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For a long time I've wondered why commenting on articles hasn't been a stock feature in Joomla. For the most part, I think probably 90% of websites today use the function as an essential way to allow publishers to communicate with their audience and gain valuable feedback from them.
Joomla's Extensions directory (http://extensions.joomla.org/index.php?option=com_mtree task=listcats cat_id=1764 Itemid=35) lists over 30 plugins and components that can afford you commenting ability in J1.5 - that's a ton to suss through, so I thought I'd take a look for you and offer a few recommendations:
First up, its a package called JoomlaComment (http://extensions.joomla.org/component/option,com_mtree/task,viewlink/link_id,4389/Itemid,35/) . Its a component-module set which has been around for some time and has not been made native to 1.5... so you might want to check out their forums (http://www.compojoom.com/index.php/forum.html) to see how well it performs in Legacy Mode and whether there are any down-sides when using it with other newer components native to 1.5.
Overall, I like this extensions because its themable, has BBcode, offers thumbs up/down on comments and generally has lots of features. Plus, its free/GPL - worth using if you have time to tinker, change CSS to match your site etc...
As the web becomes more widgetized many people are looking towards externally powered scripts to add functionality to their site. A new commenting widget that's been getting much love from the blogging world (http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/10/30/disqus-joins-the-battle-for-your-blogs-comments/) is Disqus. I like the idea of using an external service to provide comments on a site - Disqus (http://extensions.joomla.org/component/option,com_mtree/task,viewlink/link_id,5259/Itemid,35/) is under market pressure to innovate and constantly upgrade the functionality of their product, which means that you should be getting the best comment system out of them for little effort - no more watching out for upgrades and then worrying about maintenance. Of course, there's also an issue of scalability to consider - if you ever decide to move away from Joomla as a web platform, Disqus comments should allow you to get up and running on the new site with your comments hassle-free.
Thirdly, we have Azrul's JomComment (http://www.azrul.com/products/joomla_comment_system.html) . This package has been around for some time and since it was first released I've loved seeing their company grow - to since release another couple of pretty sound little apps to use on your Joomla site. JomComment cleanly integrates natively in J1.5 with smooth AJAXy effects - eg. when someone posts a comment and instant-approval is set to 'on', the comment posting box will fade out and the comment will replace it - fading into the list of comments under an article immediately with no need to reload a page.
Given that JomComment is J1.5-native, you have piece of mind in knowing that it will play fairly nicely with the new Joomla MVC architecture and let you template your comment interface with simple override files - no need to edit the actual component to make your comments aesthetically jive to your site's theme. However, that freedom comes at a price - JomComment is commercially available for around $30US.
If you're cool with relinquishing control of your data and having a 3rd party company handle/store your site's comments, I highly recommend trying out disqus - though, if you want to keep it all local and are a fan of simple interfaces then my vote's with JomComment.
I've just looked at 1/10 of the options out there - what do you all use? Any other recommendations?
Disclosure: We're actually using JomComment here on whyjoomla - so you'll be able to test it simply by posting a comment below.
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