Facebook's Next Big Media Move: Comments

Facebook is planning to launch a third-party commenting system in a matter of weeks, according to multiple sources familiar with the new product. This new technology could see Facebook as the engine behind the comments system on many high-profile blogs and other digital publications very soon.

The New Commenting

Facebook is very present in blog comments. Currently, a digital publishing outlet can integrate Facebook's developer API and allow users to connect to their Facebook accounts, or can build in Social Comments in a widget of related messages. Often, users can post alerts on their Facebook walls announcing that they've commented, or can have a Social Comment turned into a status message.

Facebook will be able to power the entire commenting system, handling the log-in and publishing, cross-promoting comments on individuals' Facebook walls, and possibly even promoting them as well on media outlets' own Fan pages. The Facebook Like button will be deeply integrated as well.

Serious Reverberations

The Facebook commenting product may permit users to log in with Google, Yahoo, or Twitter IDs if a publisher chooses to incorporate them. Whatever the specifics are, this new comments product could have serious reverberations in the start-up community.