If you've commented on Motor Authority recently, thank you. We love interacting with our readers. To that end, we've decided to launch a new commenting system that will help improve the experience for everyone: Disqus.

Those that have been with us for several years know we've been working hard to improve the commenting experience at Motor Authority. This is the latest in that ongoing quest.

As of this morning, we've moved to a completely new comment system, Disqus. Here is what you need to know about the change.

Existing logins still work

If you currently log in to comment on Motor Authority using your Facebook account or your High Gear Media account, those will continue to work under Disqus. The transition should be seamless--you'll just notice the new layout.

If you're already engaged in a comment thread on an existing article, fear not: the new Disqus comments will only roll out on stories published from now on.

There are also new ways to log on: Twitter, Google, and Disqus accounts will all work under the new system, in addition to the existing Facebook and High Gear Media logins.

No matter how you choose to comment on Motor Authority, under the new Disqus system, the first comment you make will create a user profile for you on Disqus.com. Using your user profile, you can see all of your comments in one place.

Our sister site, Green Car Reports, recently launched the Disqus comment system, too. Here are a few of the things we learned in the process that you should know:

  • If you were logged into the old High Gear Media comment system using Facebook, when you go to an article using Disqus, you will no longer be logged in. You have the option of logging into Disqus using any of its sign-on options, including Facebook.
  • You can remain logged into both the old HGM Comments and the new Disqus comments at the same time.
  • If you login to Disqus via Facebook, it will create a new Disqus profile/account for you.
  • The users who had been logged into HGM comments via Facebook and then used Disqus now have a new Disqus profile using the name fb_xxxxxx. These users should create a new Disqus profile (using any of the login methods).
  • If users would like to merge their new profile with that old " fb_xxxxxx" profile (assuming they commented using Disqus already), they should click on the little wrench drop-down in Disqus and then click on "Edit Settings". This will take them to the Disqus website where they can update their username and other info. It will also give them the option of merging their old profile with their new profile.


Comments can be edited

This is a new feature, added by Disqus, that many will surely welcome: you can now edit your comments. You can even delete them if you have second thoughts.

There's also new HTML formatting capability in the Disqus comment module, which should help you craft more beautiful comments. One caveat: any comment with a live link will be held until a moderator can approve (or discard) it.

There are a whole host of other new features with Disqus, too, which you can learn more about here.

Comments visible in search

For the privacy-conscious, you should be aware that your Disqus comments on Motor Authority will now be visible through public search engines (i.e. Google).

We think this is an upside, as it means your smart and sharp-eyed comments will now be out there in the ether of the Web for others to read and learn from.

Issues? Concerns?

Comment and let us know if you are having any problems with the new interface or its functions--we'll do our best to help you out.

If you're completely locked out of the comment system now, email us directly at feedback (at) highgearmedia (dot) com. Please use the subject line "MA Disqus commenting."

We'll be keeping a close eye on the new Disqus system today to help iron out any transitional problems, and, again, thank you for commenting.