Disqus/Livefyre or local comments?

[fade]

I'm curious. Do you prefer seeing a global commenting system like Disqus on a website, or do you prefer to see a local commenting system that requires you to register?

I've been doing some research on the subject, and the opinions seem to be divided. On the one hand, it seems people feel a greater trust when they see Disqus, and they're more likely to leave a one-off comment. On the other, it seems people feel more connected to a website's community when they register and build up a reputation at that site.

Any opinions?

 

[strawman]

Do you want to encourage drive by comments, or are you really only interested in those comments left by people who are really engaged with your material?

 

[fade]

Yeah, that's the thing. I don't think people feel like a community with Disqus or Livefyre. I'm nearly done with my new Fade site, and I was back and forth between the two. Originally, I was all about Disqus, but then I started thinking a webcomic is the kind of thing that attracts fans that tend to stick together. And spawn off into a Seinfeldian forum about nothing that perpetuates for nearly a decade.

 

[strawman]

a webcomic is the kind of thing that attracts fans that tend to stick together. And spawn off into a Seinfeldian forum about nothing that perpetuates for nearly a decade.

Do you plan on regularly blogging? If so, comments on the post are ok.

Otherwise, I think the best option is a real forum, with a new topic for each comic. That way comments don't appear on the same page as the comic (YouTube effect) but you can still satisfy those who have something to say about your comic.

If you do blog, then comments there are ok if you are seeking feedback. Otherwise, again, give people an outlet, but not on the same page as the blog post.

Keep in mind that negative comments are more common than positive because happy people don't feel like its worth the effort to describe their happiness, but unhappy people will go to more effort to describe their displeasure. It's the main reason gabe and Tycho don't have comments on their blog or comic, but do have a forum so people still have a pace to commune. A forum gabe and Tycho rarely, if ever, visit.