Back to Regular WordPress Comments

Hello Universe Today commentators! I just wanted to let you know that I’ve decided to disable Disqus comments on Universe Today, and return to plain old WordPress comments. There are a bunch of reasons why I decided to do this, most around my nervousness about having comments hosted outside Universe Today.

As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve struggled for years about what to do with comments on the website. I’ve tried lots of different plugins and services, searching for the right option.

Comments can improve an article tremendously, allowing readers to carry on the conversation, provide additional info, and genuinely connect as a community. It’s heartwarming when that happens.

Comments can also allow the worst kind of racism, vitriol and spam to stand beside the article, giving nasty people a free platform to rant and market their garbage.

I’ll never remove the commenting section from Universe Today, but I often ponder about what comments can and can’t do, and how they impact the readers. And honestly, it’s one of the toughest challenges a publisher can face.

Anyway, ironically, I’d love to hear your feedback and advice in the comments.

You’ll need a Universe Today WordPress account to make a comment. Many of you probably already have one. But if not, go here.

Fraser Cain
Publisher