Disqus launches Sponsored Comments
blog.disqus.com
blog.disqus.com
FWIW, I rarely bother reading Disqus threads (glacial load times and poor sorting) and stopped contributing after many of my comments started being flagged as spam.
But honestly, YouTube is a good example of this model. It's the go-to site for videos, and bombards you with ads.
I think there's a much better business model that Ghostery (and many other vendros) have completely missed, but I'm pretty sure I would gt heavily flamed for proposing it.
A lot of the sites I consider high-value don't do advertising at all. Khanacademy, Coursera, Hackernews, Github ...
It's like saying open source software is created by students trying to avoid license fees.
I have the impression that would-be-creators are rushing towards specific advertising or pay-for-access models too quickly.
Ads were OK when they were text link to another site a la AdWords: it was clear that they are ads. Native comment ads, however, can be deceptive.
This was on a programmer's static blog compiled by octopress. I really felt like it lowered the quality of my experience reading the post, even though it was entirely Disqus's fault and not the author.
Because if so, I think the program has already started
> Sponsored Comments let businesses deliver a message to the people they need to reach. A Sponsored Comment can use all types of media to get their point across, just like any other Disqus comment. But they’re not part of the discussion happening on that thread or community itself. That’s too disruptive.
So instead, they’re pinned to the top of the discussion environment where things are just getting started. It’s like movie previews.
So...why not call them by their old fashioned name: "ads"? I don't disapprove of ad-based models, but something seems a bit disingenuous to use the term "Comments" when they are not "comments" at all. Unless users are able to respond to them and not have their comments hidden.
It's hard to imagine advertisers being happy about users getting to attach negative comments onto the ads. And if those threads get to be a snark train, then that pushes all the regular discussion down even further. So either the "sponsored comment"-discussions are hidden, or advertisers AND site-users are inconvenienced.
In the screenshots, there's a "Reply" button under the ad^W"Sponsored Comment". Want to take bets on how long it'll be until that goes away? I can see exactly what you described happening.
Oh well. Won't bother me. I've already got Ghostery configured to block Disqus.
Let me say up front that I have a strong dislike for marketing and sales people. They surprise me sometimes, though.
FTA:
> "If we can complement the experience people already enjoy using Disqus ..."
> "So instead, they’re pinned to the top of the discussion environment where things are just getting started. It’s like movie previews. It’s not the thing you came for, but if done well, it adds a little bit to your experience ..."
I've learned over the years that some of these folks really truly believe this -- that they are making the world^Wweb a better place by displaying more ads in more places.
I don't remember the last time I left a comment on a site that uses Disqus but, seriously, who the "enjoy[s] using Disqus"? It's just not something that you "enjoy" doing, although the marketing/P.R. people would seem to believe that you do.
As Upton Sinclair (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upton_Sinclair) used to say, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."
This is a useful reminder for many topics.
B. There are a handful of other good providers out there that hopefully this will give more business to.
Can you elaborate on the reasons for doing so and what motivated that action?
Building it from scratch on top of the WP database made sense for us. The WP commenting code is some of the worst (and oldest) stuff in the entire codex.
I'm pretty sure the first poster was thinking more along the lines of an official company blog, not a major website.
Other than just believing you, what makes it hard? I've had to scale comments on some very high traffic websites and it was pretty straight forward. Unless it's a complex comment system, but then you wouldn't use Disqus anyway.
Now, if you receive a hundred million comments a day, it'll be a little more complicated, but those sites are few and far between. At that point, you most likely have a budget for better hardware and specialized staff.
I never cease to be amazed by people who bitch about seeing ads within a product/service they use for free. Someone has to pay for this.
"Someone has to pay for this" is the wrong attitude. Either the service provider provides the service or he doesn't. If I'm not in a contract to pay them, I don't assume responsibility for paying anything...
> This is no longer true – they're opt-in. And by invitation only.
I guess an opportunity for someone to go build one? ;)