Google is reportedly working on releasing its own answer to third-party commenting platforms such as those of Facebook and Disqus.
The functionality would be an extension of Google+, and the search giant reportedly revealed some details of the new commenting platform at the G-Saudi Arabia event, held this week, which has been confirmed by The Next Web.
Google's commenting platform would allow users to post comments on other sites using their Google+ profiles. The system will also reportedly index all comments in Google search results.
Google has been pushing its strategy to provide a social layer to all of its services via its fledgling social platform Google+, which was launched last year and has already been integrated into the Google search algorithm.
A rival commenting platform could further up the stakes in the competition between Google and Facebook to become one-stop shops for online activity.
Competition
Google will have an uphill battle in convincing users to choose its platform over the existing and established services. Recent statistics from Disqus claimed its service was seeing over 600 million monthly active users across a million different Web sites.
Facebook launched its comment plugin in 2009, and revamped the service last year. This year, the social giant also extended the service to mobile. According to Facebook, earlier this year, the service was being used by close to half a million Web sites.
Facebook argues that plugins such as its 'Comments Box' hold commenters accountable for their statements, helping to avoid trolling and maintaining a higher standard for online debate and discussion.
However, Disqus argues that pseudonyms drive online communities, with 61% of all comments on the platform coming from users using pseudonyms. Disqus claims pseudonyms are the most valuable contributors to communities because they contribute the “highest quantity and quality of comments”.
This may prove to be a challenge for a Google+ commenting platform, since the service has a fairly strict 'real name' policy and complex approval process for the use of pseudonyms. It also will not have the head-start that Facebook's service has in the commenting space.
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