I am a firm believer that you want everyone to visit your website that can. Why on earth would you limit your possible reader base?
As a blogger, and a CSS neat freak, I always aim to make my sites as fast as possible. It’s great for SEO, it’s great on your host, but most of all it’s awesome for your readers.
As a blogger, server admin, or whatever it is you do with your Platform, should always reconsider changes you have made in the past. Always!
This is where the Facebook Comments come in.
- It is another plugin?
- Does it load another script?
- Does it cause a drain on the server and possibly the reader’s browser?
- Did it slow down your page load time?
- Did you have to use a ton of CSS to make it fit?
If you answered yes to any of the above, you may want to seriously rethink what your platform really is about. Whats your goal? I would assume/hope that your goal is to gain readers who can possibly build a community around your Platform.
The main reason I feel plugins/scripts such as these are a bad idea is outlined above, But one of the major reasons is due to filters at work!
I work in IT at a large Hospital on the East Coast. They feel it necessary to block Facebook and any of it’s scripts. What the heck, no status updates?!?
So from work, myself and 5000 other folks cannot visit any site with a facebook script running on it. I am aware of many other large organizations that block Facebook, Twitter and a ton of other social media outlets.
There are other alternatives out there to the standard built in comment systems. Other options besides the Facebook comments. Some of which are great additions and others eh. This is case by case basis on what you truly want for your site and your community. I will touch on two of the larger options for you below:
Disqus is a very popular alternative for WordPress comments that brings together all aspects of Social Media. It has come a long way from it’s beginnings and is able to blend into most themes without an heavy customizations.
One of the larger downsides, besides it calling yet another script to load, is the backend. To moderate your comments you know have to go through Disqus’s backend portal, which is an iframe to their site, login and do the work there.
I have worked with multiple clients who have lost thousands of comments due to Disqus not syncing correctly. While Disqus has come a long way, I would stay away from it due to my last statement alone.
Another comment system offered up to the WordPress community, is Intense Debate. ID offers the same social media aspects as Disqus and allows you to integrate it into your site.
Honestly I have not used ID but have heard and read the same story form clients about utilizing something extra. With Jetpack there is no reason to use a service such as ID or even Disqus these days.
Lesson here: Don’t limit who can make it to your site. Don’t risk the chance of of turning off readers who have yet to see your site yet.
Here are a few key things to think about when you launch a site, or make changes to an existing one.
- Are my readers more important than bells and whistles?
- Can I code this change into the core, or do I have to rely on a script to pull in what I want?
- When you go to a site, what do you look for? Does your site have it?
- What is important to you to share when I come to your site? Can I visit your site?
A lot to take in, I know, but it’s quite simple. What is your goal with your site? Do you want visitors? Then don’t hinder folks by adding too much fluff!
12 Comments