Would you rather have Disqus-sion or IntenseDebate?

Dear LCC Readers,

I’m sure that I am much to blame for this, but I would love to see even more comments on LibertarianChristians.com. Have you noticed that LCC recently surpassed FOUR HUNDRED subscribers? That’s incredible! We need to have a better way of interacting with each other. So, I have been considering upgrading the WordPress comment system for LCC to a 3rd party software solution, but before I do so I’d like to get your input on the topic. After all, you are the folks who ultimately drive the discussion forward here! So, help me figure out what would work best for this blog:

The two competing services I am considering are Disqus (pronounced "discuss") and IntenseDebate. If you have had significant experience with either please speak up! There are some neat features to each one; let me outline some of them for you, most of the advantages have to do with social networking…

Disqus – http://disqus.com

• Login with Facebook, Twitter, OpenID, a Disqus account, or comment as a Guest
• You can use Facebook Connect to make your comment appear your Facebook wall.
• You can send your comment to other social networking services, such as Friendfeed.
• Real-time updating (no more comment moderation!)
• Track your commenting history with a Disqus account (free, of course)

IntenseDebate – http://intensedebate.com

• Login with Facebook, Twitter, and OpenID, ID account or comment as a guest
• Better comment threading
• Better email notifications (even reply by email)
• Comment voting and reputation points
• Keep your Gravatar
• Track your history with an IntenseDebate account (free)

I must admit, in the past I have been very much annoyed by both solutions, but with the recent improvements to each service I’m ready to make the switch if it seems like a good idea to many people. In particular, the ability to comment with Twitter and FacebookConnect is a major selling point (to me at least). This will allow new readers to comment more easily and you can share your thoughts with others via social networking websites. Pretty cool!

So, please comment with your opinion especially if you have experience with either of these services – you have my complete attention! I’m particularly interested in WordPress integration, loadtimes and server load, and ease of use for commenters. Should I just try one and see how it goes?

Norman Horn

Norman is the founder and editor of LibertarianChristians.com. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from the Austin Graduate School of Theology.

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