New Commenting System Launched: Issues Resolved + Heaps of New Features

You may or may not have noticed that our commenting system has just recently been reworked. We have switched from using IntenseDebate, and are now using Disqus. The first thing that you will notice is that all past comments have been lost in the process, which we are truly sorry for. Some great discussions have been lost, no doubt, however we wouldn’t do such a thing without there being some serious reasons for it. With all of the issues that we’ve had with IntenseDebate, this new system will provide for a future of much better commenting and sharing. More details below…

To those of you who logged into the old system using Facebook, Twitter or OpenID, you will still be able to do this. Just note that your comment count has been reset. For those of you who used an IntenseDebate account, you cannot transfer across your reputation or comment count, and will need to create another account with Disqus. To all you guest commenters, well it’s all the same for you guys and girls.

We realize that for you Zelda news junkies who also frequent our affiliates (and rivals) Zelda Universe (ZU) and Zelda Dungeon (ZD), that this change may be a tad more frustrating. Both ZU and ZD use IntenseDebate, which did allow for easy commenting across all three sites. We apologize that this is no longer the case and assure you that this wasn’t done simply so we are ‘different’ to ZU and ZD. We feel that our new system is a significant improvement over the old system, and we hope you agree. Here are the reasons that we’ve changed: the issues that are now resolved and the new features.

The old system had a glitch where viewers that were directed to posts from the main page saw a different stream of comments to those who entered the site from other places such as the Zelda Wiki Mastermind’s feed. With this upgrade, the comments don’t get split in half like this, meaning that everyone is in the same place when they comment.

During a recent server reset our old commenting system broke so that its sizing was all out of whack. Given that server resets are a common occurrence, it is a major hassle to have the comment interface screwing up every time we reset. This is no longer a problem with the new system.

Our old system also didn’t really allow for effective moderation, as many people’s comments were automatically flagged as spam or inappropriate when they were perfectly fine. This new system is much better in that regard, and also lets us have the comment count for each news post or article back on the site index.

Now, for all of the new features. Instead of the old thumbs up or thumbs down, you can like comments just like you would on Facebook. Not only that, but you can also give the actual post itself a thumbs up or a thumbs down, and with a few simple clicks share it on your favorite social networking sites.

There is also this really cool auto-attachment feature (pictured below). If you post a link to an image or a YouTube video, it will appear as an attachment to your comment. At the top of the commenting section you can also find the “Community Box” feature that lets you view things like comment stats, as well as the most active and liked commenters. You can also now sort the comments by newest first, oldest first, best rating, or popular now.

To get the full functionality of the new system be sure to register through the many options that there are, because guests don’t get full access. With an account you can track likes and replies to your comments, have a profile picture and a member profile. So it’s practically a mini little forum on our main site that is far superior to our old system.

Our regulars will probably have noticed that Nathan hasn’t been too active of late, but we have him to thank for his efforts to get this system fully functional, which kept him up well past 3am. It’s a big step up in terms of our functionality, as well as your ability to communicate and express your views as readers. It’s much better for us to communicate with you guys and girls too, so check it out, have a play around and get ready for a future of way better commenting. Up next on Nate’s list of site renovations are our new site navigation and upgrade of the forums. Stay tuned.