Thoughts on the current commenting landscape

We all browse content online. 

I find myself in the position where after watching an amazing video or reading an interesting article, I'm still curious. What's the reaction? What is the community saying? What are experts saying? 

But to my discontent, I’ll find that there’s no discussion to follow.

Which is strange. It's innately human discuss and debate. Yet it feels so uncomfortable and unnatural on the web.

I’m not the only with this problem. Many others have it too.

I'm sure you can relate. You browse some content and you have a relevant comment but something stops you:

• maybe you don't want to expose your true identity online
• perhaps you don't want to manage another online account, on top of the dozens you already have
• or in most cases, there isn't a comment section! so how can we learn and exchange ideas?!

I call these problems barriers to commenting. We need to reduce these barriers as much as we can!

The Verge loses the marginal user.

Comments are an impulse thing, you experience something and want to react.

I think it's really important to reduce the friction between the moment someone wants to comment and the action of doing so.

I had a not so great experience recently while reading the verge online.

After reading the article and then comments section, I wanted to pass my own comment. 

I don't normally sign up for additional online accounts but I thought I'd try it out. So the registration process was pretty simple: username/ password/ email. 

But after logging in, I was told that I couldn't comment, because they need to verify my account and this would happen in a days time.

As a result, they lost my comment. 

I'm patient user and frequent commenter, so the additional wait is fine for someone like me. 

But to really popularise commenting platforms, you need to make it as easy as possible for the marginal user, for them to experience the magic moment, and for them to contribute. 

But what about all those impatient users that leave at a moments notice. The verge created an unnecessary barrier to commenting that would deter many potential users. The worst thing is that they are unmeasurable! 

If you're interested in the marginal user, watch Lecture 6 of the 'how to start a startup' series. Alex Schulz from Facebook highlights the importance they put on the marginal user rather than just the power user.