A screenshot of the new comments form.
Readers may have noticed that our comments forms have changed—because we’ve installed the Disqus commenting platform for this site. (Old comments are currently being imported into the new system, which should be done within 24 hours.)
Disqus offers some nice features above and beyond the old native WordPress system: it lets you comment using a login identity from Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ (though you can still just type in any old name to comment); allows more flexibility for formatting and embedding media (images or video, say); and lets the commenter community help moderate the discussion by flagging inappropriate posts for moderators’ attention. Also, because Disqus is a widely used commenting platform, it effectively connects this blog to commenting communities with overlapping interests all across the Web, including at NPR, The Atlantic, BoingBoing, and many smaller sites.
In the end, we’re mainly hopeful that Disqus will make it easier to participate in and follow discussion right here at the Molecular Ecologist. Dare we ask that you let us know what you think in the comments?
