All signs point to a stronger online community since FOXSportsOhio.com began using a new commenting system. In just a week after implementing "Disqus,” the site experienced a 23X increase in the number of visitor comments. The week before the new system, there were 19 comments. The week after, there were 445.
Less than a week after “Disqus” debuted on FOXSportsOhio.com, two articles eclipsed the previous high-water mark for comments on an article, and one tripled the previous high.
Prior to the new system, the highest number of comments on any article in site history was 72, and the second-most was 52. “Disqus” becomes the new commenting tool, and one week later, the new comment record is 225 (Zac Jackson - OSU's response to the NCAA) and a second thread (on the NBA lockout) has also passed the old 75-comment record.
FOXSportsOhio.com Digital Content Manager, Barry McBride, is hoping that the new comment system has long-term effects on repeat visits, time spent on site, and page views.
McBride feels “Disqus” has potential because it allows FOXSportsOhio.com to more closely coordinate with Scout.com. The Browns site via Scout already uses “Disqus”, and the Ohio State site will likely adopt it soon. That means that fans can move between the sites and use the same comment system without registering multiple user names. Alongside the new comment system, FOXSportsOhio.com has rolled out a daily feature highlighting the staff-choice for best comment in the previous day. The site will also be rolling out a new "Reax" feature which will put local reaction and internet reaction side-by-side for major news stories.
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