Commenting on news sites:
If you’ve never commented on news web sites, I hope you won’t feel intimidated: it is not so complicated, but it does take a couple of simple steps. The following is intended to help you navigate getting involved in commenting because that is one very important way you can help the “Press the Battle” campaign. Comments, Likes, and Shares on these other sites are excellent ways to help expand the conversation this campaign is dedicated to bringing to America.
We encourage you to think of crafting your comments keeping in mind what kind of conversation we think America needs to be having, and what can be said about the ideas in the current entry that might help move things in that direction.
One good way to approach the mechanics of commenting – particularly if you will be posting the same comment on more than one of the sites where “Press the Battle” articles will be appearing—would be to write out your thoughts first on whatever you’re most comfortable on. It could be pen and paper, or it could be a word processor. Or whatever.
Then you’ll be ready to paste your comment into the comment form on each site.
But first, with each site it will be necessary to have gone through a simple, one-time registration process.
Most sites allow you to use your Facebook account to register. This connection to Facebook eases the path to spread the word to larger circles (a good thing). Most news sites also allow you to go through a registration process without linking to Facebook or other social media accounts if you choose.
Some sites present the ability to post comments before you log in and others only show those features after you log in. Meaning, you might visit the page of an article and not see how to comment. On these sites, once you register and log in, you will see the Post a Comment or Reply links appear.
On those sites that allow you to enter a comment before you log in, the process will be interrupted by the registration process that first time. If you are not patient and mindful of your interaction, you might lose your comment while you go through the registration and log in. That’s another good reason for having the comment in your own system, so it will be easy to retrieve.
Here is a description of the registration process for each of the sites on which we presently envision the series will be appearing.
Huffington Post uses the Facebook comments tool and so you must have a Facebook account to post comments. The Huffington Post site directs you to Facebook sign in or create a new account pages when you comment for the first time. There is a checkbox to declare whether your comment should be posted on your Facebook timeline (it is optional) each time you comment.
On Daily Kos , you can start the registration process from the upper right hand corner of all pages. They then send a ‘confirmation e-mail’ that can take a good while (an hour) to get sent out. Receiving this e-mail and clicking its confirmation link is required before you can log in. But remember, even if it can be disconcerting to wait for this email, this is only a one-time event.
Opednews puts the registration link is in the upper right of each page. You can use your Facebook account or register with them. The instructions are nicely explained but you need to read them carefully for that first time registration.
Reader Supported News puts the registration at the bottom of all comments and is simple to follow.
On Blue Virginia the registration link is in the upper right of each page. This site creates a password for you and sends it to you in an e-mail. To change that password to one you can remember, you need to log in using the password provided, find you way to your profile page (upper right), choose the Profile tab, and then click on the Email & Password link.
Two of the sites — Like the Dew and Augusta Free Press — use a third party application, DISQUS, to manage comments. The registration is at the beginning of the comments section. You can use your Facebook account, Twitter, Google+, or create your own account with DISQUS in order to post comments. You only need to register once for both sites.
My Op/Ed Messages
Andy Schmookler’s Podcast Interviews
The American Crisis, and a Secular Understanding of the Battle Between Good and Evil
None So Blind – Blog 2005-2011 on the rising threat to American Democracy
How the Market Economy Itself Shapes Our Destiny
The Sacred Space of Lovers
The River and Its Channel: Bottom-Up (Flow) and Top-Down (Control) in Fostering the Good
Ongoing Commentary to Illuminate the American Crisis
What’s True About Meaning and Value
Andy’s YouTube Channel
The Fateful Step
How the Ugliness of Civilized History is not Human Nature Writ Large
Major Relevant Essays
Healing the Wounds, Inflicted by the Reign of Power, that Drive Us to War
Our Life-Serving Inborn Experiential Tendencies
A Quest to Bridge America’s Moral Divide – 1999
The Heirloom Project
Knowing What’s Right to do Is Not a No-Brainer
I will admit I prefer disqus to the Huffingtonpost Facebook commenting system. I was seriously thinking of no longer commenting on the Huffingtonpost when they changed to the Facebook commenting system. But to support Andy, I did not stop commenting. I sometimes think of changing the post of facebook box but I usually don’t because Andy has asked us to promulgate this far and wide. I actually liked their original proprietary system prior to their migration to the Facebook system. Such is life.