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trackback...wots that then?
A little question for all you seasoned Typepad bloggers. What does trackback do? I can't see much difference between it and the permalink. This has bothered me for a while, but I thought I would eventually work it out. I have to admit it has me beat.
mr mcmuffin on 15 Apr 2004 @ 07:45 PM ✲ Permalink
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It's for if you've read something and you want to write about the same kind of subject, but in a way that is too long to be a comment or in a way that is sort of relevant to the posting that you read, yet still not relevant enough to be a direct comment. Therefore, you write a new posting on your own blog and you trackback to the blog that you read the initial posting on ("Person X has brought up an interesting point that I wish to elaborate on").
By using trackback as well as a normal link, it means that the people reading the initial blog can see that you've written something vaguely connected to it, and you think it might be interesting for them to read it. Or you want the initial poster to know that you've linked to them, and you're not sure that they'll be able to see it by reading their stats.
Or it's about arrogantly promoting your blog elsewhere.
Posted by: David (TEFL Smiler) | 15 Apr 2004 19:57:56
So you still link to someone in the normal way, and you add their trackback address to the trackback bit at the bottom of the TypePad posting template.
An easier way to do this is by blogging using the TypePad quick post marklet thing (which I have on my bookmark bar and access with a simple Cmd 8), and never signing out of TypePad on your main computer.
Posted by: David (TEFL Smiler) | 15 Apr 2004 21:24:32
Funny, I was reading this same question on Kirsty's blog earlier today, but it was from way way back in her archives.
I find trackbacks a bit odd. They make a visible link from the original article to your (new) article. I always think it ought to do the reverse, link fcrom your article back to the original - like giving credit "I saw this great article that inspired me to write this one... take a look at it". Trackbacks always seem more like "Yeah, yeah, never mind this, look at MY article..."
Just my two penneth.
Posted by: steve | 15 Apr 2004 22:42:22
From TypePad help: http://help.typepad.com/weblogs/post.html
'What is TrackBack?
In a nutshell, TrackBack was designed to provide a method of notification between websites: it is a method of person A saying to person B, “This is something you may be interested in.” To do that, person A sends a TrackBack ping to person B.'
They explain how to do that a little further down the page (it's about halfway down).
I didn't get it at first either.
Recently they haven't been working properly for me. Instead of vanishing from the trackback box like they're supposed to, it stays there, so that every time I edit that post and save it another trackback ping gets sent. No harm done, but now Courtney's comments page for 23 Question Meme ( http://ostaff.typepad.com/life/2004/04/23_question_mem.html ) certainly is me me me me...
So I suppose Steve and David are right - it's a bit of shameless self-promotion.
But it's nice to get one, all the same.
Posted by: Kirsty | 15 Apr 2004 23:15:54
