wpDiscuz Widgets Addon

The time window decides which comments win

You put a list of your best comments in the sidebar and, months later, the same ones keep showing up. It is not a fault of the block: it is what happens when a list sorted by votes has no date limit.

An old comment has had more time to collect votes, so a best-of list with no time window rewards age and not quality. The window you pick for each list changes what your visitors see.

wpDiscuz Widgets is a wpDiscuz add-on that offers six widgets about your comment activity, in tabs or on their own. In the best and top lists you can set the period that is taken into account.

Six lists about your comments

• Most voted comments: two layouts, with a thumbs-up icon or with commenter avatars; it shows votes, post, text, author and date.
• Most active comment threads: the first comment of the threads with the most replies, with reply count, text, author and date.
• Most commented posts: title, excerpt, author, date and comment count.
• Most active comment authors: avatar, name and comment count.
• Recent comments and Top rated posts, the two remaining lists.

Each tab is turned on or off separately and has its own title, the number of items it shows and the period for "best". The look is adjusted with background and icon colors, width, margins and padding. The design is responsive and supports right-to-left writing.

A sidebar with three tabs, to test

This arrangement is our own and should be tested on your site before you keep it: gather in a single tabbed widget the most voted comments, the active threads and the most active authors, each tab with its own time window, if it accepts one. Which window works best depends on how many comments you receive, and the result in visits is not guaranteed.

1. Drag the wpDiscuz widget to the sidebar from Appearance, Widgets.
2. Turn on only the tabs you want to show.
3. Give each tab a clear title and the number of items.
4. Assign the best lists a short period and compare it with a long one.
5. Adjust colors, width and margins until it fits the theme.

Where the widgets fall short

Among their functions there is no shortcode to paste them inside a page; they go in the theme's widget areas and are also available as blocks.

• Among their functions there are no filters by category, by a single post or by content type.
• Among their functions there is no shortcode for building a separate page with these lists.
• Among their functions there is no aggregation of comments from several sites in a network.
• Among their functions there is no "new" badge on recent comments.
• Among their functions there are no embedded attachments: only the comment text appears.

Each wpDiscuz add-on adds database queries, and that may reduce speed.

How to install and place it

It requires wpDiscuz installed and active. It installs like any WordPress plugin and is placed from the widgets screen, by dragging the wpDiscuz widget to a sidebar.

1. Install and activate wpDiscuz if you do not have it yet.
2. Upload the add-on and activate it.
3. Open the wpDiscuz settings, Addons tab, Widgets section.
4. Go to Appearance, Widgets and drag the wpDiscuz widget to the area you prefer.
5. Configure tabs, periods and style, and review the result on the site.

Alternatives for showing activity

The comments these widgets list are managed by wpDiscuz. If you prefer another comment system, the catalog includes Thrive Comments. And if you want to give rewards for taking part, there is wpDiscuz myCred Integration.

Questions about the comment widgets

Can I use them with a shortcode?

No. Among their functions there is no shortcode; they are used as widgets and as blocks.

Can I show only one tab?

Yes. The lists work in tabs or as simple independent widgets, and each tab is turned on separately.

Can it be limited to one post category?

No. Among their functions there are no filters by category or by a specific post.

Does it support right-to-left languages?

Yes. The design is responsive and supports right-to-left writing.