Isso

Isso is a self-hosted commenting server written in Python and JavaScript. It provides website owners with a method to manage their own comment sections without relying on third party services. The application functions as a backend server that stores and serves comments for various web pages, allowing the site owner to maintain complete ownership of the conversation data.

Deployment occurs on a server where the software connects to a database to manage content. Website owners integrate the system into their pages by embedding a single JavaScript client file, which is approximately 65kB in size. This setup allows for the collection and display of user feedback directly on the host's own infrastructure, ensuring that the commenting functionality remains independent of external platforms.

Key features

• Comment composition using Markdown syntax
• SQLite backend for data storage
• User ability to edit or delete own comments within a set timeframe
• Moderation queue to review comments before public activation
• Import tools for migrating comments from Disqus and WordPress
• Lightweight JavaScript client for website embedding
• Support for installation via PyPi
• Official Docker images for containerized deployment

The system is designed for simplicity and low resource consumption, utilizing SQLite because comment data typically does not require a large scale database. It requires Python 3.8 or later, SQLite 3.3.8 or later, and a C compiler for a standard installation. For users who prefer containerization, the project provides official Docker images, with maintainers recommending the use of specific release tags to ensure stability across different environments.

Isso is intended for website administrators and bloggers who want full control over their community discussions and data storage while maintaining a minimal footprint on their server resources.