This is a not-so-brief note to let you all know that HonestGamers is now updated to take advantage of the Disqus commenting system, which I expect will make it easier to encourage and manage discussions on-site. You may have noticed the change already.
When HonestGamers was first converted to a dynamic site in 2002 or so, it was one of the only sites on the Internet that allowed users to comment directly from a review and then easily track comments on the site from that point onward. It allowed us to build a unique community and for a long time, it was a distinction for the site. However, tools such as Disqus are now widely available, and the old feedback system is no longer the selling point it was at one point because--to be perfectly honest--services such as Disqus now manage discussions of that sort better than old-fashioned forums.
Clearly, something different needed to be done. Rather than try to reinvent the wheel, I decided to implement Disqus on the site as the sole means of commenting on contributions from both staff and users. I did so for a variety of very important reasons.
* Disqus offers our community some amazing functionality just by default, even before I worry about modifying it (I encourage you to give it a try here at HonestGamers if you're not already familiar with the service). Once you have a free Disqus account, you can by default see all discussions related to a current page (such as a review or news article or even a game profile), or you can see a list of all hot discussions currently taking place across the HonestGamers site. You can also subscribe to discussions by email, or easily share them on social media if you find them interesting. I'll be able to set staff up as moderators, as well, so that the appropriate people will be able to delete inappropriate comments as needed.
* Disqus is widely used around the Internet. You'll find it in use at sites like IGN, Gamespot, and Joystiq, to name just a few. It's a standard platform, which means that a lot of people are familiar with it or will be in the future. This should lead to a more welcoming experience for newcomers, and it should also mean that people who might come to the site from any number of places will easily be able to join discussions without needing to sign up for another service that has only limited use.
* Unlike Facebook, Disqus is a platform built specifically around commenting and discussion, so there's not as much clutter and you don't have to worry about posts going out to people who you would rather didn't see them (family members who might follow you on Facebook, for instance). Facebook also tends to load more slowly than Disqus, and it's not as reliable. It rather frequently breaks, due to privacy updates and coding changes, but Disqus for the most part operates very smoothly.
* Since all future comments will be going through the same service, they'll be easier to track and follow. You won't have to worry about as many threads going away to conserve site resources. As a bonus, it's now easier than ever to talk about any games that might interest us, and that might inspire us to write more reviews as we suddenly realize how much we have to say about games we might have forgotten.
In the immediate future, any old comments on the site won't be going anywhere, even though they're no longer linked from submissions. You'll be able to go through old feedback threads on that section of the forums.
The forums remain valuable for certain purposes. They're still handy for site contest announcements and for Review of the Week topics and organization. They're still a great way to manage freelance assignments and revisions, and they'll still be helpful for discussion that doesn't relate to a specific game title.
Still, this change should make discussion flow more naturally on the site and it should ensure that more people can easily get involved. That's something I've wanted to see happen for a long time. I hope you'll all give it a shot and that you'll like it as much I do.
When HonestGamers was first converted to a dynamic site in 2002 or so, it was one of the only sites on the Internet that allowed users to comment directly from a review and then easily track comments on the site from that point onward. It allowed us to build a unique community and for a long time, it was a distinction for the site. However, tools such as Disqus are now widely available, and the old feedback system is no longer the selling point it was at one point because--to be perfectly honest--services such as Disqus now manage discussions of that sort better than old-fashioned forums.
Clearly, something different needed to be done. Rather than try to reinvent the wheel, I decided to implement Disqus on the site as the sole means of commenting on contributions from both staff and users. I did so for a variety of very important reasons.
* Disqus offers our community some amazing functionality just by default, even before I worry about modifying it (I encourage you to give it a try here at HonestGamers if you're not already familiar with the service). Once you have a free Disqus account, you can by default see all discussions related to a current page (such as a review or news article or even a game profile), or you can see a list of all hot discussions currently taking place across the HonestGamers site. You can also subscribe to discussions by email, or easily share them on social media if you find them interesting. I'll be able to set staff up as moderators, as well, so that the appropriate people will be able to delete inappropriate comments as needed.
* Disqus is widely used around the Internet. You'll find it in use at sites like IGN, Gamespot, and Joystiq, to name just a few. It's a standard platform, which means that a lot of people are familiar with it or will be in the future. This should lead to a more welcoming experience for newcomers, and it should also mean that people who might come to the site from any number of places will easily be able to join discussions without needing to sign up for another service that has only limited use.
* Unlike Facebook, Disqus is a platform built specifically around commenting and discussion, so there's not as much clutter and you don't have to worry about posts going out to people who you would rather didn't see them (family members who might follow you on Facebook, for instance). Facebook also tends to load more slowly than Disqus, and it's not as reliable. It rather frequently breaks, due to privacy updates and coding changes, but Disqus for the most part operates very smoothly.
* Since all future comments will be going through the same service, they'll be easier to track and follow. You won't have to worry about as many threads going away to conserve site resources. As a bonus, it's now easier than ever to talk about any games that might interest us, and that might inspire us to write more reviews as we suddenly realize how much we have to say about games we might have forgotten.
In the immediate future, any old comments on the site won't be going anywhere, even though they're no longer linked from submissions. You'll be able to go through old feedback threads on that section of the forums.
The forums remain valuable for certain purposes. They're still handy for site contest announcements and for Review of the Week topics and organization. They're still a great way to manage freelance assignments and revisions, and they'll still be helpful for discussion that doesn't relate to a specific game title.
Still, this change should make discussion flow more naturally on the site and it should ensure that more people can easily get involved. That's something I've wanted to see happen for a long time. I hope you'll all give it a shot and that you'll like it as much I do.
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality
"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world
"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world
