How to Turn a WordPress Blog into a Social Network

Comment on Stallion Responsive SEO Theme Layout Options by Mark.

Here is an idea on how to turn the WordPress SEO theme into more of a social network without BBpress, Mingle or BuddyPress which all have the disadvantage of resistration. I can count on my left hand the number of posts on websites I belong to that I need to registart. In contrast I comment on a number of blogs I follow wth ease.

Here is the idea to make the highly SEOed Stallion theme a social network

When you hover over someone’s Gravatar, you could have a cloud appear that says ‘expand Mark’s profile’. This would simply do three things.

1) Perhaps make their Gravatar larger.
2) List the most recent or related comment/super comments post of that user.
3) Use the comment engine to allow the user to post a snippet about themselves.

Now you could have a minimum threashold before this kicks in like three comments/ super comment post, or not. I do not know if this would help reduce drive by commentors spamming.

Under Mark’s expanded profile you might see a number of my ‘super comments’ or comments, that other might want to explore… or not. I do not know if these would be quality click throughs.

You could also have cute recognition icons on their profile page, to make people super commentors or whatever. I do not know if this would help, I guess it depends on the website. And the phases used could be entered by the Admin. For example on your recipe website a person that has made 30 comments could have 3 pizzas and a title of ‘gourment chef’. Or ‘stand up comic’ on your jokes website.

Another option might be to let people comment on that page or under leave a public message for: Mr. X.

Or Mr. X could leave a comment under their profile to to be more about themselves.

This opens up some questionable doors as people might not be respectful to others so maybe only the latter would be considered.

‘Danger will Robinson’ (Lost in Space reference) – I have no idea how this would work from an SEO perspective or it would make too many weak pages leaking PR juice.

Further, I have no idea if it would be good or easy from a WordPress perspective. I think on your joke website it could open pandora’s box. However, it could also get people comming back a bit more.

If you look at this website: thephotoletariat.com and hover over their commentors, I think they have a primitive form of this set up.

This is just an idea on how WordPress without slowing down site speed or over loading it with extra tables or scaring people off with registration. Even if a website has something like ‘5 second registration’ my eyes glaze over. I do not even like doing those captcha for spam. I have no idea why people use them on small site.

Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree and a blog should be a blog and a social site should be a social site but this is an idea.