Lightweight user commenting system

This forum is for discussions on the Help & Manual Premium Pack and the Premium Pack Toolbox configuration utility introduced with Premium Pack 3

Moderators: Alexander Halser, Tim Green

Post Reply
Mark Wilsdorf
Posts: 151
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2009 8:41 pm
Contact:

Lightweight user commenting system

Unread post by Mark Wilsdorf »

IntenseDebate development has been frozen for some time now. Disqus is charging users to remove ads, and has been doing other surreptitious things I hear.

I came across some PHP code for a lightweight commenting system (http://www.jswidget.com/lab/easy-comment.html) that works well in my plain HTML tests, and wonder if it might be possible for me to implement in the PP skins. I'll lay out the basics, then you can tell me *if* what I want to do is possible, and point me in the direction of *how*....or please feel free to just tell me to "go pound sand".<g>

Implementing the system involves two Javascript code blocks in the page <HEAD> section, a <DIV> block on the page where the comments are to be displayed (with an ID accessible to the commenting system), and a single function call after the page is loaded to add the comments in the <DIV> block.

The script blocks in the <HEAD> element are essentially:

Code: Select all

<script type="text/javascript" 
        src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.5.2/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" 
        src="http://www.mysite.com.com/easy-comment/jquery.easy-comment.min.js"></script>
The <DIV> element might be:

Code: Select all

<div id="visitor-comments"></div>
The function, which gets invoked by jquery.ready and in a plain HTML page is put in the <HEAD> section is:

Code: Select all

<script type="text/javascript">
    jQuery(document).ready(function(){
    // Your other javascript code if any

    $("#visitor-comments").EasyComment({
      path:"/easy-comment/",     //Change it to the folder where you put the easycomment files
      moderate:true,
      maxReply:5,
      hasSubject:true
    });
    // Your other javascript code if any
    });
    </script>
Any possibility that I could implement this by editing some PP skins files? I'm not familiar enough with jQuery.ready call to know whether it would work properly in a function called via the skins' POSTLOAD_FUNC. I also realize that the page content is loaded dynamically...so the <DIV> element which identified the location for the comments may not be accessible.

Tim, I don't want or expect you to spend any time with this...like I said, just looking into possibilities, and I won't be offended if you tell me to "go pound sand"!

Thanks,
Mark Wilsdorf
User avatar
Tim Green
Site Admin
Posts: 23155
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2002 9:11 am
Location: Bruehl, Germany
Contact:

Re: Lightweight user commenting system

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Mark,

This won't work, and even if it did the results would be such that you would turn it off again very quickly. Integrating comments in WebHelp requires much more than just tacking in some code with duct tape and string, particularly in the WebHelp 3 format, because of the need to synchronize with the layout and the jstopics versions that are dynamically inserted during browsing (any code you add to the template would only work, partically, for the first topic visited)

The V2 WebHelp skins in the Premium Pack already have full support for two commenting systems: IntenseDebate and Disqus. You can read how to activate them here:

http://www.it-authoring.com/info/pp3hel ... ments.html

However, almost all users who have tried to use comments in WebHelp turn them off again very quickly, for the following reasons:
  • You have to invest a lot of time and effort in moderating the comments to deal with advertising from spambots and idiotic comments from trolls.
  • Negative comments are also a constant problem. There are plenty of people who live alone in front of their computers and have nothing better to do than post negative comments that generally have very little to do with your products or services. If you delete them you're a free speech enemy; if you leave them in they hang around forever; and if you reply to them you have a flame war on your hands.
  • Even without negative comments, spam and trolls, you have to invest a lot of time in managing comments. Generally more than they are worth.
This is why we decided not to add comments to the V3 skins and generally, nobody misses them. Even large news sites are increasingly eliminating comments for all the above reasons. They're just more trouble than they're worth.

Instead, it's much better to use the email feedback function, which is fully supported in all skins. It gives you all the benefits of comments, including especially an automatic direct reference to the topic the comment refers to, without any website overheads or moderation nightmares. You can see the instructions for the V3 skins here:

http://www.it-authoring.com/info/pp3hel ... dback.html
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
Mark Wilsdorf
Posts: 151
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2009 8:41 pm
Contact:

Re: Lightweight user commenting system

Unread post by Mark Wilsdorf »

Thanks, Tim...I understand what you're saying, and assumed so...just wanted to get your perspective.
Post Reply