A “new” design for blog comment buttons?
When blogs first started, the buzz words were all about community and discussion through comments and trackbacks from other blogs. Then it was all about getting subscribers (remember the million little RSS icons?). Next up came all the little icons for sharing the post on different sites and getting Dugg. Now it’s all about getting people to re-tweet the post and spread their story virally.
In my last post I wondered about the tweet-to-comment ratio (I’m still digesting your fantastic comments – thank you!) and I’m still wondering if the viral-focus has meant more traffic but less real engagement and community on many blogs. That’s not to say they can’t be found on blogs, it’s just that many of the big blogs are now morphing into something quite different than, say, a niche blog with a focused readership.
If I go to Mashable, I’m not really ever interested in the comments to be honest. It’s all about the news for me. Their design reflects this, with such a tiny emphasis on the number of comments, or the ability to add a comment:
Tweetmeme’s retweet button and Facebook’s share button are now the new standard.
However, for blogs which do want to keep an equal emphasis on commenting as well as sharing virally, perhaps there should be a “new” design for comment buttons which is something like this:
Or something like what we did on a recent blog design (this requires using Tweetmeme’s API, not their standard buttons):
What do you think? When you look at your blog’s design, does it reflect the priority you want to give to commenting vs re-tweeting and sharing or have the big buttons muscled in and taken over?
your thoughts
Paul Cunningham
Great points and this is something I struggle with for blog designs, always trying to reach the right balance without over-widgetizing it.
Complicating it further is when your blog includes a mix of material, some that you want to get comments for and others that you’re happier just to get retweeted more.
SocialSammy
Comments are the the life blood of a blog…they’re the bit taht creates that community feeling…which helps you get away from the monologue and create a dialogue.
This is a great idea – the best WP sharing plugin that I’ve come across so far is Digg Digg…but unfortunately there is no comment button…it would be fantatic if either you guys or the guys that made the Digg Digg plugin added this comment function.
Edmond Lu
I love the idea! I’ve been looking for ways to add a easier way to comment at the top of a blog post. As great as Twitter and Facebook are for spreading the word, they are not quite adequate for starting a conversation around your post, which for me is very important.
Johnny Laird
…really good assesment of the evolution of the way we are engaging with bloggers, Twitter etc. For me, I guess it’s a mix and match. I’m a serial Retweeter who struggles with pangs of guilt when I sometimes forget to come up with an original thought of my own!
J
Rachel
SocialSammy: let me contact the Digg Digg guys and see if we can get that added.
Rachel
The Digg Digg developer is keen to add this to the plugin so I’ve submitted the design files to him and hopefully a new version will be out soon.
Weekend Reading
[...] A “new” design for blog comment buttons? Published: January 9, 2010 Source: cre8d design When blogs first started, the buzz words were all about community and discussion through comments and trackbacks from other blogs. Then it was all about getting subscribers (remember the million little RSS ic… [...]
Cafe
Twitter and Facebook are for spreading the word, they are not quite adequate for starting a conversation around your post, which for me is very important.
Techno Music
Change is the one constant in design.
Rachel Cunliffe
Good news, the Digg Digg plugin has been updated!
Tenancy Agreement
Comments are a very important part of a blog, the way to gauge the response of your intended audience. But it is not necessary to be so in your face, a discreet link would be great because if you really want to read the feedback of others you will look for the comments. I like it!