Do comments sections on websites add value?

[Randy_The_Squirrel]

I put it to you that about 90% of articles in the forum's News & Current Affairs section are NOT linked to the mybb front page.

I read the OP as questioning the comments section under the articles on the front page of MyBB (i.e. DISQUS).

Correct, but the other points raised are related, and the question is rather odd, concerning that they already began banning and censoring people last year- they just made it official this year. The effect is quite striking, the comments in DISQUS have decreased steadily, and now I am sure they will simply not be made. Called chilling of speech is what it is, I am led to believe.

To be honest, I think the forum management should just pull the DISQUS thing completely and be done with it- it will lighten their workload and it will also be in line with the rest. We all know these ultra-modern times we live in and all that goes with it.

I think MyBroadband has a major advantage over other news websites like News24 and IOL because of the forum.

That is a solid fact. But my fear is that, even if you dispense with DISQUS (which you in all likelihood should do) that the comments on the forums will become a hot potato.

 

[MrGray]

I think MyBroadband has a major advantage over other news websites like News24 and IOL because of the forum. If the comment section (using Disqus under articles) ever becomes a real problem, we can always just use the forum for all comments.

Okay, but why are the forums logically any different from Disqus? The only distinction to an end urser is that the forum comments are on a separate section of the site whereas Disqus is hosted within the article page.

 

[MrGray]

I put it to you that about 90% of articles in the forum's News & Current Affairs section are NOT linked to the mybb front page.

I read the OP as questioning the comments section under the articles on the front page of MyBB (i.e. DISQUS).

Fair enough, but a huge amount of that 90% are discussions on articles on other news sites - does it bear any real legal distinction?

 

[Hamster]

Many news websites have closed their comments sections, with Vice deciding to cut its comments in December.

Do comments sections add value to sites (the comments below the articles, not forums), or are they just a place for people to be sarcastic and attack one another?

They draw people to a site because it gives them something to do. Just rename it from "Comments" to "Moron Wall" and let it be...

 

[Randy_The_Squirrel]

I would say that here its easier to trace (and potentially prosecute) dissenting posters i.e. those who diss service providers, racist commenters etc, as the forum has full control of the system. With DISQUS, when I played with it on one of my sites... hmmm... not so much.

 

[Thor]

Why ask the question when you have already taken a step towards that direction?
But since my opinion can be given, why not state it here?

My view is that the comments sections allow those who know better to point out flaws in the articles, and to debunk fake news. It also allows for limited interaction between readers, like it was back in the day when you could write to the letters section of your favourite local rag. However I do fear that in these Orwellian times we live in, that this kind of liberty is being killed off.

Your view is that you likely see the comments, even if they are true, as bad for business, and a dig at your profession which you tend to take personally.

Thia

 

[Thor]

I don't see the point in having a comments section and a forum section.
People usually type whatever they want in the comments section where they can reply to messages anonymously (guest). This eventually breeds racist remarks and whatnot.
Not to throw a spanner in "freedom of speech" but this needs to be controlled and that is why I think that a forum is a better way of controlling whatever crap someone types as opposed to the lack of control in a comments section.

Forum all the way.

Control and freedom is polar opposites

 

[MickeyD]

Fair enough, but a huge amount of that 90% are discussions on articles on other news sites - does it bear any real legal distinction?

The articles we post on the forum (schumi, LazyLion, OrbitalDawn and me) are from a newswire service that is used by other publications as well. Previously we used SAPA, now it is galloimages, which includes news24wire.

 

[Kevin Lancaster]

To be clear, the comments on the news site via Disqus is the "comments section" I referred to. It is also not only about our comments section, but those of local and international publications.

The comments section has great value for MyBroadband.

 

[Randy_The_Squirrel]

To be clear, the comments on the news site via Disqus is the "comments section" I referred to. It is also not only about our comments section, but those of local and international publications.

To be fair, so far, its only yours that has the bolded warning at present about attacks against MyBB and its journos.
DISQUS still works just fine on other websites such as TechCentral and ITWEB. Internationally it is moderated, by I imagine, dedicated teams of moderators. I don't know, but it seems that way.

 

[Adeptus Mechanicus]

Can they add value? Yes.
Do they add value? Usually not.

 

[TehStranger]

I've never seen the point of having both an article comments section and a forum post, personally I skip article comments and go straight to the forum.

If there are comments that add value under the articles they should stay, but I imagine moderating them is a time-consuming process. That being said, those sections are usually cesspools of bigotry and hate, and I don't think the world would be worse off without them.

 

[Thor]

Does disquss affect SEO?

 

[Zen17h]

My 2c

In general, if a site does not have an available comment section, I go look for a new one - it's like those dodgy sites to download software(actual shareware/freeware, nothing shady with the ACTUAL software) full of 5-star reviews from obviously fake people (and nowhere to add your own), sometimes as a whole image instead of text - just asking for some schmuck to get infected with their crap

MyBB specific - I always make sure to check the Disqus comments of any article, if the topic interests me or I want more information, I look at the forum post as well.
That said, having both can feel a bit redundant, but removing Disqus(since forums won't be going anywhere) leaving just a link to the forums will also be bad. My suggestion would to take Disqus out and make the 'comments' part of the article a sub-page with the forum comment page - clicking on a reply button would then take you to the 'full' forum page where you can log in(if not already) and reply

 

[Randy_The_Squirrel]

My 2c

In general, if a site does not have an available comment section, I go look for a new one - it's like those dodgy sites to download software(actual shareware/freeware, nothing shady with the ACTUAL software) full of 5-star reviews from obviously fake people (and nowhere to add your own), sometimes as a whole image instead of text - just asking for some schmuck to get infected with their crap

MyBB specific - I always make sure to check the Disqus comments of any article, if the topic interests me or I want more information, I look at the forum post as well.
That said, having both can feel a bit redundant, but removing Disqus(since forums won't be going anywhere) leaving just a link to the forums will also be bad. My suggestion would to take Disqus out and make the 'comments' part of the article a sub-page with the forum comment page - clicking on a reply button would then take you to the 'full' forum page where you can log in(if not already) and reply

Wasn't it like that in the distant past, or am I thinking of something else

 

[rpm]

Does disquss affect SEO?

I do not think so, either positive or negative.

 

[oldhat]

Comments do add value...mostly.

 

[Ho3n3r]

Not really. I've looked at them less than 5 times since I found out about MyBB.

 

[Azg]

Yes they add value. Comments often provide additional information / alternative interpretation not captured in the article. The downside is that these days they seem to inevitably degenerate into slanging matches and crude insults.

 

[Thor]

I do not think so, either positive or negative.

I was always wondering if you take moneyweb now with its in house comment section it all resides on moneywebs domain compared to when they used disquss the content did not belong to moneywebs domain and Google did not index it you had to integrate with their api I'm not sure if that still is the case although I guess the good outweighs the bad because disquss is still engagement on your page and Google loves engagement.