hand, a commenting system needs to be secure.

With that in mind, I initially shut down the commenting system that is native to our site software (we use WordPress) and I replaced it with the Facebook commenting system. This has the virtue of being both safe and simple. If you have a Facebook account, you are automatically recognized (no sign in!), and because Facebook works very hard at being secure and (largely) spam free, they become a big shield against the vast sea of threats on the internet.

However, we have discovered that many of our readers are not Facebook users. We’ve grown so fast, and connected with so many wonderful parts of our community, that we have just grown out of the Facebook commenting system. So, while many other aspects of our operation will remain tightly integrated with Facebook, the commenting that is posted directly on the site will not be Facebook exclusive.

Instead, I have opted to install a system called Disqus. The virtue of Disqus is that it is nearly as secure as Facebook, while offering several sign in options IN ADDITION to Facebook. When you scroll down to the comment section (just below the author bio) you will see the LOGIN in the upper right corner of the comment area. Just click on that, and then select your preferred sign in method. You can login with Facebook, Twitter, Google, or by setting up an account with Disqus itself. Then, comment away.

Another nice feature of Disqus is the small up and down arrows next to a comment. These will allow readers to Vote Up a comment they agree with, or Vote Down a comment they disagree with. This has always been one of my favorite comment features, because I often find the first five commenters have said most of what there is to say, and I can register my view more efficiently. This is also an improvement over Facebook, because you effectively can register Dislike as well as Like.

It is our hope that this new commenting system will expand the reach of The Mirror, and allow more of our valued readers a chance to engage with every one else in the Manchester Community.

I want to extend a thanks to those readers who requested this change, and I want to encourage everyone to let us know how we can make this news site better for the whole community. Just click on the Contact link at the top of the page, and let us know what you think about every aspect of The Manchester Mirror. We’re eager to make this the best Small Town News Site in America.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Fritz Swanson

Fritz Swanson has written for The Believer, the Christian Science Monitor, Print Magazine, McSweeney's, Esopus, LSA Magazine, and The Mid-American Review. He serves as a trustee on the Manchester District Library Board. He's the designer and publisher of The Manchester Mirror.

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