# Just what is DISQUS? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 3, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832 "2015-09-03T18:25:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/1 "2015-09-03T18:25:14Z")
I happened on this forum indirectly, by tackling some controversial topics taken up on Facebook. For some reason every topic on DISQUS is chock-full of hate-Obama invective and assertions that whoever disagrees with the persons so posting is a (choose your epithet) liberal. Is this forum some kind of Internet organ for the Tea Party? ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/2 "2015-09-03T18:35:28Z")
I thought DISQUS is some kind of hosted commentary site. Like if a news site wanted to add a “comment on articles” feature, and didn’t want to develop it itself, it would delegate that to DISQUS. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/3 "2015-09-03T18:44:02Z")
Any site can use Disqus to handle comments. It is hosted by Disqus and clumsily added on to the site, which makes it slower to come up, but saves the site bandwidth. Idiotic Commentary is neither the responsibility of the website nor of Disqus — both of which are relaying the thoughts and fears of normal ordinary people — but is an integral function of democracy. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/4 "2015-09-03T20:40:30Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Idiotic Commentary is neither the responsibility of the website nor of Disqus — both of which are relaying the thoughts and fears of normal ordinary people — but is an integral function of democracy. Do you think we can eliminate that feature the next time democracy is upgraded? ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/5 "2015-09-03T20:51:29Z")
DISQUS seems to exhibit the worst that democracy has to offer. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/6 "2015-09-03T20:55:07Z")
This has nothing to do with Disqus, this has everything to do with the site you came to it from. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/7 "2015-09-03T21:32:19Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > This has nothing to do with Disqus, this has everything to do with the site you came to it from. Please see the OP for the answer to that. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/8 "2015-09-03T21:44:49Z")
This OP appears to have as factual answer. Before this turns into an unnecessary debate, I am moving it to General Questions. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/9 "2015-09-03T21:47:29Z")
A bare bones answer to the question may be [found on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disqus). ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/10 "2015-09-03T22:45:00Z")
Disqus just provides a generic “comment on this topic” service to other websites. Depending on which Disqus topic you end up on, you could end up with an entirely different set of discussions, like baking cakes or internet memes. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/11 "2015-09-03T22:50:39Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Idiotic Commentary is neither the responsibility of the website nor of Disqus — both of which are relaying the thoughts and fears of normal ordinary people — but is an integral function of democracy. > [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Do you think we can eliminate that feature the next time democracy is upgraded? And many sites that used DISQUS for user feedback and interaction have eliminated it (and stopped all online user feedback completely) because of the excessive exuberance by those posters who believe their opinions are sacrosanct above everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/12 "2015-09-03T22:57:33Z")
It usually locks up my computer, that much I do know about it. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/13 "2015-09-04T00:03:11Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Disqus just provides a generic “comment on this topic” service to other websites. Depending on which Disqus topic you end up on, you could end up with an entirely different set of discussions, like baking cakes or internet memes. this. a lot of websites for local TV news stations use Disqus for their comments section on articles, and if you want to see the worst that the internet has to offer, you look at the comments section on the website of a local TV news station. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/14 "2015-09-04T01:30:26Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > And many sites that used DISQUS for user feedback and interaction have eliminated it (and stopped all online user feedback completely) because of the excessive exuberance by those posters who believe their opinions are sacrosanct above everyone else. Plus some jurisdictions around the world are starting to hold websites legally responsible for what random commentators may say. Faced with the dispiriting policy of reading every damn comment; no matter how revolting: _and_ the need to censor such when so policing, it becomes easier just not to provide a platform. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/15 "2015-09-04T01:34:23Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Please see the OP for the answer to that. Disquis is not a forum or forums. It is a comment management system. It’s like saying vBulletin is racist because some boards that use vBulletin are racist. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/16 "2015-09-04T01:59:02Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > It usually locks up my computer, that much I do know about it. :mad: That’s probably a superior result than viewing the comments… ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/17 "2015-09-04T03:17:33Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > That’s probably a superior result than viewing the comments… It’s better NOT to read it, eh? ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/18 "2015-09-04T17:07:42Z")
Since the OP mentioned Facebook, a number of sites I frequent have switched their comment support system from Disqus (“Discuss”) to Facebook comment support. The Signal to Noise ratio does drastically improve for a while, but the crazies eventually do wander back on posting with fake facebook profiles, albeit at a much lower level. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/19 "2015-09-04T17:11:57Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Disquis is not a forum or forums. It is a comment management system. It’s like saying vBulletin is racist because some boards that use vBulletin are racist. Yeah…I found DISQUS’ home page and it turned out it’s more than Tea Party members’ ravings.:o ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832/20 "2015-09-04T17:12:50Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Yeah…I found DISQUS’ home page and it turned out it’s more than Tea Party members’ ravings.:o Oh, Good! 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-disqus/729832.md?page=2)