Blork is having problems understanding what Trackback pings are and since it’s something also used in YULMetaBlog I thought I’d try using an example to help him (and I’m sure others) understand this nifty but unintuitive little technology.
- I’ve just read Blork’s post and want to comment on it.
- What I have to say is very long and/or I want to have it on my own blog for my own readers to see.
- Since Blork is a high tech kinda guy he has enabled Tackback on his blog which means right below the entry I’ve noticed a Trackback url (http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/32764)
- I go to my own Movable Type install and type the entry as usual.
- Since I also want Blork and his reader to be aware of what I am saying concerning his post I cut and paste the Trackback url in the box to that effect in my edit page. (“URLs to Ping” right above the “Preview” and “Save” buttons)
- When I save my entry Movable Type uses the Trackback url to ping (tap the shoulder if you will) Blork’s own Typepad install. In doing so my MT also gives to his Typepad the following info: Name of my blog, permalink of my entry, title of my entry and finally an excerpt.
- When Typepad is tapped on the shoulder it rebuilds Blork’s entry and adds my “remote comment” using the info Movable Type gave it. (Note: It rebuilds exactly the same way it would have rebuilt if I had simply entered a “classic” comment directly from B’s site)
Now I have a new entry in my blog and a small excerpt of it is now present in Blork’s entry with a link to mine so people reading through his comments and Trackbacks can come to my site and read more about what I have to say on the subject.
Magical isnt it?
Even more magical, instead of being used entry to entry Tackbacks can also be used category to category. Or entry to category, which is what is used on YULMetaBlog. I’ll probably write more on that soon.
5 Comments
Wow, awesome! Thanks Patrick. I’m much closer to a gut-level understanding of it now. By that I mean I’ve gone from standing out in corn field wondering where the ball park was, to the parking lot of the ball park. But I’m still not quite in the ball park.
# 7 said “When Typepad is tapped on the shoulder it rebuilds Blork’s entry and adds my “remote comment” using the info Movable Type gave it,” which really helped. I had no idea MT rebuilt the post, and I had no idea that a magical “trackback” link would appear.
Wait a minute… My trackback URL shows up only when you click the permalink. That seems to make sense, because that means it’s only there for people who might want it. But where’s YOUR trackback URL? Since I don’t see it does that mean you don’t have one? (Or at least not one for this post…?)
Hehe. Trackbacks arent enabled on my blog :). Until a few weeks ago I was barely getting any comments so I didnt feel the need to put the MT Trackback tags back in my templates. Maybe I will next time I reworks some stuff.
Bitch!
;-)
Me *still* confused. Then again I had to take math in summer school every year. This is something I think A Certain Cupertino-Based Fruit Company could help make easier…