New Customization Options
Well, it looks like we might have overdone it a bit and built in too many awesome features. We remembered that sometimes simple is better. With that in mind, we’re proud to introduce an array of new customization options for your comment section.
If you visit your blog account at IntenseDebate.com you’ll notice a shiny new “Customize” tab. Now you can choose which specific components you want to display in your comment section including, the Login Button at the top right, the RSS tab, OpenID, and comment voting (to name a few). So if you’re going for a clean and simple comment section, you can whittle IntenseDebate down to the basics.
We’re interested in your feedback! What else would you like to be able to remove?
Please note: we’re aware of the demand for localization – it’s something that we’re working on, so there’s no need to request it.
If you’re not hip yet and haven’t given IntenseDebate a try, then what are you waiting for? Get started already!
Posted by Michael Koenig in features
33 Comments
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
IntenseDebate - Official Blog 
[…] this article: New Customization Options Comments [0]Digg […]
I wish there was a way to change the unintuitive and space-wasting way you list the plugin options above the comment text field. There is no logical reason why the video comment option, unlike all the other plugin options, should be listed, in text-only form, directly below the "Post a new comment" headline. All that does is waste vertical space and actually makes it easier to miss, making it less likely that users will choose to leave a video comment. Why not present it alongside the other plugin options, like this:
[YouTube logo] Embed [Polldaddy logo] Add poll [Seesmic logo] Video Comment [Smiley logo]
… I removed the words "post a" in the phrase "post a video comment" – completely unnecessary. I also removed the word "video" in the phrase "Embed video" – we all recognize the YouTube logo, the word video is redundant.
I wish there was a way to customize the unintuitive and space-wasting way you list the plugin options above the comment text field. There is no logical reason why the video comment option, unlike all the other plugin options, should be listed, in text-only form and without a logo, directly below the "Post a new comment" headline. All that does is waste vertical space and actually makes it easier to miss, making it less likely that users will choose to leave a video comment. Why not present it alongside the other plugin options, like this:
[YouTube logo] Embed [Polldaddy logo] Poll [Webcam logo] Video Comment [Emoticon logo]
This layout would give more prominence to the video comment option, making it much more likely that this form of commenting will actually start to be used – the current layout is smothering the form before it has even had a chance to establish itself. What is the point of having the option if you're not even going to give it a chance?
I removed the word "video" in the phrase "Embed video" – we all recognize the YouTube logo, the word video is redundant. I removed the words "post a" in the phrase "post a video comment" – completely unnecessary. I removed the word "add" in the phrase "Add poll" – again, unnecessary.
You should perhaps even consider getting rid of text descriptions for plugins, especially if you intend to expand your range of plugins. I note that JS-Kit Echo simply displays the YouTube logo, not even bothering with the word embed. The Polldaddy logo is, of course, less familiar to people but you already have text explanations appear when the cursor hovers over each logo, there is no real need to clutter the interface with text.
That would give you one simple line:
Post a new comment [YouTube logo] [Polldaddy logo] [Webcam logo] [Emoticon logo]
Thanks for the great feedback Donnacha. I know that you've mentioned this elsewhere, and I appreciate you bringing the topic here. I will be exploring this with the team and I'll let you know. We've got a couple of design specific projects that are coming to completion, so this won't happen immediately.
Thanks again! 😀
Until you mentioned it, did not notice the "post a video comment" text all the way on the left in comparison with the items on the right. You may be onto something…
I will have a look and test it 🙂
i m going to use it lets see wat hapens
so far i m liking it
It works well on my new project…I'll keep it for a testspinn and see what happens 🙂
Please fix the problems, and get rid of all these Mohammedan troublemakers.
My thoughts as well!… Lol
This is the second time I've tried Intense Debate. It has the potential to be a powerful social platform and while it looks like some of the issues I had with it the first time around (widgets, and comment linking from the front page) are resolved, I think I'll wait until the others are fixed before permanently using I.D. I would like to stress for the creators and subsequent developers of I.D. that if these issues could be resolved, I would gladly pay for this software, as I think it's potential is incredible. I love the look of the user interface, the available options, and appreciate the hard work and long hours which went into this software. It's obvious that the developers put a lot thought into this project.
That said, I don't know about anyone else, but here are my issues. Sometimes, forward slashes appear wherever an apostrophe is used in a comment. (That's a minor one, guys, I'm willing to live with, but thought I'd mention it anyway)
Second, (and this is a biggy) I, apparently have no control over whether or not I can list old comments first on my blog. I have tried to configure this in the WP Backend and have looked on the I.D. configuration Backend for a solution. Nothing works. New comments always display first, no matter how I set it on the WP backend.
Third, I would like to see an option to turn off "threads within threads" which works. Again, I've disabled this in the WP backend, with no change on my blog. With regard to the second and third concern, I've found that my readers are getting confused trying to follow threads within threads and a comment order which always puts the new comment first.
Finally, (if this doesn't exist already) is there a way for commenters to be notified when comments are published without having to use the reply button. I'd like to have the option of doing away with that "reply" button altogether, while still having an automatic notification sent to my readers anytime a comment is published. This notice would act like a subscribe option and would automatically "sign ppl up" after they comment on the thread. Also, each time they received a notice, they would have the option to unsubscribe to that thread or the entire blog if they choose to do so.
Oh one more thing…(sorry guys)…I've noticed that it takes a while for comments to show up onsite after they've been moderated from the WP backend. I think this was listed in the faq, but I can't remember. Also, sometimes we've even had comments get lost. They just disappear, never to be seen or heard from again.
I hope I haven't ruined your day with my complaints. I really am a fan, but at this time this solution isn't working for me or my users.
I will be watching I.D. with great interest and will try it again when a new version is released. Please keep me up to date on developments as they arise.
Best wishes to the I.D. Team, and thanks for your efforts.
Chad
Hi Chad,
Thanks for taking the time to give such great feedback (and kind words).
1. Can you please provide examples to where the forward slash issue is occurring? We haven't encountered that in a long time.
2. You can set the default sorting method in your IntenseDebate blog Settings page at IntenseDebate.com. The option is located on the right side of the page. Screenshot below.
<img src="http://img.skitch.com/20090812-tmwa2h9gf7ihp7kqip9dw6i3u6.preview.jpg" alt="IntenseDebate – Blog Settings" />
3. Threads within threads: I'm not sure what you mean. Do you want to limit the number of threading levels? i.e. only 2 levels of threading (responses to the initial parent comment only).
4. Subscriptions: there are two options. First they can opt to receive emails for all comments posted when they post a comment. The option is located directly under the post a comment text field (on the left). There is always an "unsubscribe" link in the emails. Second, they can subscribe without posting comments by selecting this option located with the RSS options located at the top right (screenshot below).
<img src="http://img.skitch.com/20090812-e87jbnq5s8wb7yinyncxhpfqty.preview.jpg" alt="subscribe via email" />
5. WP backend moderation: are you using the ID enhanced moderation page in your WP admin panel? Are you running the most current version, v2.4.1? If you are please provide links to specific posts where this occurs.
All things considered, I think IntenseDebate is ready for you Chad! 😀
Hi Chad,
Thanks for taking the time to give such great feedback (and kind words).
1. Can you please provide examples to where the forward slash issue is occurring? We haven't encountered that in a long time.
2. You can set the default sorting method in your IntenseDebate blog Settings page at IntenseDebate.com. The option is located on the right side of the page. Screenshot below.
<img src="http://img.skitch.com/20090812-tmwa2h9gf7ihp7kqip9dw6i3u6.preview.jpg" alt="IntenseDebate – Blog Settings" />
3. Threads within threads: I'm not sure what you mean. Do you want to limit the number of threading levels? i.e. only 2 levels of threading (responses to the initial parent comment only).
4. Subscriptions: there are two options. First they can opt to receive emails for all comments posted when they post a comment. The option is located directly under the post a comment text field (on the left). There is always an "unsubscribe" link in the emails. Second, they can subscribe without posting comments by selecting this option located with the RSS options located at the top right (screenshot below).
<img src="http://img.skitch.com/20090812-e87jbnq5s8wb7yinyncxhpfqty.preview.jpg" alt="subscribe via email" />
5. WP backend moderation: are you using the ID enhanced moderation page in your WP admin panel? Are you running the most current version, v2.4.1? If you are please provide links to specific posts where this occurs.
All things considered, I think IntenseDebate is ready for you Chad! 😀
testando
Personally I'm not that fond of the Subscribe menu itself, but I'd still love to offer the feed link to the blog post's comments. Perhaps deactivating the "Subscribe menu" should deactivate the menu itself while leaving the feed icon be?
eeeeeeeee
pppppppppppp
since i couldn't find it elsewhere – what's the deal with captcha implementation? or as a community have we decided that its no longer necessary?
personally i've been using imhuman plugin where you click on pictures like 'click on all the cats' to show you are human instead of regular captcha/recaptcha.
is there a place for this in intense debate? or am i missing something….
Someone could probably create a captcha plugin. I'm actually surprised there aren't more plugins with things like that.
Someone could probably create a captcha Intense Debate plugin. I'm actually surprised there aren't more plugins with things like that.
CAPTCHA is not a long-term solution to spam, in fact it’s becoming less effective than ever because it’s cheap for spammers to pay people to fill out CAPTCHAs all day long. Solutions need to be content based, like Akismet is.
What about localization ? Just kidding !!! ;-P
No really, I am glad to see that localization is an important issue for you and that it is in your roadmap.
Seriously, what about integration with other WP products, such as Buddypress ?
Thanks
BuddyPress runs on a WPMU install, and ID is currently in use on a number of WPMU sites. There's currently no way to "auto-activate" it for every blog created, but you can definitely activate it (and go through the install process) for each different blog you create on a WPMU install.
Thanks Beau for your reply.
Is there any setting for restricting comments to logged in users only ? Sorry for such a noob question but I have never played around with your product before.
Can I customize which login services ID provides ? (Delete/hide OpenID for example)
Yes and yes 🙂 Once you have an account set up, you can require users to have an ID account and to be logged in. You may also choose to hide/disable options for logging in via OpenID, Twitter and Facebook if you don't want them.
Is commentLuv available yet for IntenseDebate? 😉
[…] Verfügung, Bewertungsfunktionen, etc, aber man muss seine User damit nicht erschlagen, sondern kann das anpassen. Die nächsten geplanten Schritte sind Mehrsprachigkeit und eine intelligente Synchronisation […]
Is there a way to enable the voting feature (i.e. thumbs up / down) without requiring a login?
Currently we don't offer this. But this is something we're considering. Thanks for letting us know you're interested.
We need Captcha for it.So we can get rid from spam.Please take a look at this.
I agree, we def need captcha support. I get a bunch of spam. It gets caught but I still have to deal with it.