Facebook Comments update adds Hotmail login

Among the features added to the Facebook commenting platform today was the addition of Hotmail integration that allows users to log in via their Hotmail account.

The addition of Hotmail account integration is a much-needed add-on as many users who were using Facebook commenting had to use their “real-world” identity when leaving comments that used the platform. Now, with outside services such as Hotmail being integrated into the mix, it should allow Facebook to grow the platform in a much more efficient (and effective) manner. AOL integration has been in place since mid-March and Yahoo users are supported as well.

Facebook will automatically upgrade all sites to the new version of the comments plugin on April 29th. Those wanting to upgrade now, however, can do so today by adding the ‘migrated=1′ parameter to your existing <fb:comments> tag.

While Facebook continues to improve their commenting platform and has a number of benefits, it has not been immune to growing pains. Besides the lack of anonymity that using a personal Facebook profile undermines, other concerns have been brought to the forefront. The addition of additional third-party controls, such as the ability to use the GraphAPI that allows developers to measure and track comments on a much deeper level show that Facebook is committed to adding more and more features to the platform.