Trackbacks

[rbrugman]

I'm just wondering what trackbacks are, and how you use them? I've seen other blog systems, and they appear to be a place to post comments, but I've never actually seen how they work.

Thanks
Robert

[garvinhicking]

I'm just wondering what trackbacks are, and how you use them? I've seen other blog systems, and they appear to be a place to post comments, but I've never actually seen how they work.

Trackbacks are a method, where you notify (actively) a webpage to tell it: "Hey, I wrote somethin in relation to your article, which may be of anyone's interest".

In s9y, basically after posting an entry, it searches through every link you used and opens it. If s9y finds a page you linked, containing some special markup (RDF-Tags), it opens a special link and submits to that page that you created a page with reference to that page. The opposing website then enters your originating link in its own database and displays links to your blog on the page, where the article was you commented.

Many blogs offer links entitled "Trackback URL". In other Blog-Applications you have to copy that URL and place it inside a special area for Trackbacks. With s9y, you don't need that link, because it's drawn automagically from the originating page. This means, you don't have to pay attention to those lines.

Let's say you want to comment on an item of a s9y blog; you copy the URL of that article ("http://www.s9y-example-host.com/blog/ar ... 23_id.html") and place the link in your entry. After having saved your entry, you can visit the s9y blog of the person again, and you'll notice that it now says "Trackbacks (1)" instead of "Trackbacks(0)".

HTH,
Garvin.

[CapriSkye]

so when somebody links your blog, your trackbacks will increase? and how does your blog know when somebody is linking your blog?
which link would they use to link your blog then? Trackback specific URI for this entry or Direct link to this entry?
sorry im really new to this trackback thingy, thanks.

[garvinhicking]

Yes, the trackbacks will inrease if someone links to you.

Your blog can only know of this link, if the blog that is linking to you also supports trackbacks (that's the case for nearly every availabe blogging system out there). It will send a special "ping" to your blog so that it will know of trackbacks.

Depending on their blog they can either use automatic trackback detection using the HTML version of the article (because Serendipity embeds RDF-metadata). Or if their block does not support that, they can copy+paste the "Direct link" into their system.

You may also want to look at http://www.s9y.org/48.html

[CapriSkye]

now i understand, thanks!

[Scrapinette]

Hi !

I have used serendipity for few months now and I have the bad impression that I am not able to create trackbacks to other people blogs. However I have been able to create a trackback to one of my own posts, it's already cool but I would like to communicate and link to other blogs too !

In s9y, basically after posting an entry, it searches through every link you used and opens it. If s9y finds a page you linked, containing some special markup (RDF-Tags), it opens a special link and submits to that page that you created a page with reference to that page. The opposing website then enters your originating link in its own database and displays links to your blog on the page, where the article was you commented.

Many blogs offer links entitled "Trackback URL". In other Blog-Applications you have to copy that URL and place it inside a special area for Trackbacks. With s9y, you don't need that link, because it's drawn automagically from the originating page. This means, you don't have to pay attention to those lines.

Let's say you want to comment on an item of a s9y blog; you copy the URL of that article ("http://www.s9y-example-host.com/blog/ar ... 23_id.html") and place the link in your entry. After having saved your entry, you can visit the s9y blog of the person again, and you'll notice that it now says "Trackbacks (1)" instead of "Trackbacks(0)".

So, as far as I undertood, in serendipity we should not use the "trackback URL" given at the end of posts (including the word "trackback") but instead directly the URL of the post to which we want to refer. This URL have to be included in my post just as a normal link. Did I understand well ?

If yes, I tried twice with 2 different blogs using over-blog (are there known issues with over-blog) and it did not work. I read in serendipity help (http://www.s9y.org/48.html#A4) that when it does work I should use
the serendipity_event_trackback plugin... I can't find it in the plugin list !

Another question : are trackbacks created only when the post is published (ie, the first time the post is saved) or could they be created each time a post is saved ?

Thank you in advance for your help !

[garvinhicking]

Hi!

So, as far as I undertood, in serendipity we should not use the "trackback URL" given at the end of posts (including the word "trackback") but instead directly the URL of the post to which we want to refer. This URL have to be included in my post just as a normal link. Did I understand well ?

Exactly, that is right.

If yes, I tried twice with 2 different blogs using over-blog (are there known issues with over-blog) and it did not work. I read in serendipity help (http://www.s9y.org/48.html#A4) that when it does work I should use
the serendipity_event_trackback plugin... I can't find it in the plugin list !

Please tell us the URLs you linked to and we can investigate it.

The trackback plugin can be fetched via http://spartacus.s9y.org!

Anothe[/r question : are trackbacks created only when the post is published (ie, the first time the post is saved) or could they be created each time a post is saved ?

They are created on the first publish. No trackbacks get sent again if you edit an entry!

HTH,
Garvin

[Scrapinette]

Many thanks Garvin for your answers. It helps me a lot to clarify my understanding and to go ahead !

If yes, I tried twice with 2 different blogs using over-blog (are there known issues with over-blog) and it did not work. I read in serendipity help (http://www.s9y.org/48.html#A4) that when it does work I should use
the serendipity_event_trackback plugin... I can't find it in the plugin list !

Please tell us the URLs you linked to and we can investigate it.

My post 1 :
http://www.scrapinette.com/blog-scrapbo ... eBord.html
The post to which I want to trackback :
http://carnetsdebord.over-blog.net/article-2389159.html

My post 2 :
http://www.scrapinette.com/blog-scrapbo ... -!....html
The post to which I want to trackback :
http://photographiescrap.over-blog.com/ ... 283-6.html

The trackback plugin can be fetched via http://spartacus.s9y.org!

Ok it's the Trackback-Control plugin. I already downloaded it (but the "serendipity_event_trackback" did not appear on my French download interface !).

I configured it that way :

Disable the global use of trackbacks? No
Send trackbacks to your own blog? Yes

I left the other fields empty.

By the way, I also moderate comments and trackbacks but I assume it has no influence on sent trackbacks.

They are created on the first publish. No trackbacks get sent again if you edit an entry!

OK. Interesting to know.

Thanks again for your help !

[garvinhicking]

Hi!

You're welcome.

That trackback plugin you installed correctly! Below your entry creation screen you should see a large textarea where you can enter a list of trackback URLs that should be contacted!

You are right that comment/trackback moderation has no effect on outgoing trackbacks!

The URLs you gave to me both have no "RDF" metadata that indicates the trackback URL. Thus Serendipity cannot detect the trackback url to send to. That means that the two blogs do not fully support the Trackback API. The only way to get it done is that you enter the URL you need to trackback manually into the area of the trackback-control plugin!

HTH,
Garvin

[Scrapinette]

Hi !

That trackback plugin you installed correctly! Below your entry creation screen you should see a large textarea where you can enter a list of trackback URLs that should be contacted!

You are right that comment/trackback moderation has no effect on outgoing trackbacks!

The URLs you gave to me both have no "RDF" metadata that indicates the trackback URL. Thus Serendipity cannot detect the trackback url to send to. That means that the two blogs do not fully support the Trackback API. The only way to get it done is that you enter the URL you need to trackback manually into the area of the trackback-control plugin!

But this time this is the trackback URL and not the "normal" URL that I have to enter in this field. Right ?

For these 2 posts the trackback-control plugin area already contains URLs used in the post body. I assume it has been automatically created when I published the posts. If I add trackback URL now, will it be taken into account or is it too late because posts have already been published ?

How do I know if a blog is "RDF" metadata enabled or not ?

Many thanks for quick answers !

[garvinhicking]

Hi!

But this time this is the trackback URL and not the "normal" URL that I have to enter in this field. Right ?

Exactly! There you need to enter the URL that on the target pages tell you what the trackback URL is. Sadly I undrestand little french, so I didn't check those URLs.

For these 2 posts the trackback-control plugin area already contains URLs used in the post body. I assume it has been automatically created when I published the posts. If I add trackback URL now, will it be taken into account or is it too late because posts have already been published ?

That'S fine, you can simply add the trackback URLs into that field. New URLs that have not been there before will be trackbacked automatically when you save the entry.

How do I know if a blog is "RDF" metadata enabled or not ?

You could view the HTML source of that blog and search for the string "<rdf". If that is there, it usually contains all you need (or, precisely, what s9y needs).

HTH,
Garvin

[stm999999999]

How do I know if a blog is "RDF" metadata enabled or not ?

You could view the HTML source of that blog and search for the string "<rdf". If that is there, it usually contains all you need (or, precisely, what s9y needs).

Could it be an interesting idea to create a "this blog supports RDF" oder "this blog supports automagic trackbacks!" button/icon?

[stm999999999]

Anothe[/r question : are trackbacks created only when the post is published (ie, the first time the post is saved) or could they be created each time a post is saved ?

They are created on the first publish. No trackbacks get sent again if you edit an entry!

But it should work in that way, that inserting a new URL at editing an existent entry, makes a new trackback.

[Scrapinette]

Hi !

For these 2 posts the trackback-control plugin area already contains URLs used in the post body. I assume it has been automatically created when I published the posts. If I add trackback URL now, will it be taken into account or is it too late because posts have already been published ?

That'S fine, you can simply add the trackback URLs into that field. New URLs that have not been there before will be trackbacked automatically when you save the entry.

Some news... well, it doesn't work for these two old posts Each time I copied the trackback link at the end of the post on the remote blogs and paste it in the "Additional links to trackback" field.

For http://admin.over-blog.com/trackback.php?Id=2389159
I obtained (translated from French) :
• Check http://admin.over-blog.com/trackback.php?Id=2389159 for possible trackback...
• Target address contains no data
Your post has been saved.

For http://admin.over-blog.com/trackback.php?Id=4614283
I obtained (translated from French) :
Your post has been saved.

But for this last one I might have already played too much trying all different links (ie, might already been checked and I don't remember the error message).

Are there other stuff to check on remote blogs to know if a trackback is allowed and/or moderated ?

How do I know if a blog is "RDF" metadata enabled or not ?

You could view the HTML source of that blog and search for the string "<rdf". If that is there, it usually contains all you need (or, precisely, what s9y needs).
Garvin

Thanks for the tip !

I will have to practice all this on new post as well... Hoping it works better ! Thanks again !

[Scrapinette]

Anothe[/r question : are trackbacks created only when the post is published (ie, the first time the post is saved) or could they be created each time a post is saved ?

They are created on the first publish. No trackbacks get sent again if you edit an entry!

But it should work in that way, that inserting a new URL at editing an existent entry, makes a new trackback.

Yes in fact, it would be an improvement. However, if I understood well, this drawback can be by-passed by adding the new link both in your existing post for linking your text and in the "Additional links to trackback" field in order to force it to trackback this new link during post saving.