Plugin Friday 5 – Comment counter widget badge for Wordpress blogs
This widget is mostly helpful for bloggers who have popular blogs with thousands of comments. They can boast about the number of comments with a badge that displays the number of comments in their blog, which can make a feel that the blog had some good conversational posts with high number of comments. Every counter set on the blog sidebar looks good, like the Twitter followers counter badge and the feedburner readers chicklet.
So here is the widget – Liz Strauss Comment Counter Widget
Some idea on why this plugin was made – This plugin was made in honor of Liz Strauss from Successful Blog and her dedication to building community and fostering interaction between a blog and its audience. Extra credits go to Lorelle for inspiration and networking, and obviously to Feedburner for being so seminal in cool web badges showing off.
Some features of the plugin -
- There is a static image generated and dynamic images from the webserver are avoided. And so there is a quick change in the count once a comment is left.
- Still if the static image is not shown due to some permission issues with the host, the dynamic image comes handy, so the space does not go empty.
- There is no data load query and so no space is eaten up by this widget in the server.
- There are some extra options just like the feedburner widget.
- The admin interface is just very easy to handle.
Installation - Works in both the widget compatible and non-compatible blogs. Just download and extract the plugin and upload to the concerned widgets folder and activate. You can then place the widget in the sidebar, or add a code in the sidebar if widgets won’t work with your theme.
This widget works for Wordpress 2.5 and later versions.
This plugin has nothing to do with monetization, but it is just fun and helps socially in attracting comments sometimes.
Pretty good thing to have if you recieve alot of comments, I’ve seen it on writer dad, boy he gets alot of comments.
Writer Dad has not many comments Danny. I have more than the number he has. I was referring to some blogs like Lorelle.wordpress.com etc. which have tens of thousands of comments in their blogs.
This plugin is useful only when we have a blog with thousands of comments,
i wish i use this plugin for my blog some day!!!!!!8->
I will have this once i have a lot of comments..
Chetan i am sure you have a lot of comments.. why dont you put it on this blog??
This would surely attract more and more users around..
I am so glad that i came across this blog.. i find so many useful things here
@Amar – Will add the badge soon. Making a special box for all the badges, like Feedburner, Twittercounter and now Comment counter.
This sounds like an awesome plugin, but I see no use for it. It would be interesting only showing your feed count so users would know how many people are subscribed to your blog but the comments don’t really matter. It just adds extra loading on your page too.
@QuickPWN – There is no data load query and so no space is eaten up by this widget in the server.
great info, I have been thinking how other do it. now I know.
this is a good idea, altho my blog’s comments not many
@lisa, you can put them up and give a try.
actually im trying to figure out how to put in the other plugin = top commentor
@ Lisa – Found any help regarding that or do i explain how to install the plugin?
hi chetan,
i was trying to figure out how to pluck in the top commentors widget to my blogspot… however its not displaying anything ….
as for this button widget … i am a bit shy to apply it bcoz not many comments i have…
This is a pretty cool widget, i recieve a lot of comments on most of my blogs, so i will add it
@ Lisa – Is it blogger blog or wordpress blog?
For a blogger blog, i will soon post how to use a different top commentator section, and it is entirely different from what you have to do in wordpress.
So let me know if its wordpress or blogger platform.
Nice post Chetan, But the screen shot is not loading here.
It is loading well here. Might just be a problem with the internet connection Amit.
@lisa, you are not alone, I am no expert in plugin too.
Hey chetan,
I have a question for you.. what if i get spam comments.. would they be counted??
I mean, will it show up in the total comments even after I mark a comment as SPAM??
@Amar, good question.
Yeah chetan want to know the same what amar asked, waiting for your answer.
@Amar: The count is only for the approved comments, and no spam comment is counted.
Otherwise, for this blog, the total count would have crossed 20000 as of now.
Lol 20000 comments, thats some number there.
20,000 comments thats alot. My blog has not get even 100 comments.
@Sherry: i am also sailing in the same ship.
good sharing. good. go go go
its simply great
just placed a badge on my blog