Comma: a super simple comment server for static websites, in go

This means your website is no longer purely static, but it's a simple, fairly pragmatic solution to dynamically save and load comments (using javascript)

API

• GET /foo/bar/whatever/my-post-slug provides all comments for post my-post-slug as JSON.

• POST reads out the following form fields, creates a comment and returns the comment as JSON.

  • post
  • message
  • name
  • email
  • url
  • company (honey-pot field to prevent spam, must be empty)

Storage

Files are stored in xml files compatible with pyblosxom's comment files

email addresses and ip addresses of comments are never served up, though the md5 of email addresses is, so you can use gravatar.

Html/javascript based commenting feature on top of this server

Integrating this in your website takes less than 100 lines of javascript. You can either:

• use jquery, like on my old blog
• use pure javascript, like on my new blog

See it in action on dieter.plaetinck.be

How to run

I use a systemd unit like this:

[Unit]
Description=comma backend
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
ExecStart=/home/dieter/comma /home/dieter/<comments directory> :<port> [form value for "special" form fields]
Restart=always
RestartSec=1
User=dieter
Group=dieter

[Install]
WantedBy=graphical.target

the optional "special" argument is a basic spam prevention mechanism. if the value is provided, and the "special" form value doesn't match this value, the comment is rejected.