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Comment by jaimex2 | Hacker News Reader

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jaimex2

Genuine question which I think should be on the site's FAQ:

Why should I use Isso over Disqus?

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If you want to own (and control) your site's comments, then Isso is for you.

It is that simple. :)

Your server, your data.

Disqus is offering you a free service for a reason: they want to make good use of the data that your site comments contains.

They also want to hi-jack the community that you have built around your site - or rather: what Disqus has fooled you into believing that you have.

You shouldn't if you are happy with Disqus. Isso is an open source, self hosted alternative.

Yes, but what advantages accrue to the person using it? It's become fashionable for people to identify which boxes they tick in a single sentence when describing their product, but this is basically preaching to the converted. For people who are not already exercised about always preferring an open-source option (ie potential new entrants to the OSS community), it's worthwhile to provide positive reasons to use it, because otherwise you're limiting your potential take-up from the outset.

This is an Open Source and self-hosted alternative to Disqus.

It is not a product.

And, as such: doesn't need to market itself.

Use it if you want to. Or not.

I wanted to use it, but couldn't make it run - I am not a Python guy, so I went for HashOver (PHP) instead. Not because HashOver is better, it's not, but because I need to be able to modify/fix the software, and I know PHP better than Python.

But I still believe that Isso is the best self-hosted and open source Disqus alternative in existence.

This. I wonder what makes people feel like they're buying FOSS packages and that the people kind enough to release their code for no material returns have to somehow lure them into using it, while it's all about sharing and improving together.

I browsed their website & github and have yet to find an answer to your question

I guess one reason is that this is open source but really when I just wanna implement a commenting system that works I'd rather go with the one thats quickest to implement and gives me the most features.

Privacy

Maybe if you don't want links in your comments surreptitiously hijacked by Disqus and used to try and generate ad revenue:

https://stiobhart.net/2017-02-21-disqusting/

That blog doesn't ring true.

They've had the program in place for years (~2012) and it is opt-in. Author didn't seem to contact Disqus to see if this was a mistake or intentional, and doesn't mention if the domain had the Revenue option enabled. He just says 'I remember once clicking an unrelated option about showing inline ads, that should have been good enough'.

Seems like a senseless ragequit.

I doubt I enabled this and I just checked and my disqus comments also go through this.

S/He does link to a complaint on Disqus's forums about it. So, it does seem to be taking other people by surprise too:

https://disqus.com/home/discussion/channel-discussdisqus/bug...

Disqus is going to start forcing some blogs to either ad-support or get a subscription: https://blog.disqus.com/advertising-will-remain-optional-for...

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