What is a Trackback

How do I do one, and Why do I care?
This is another one of those things I have been getting a few requests for lately, so here's the scoop.

One of the biggest differences between a blog and a website, is that a blog is interactive, not unlike a huge virtual cocktail party. You know how it is, you walk into this party, and if you look at the entire room, you will see cliques of people, and usually one big herd right by the bar, becuase, after all, that is where the action is. So you grab your cosmo, and begin circulating. If you are like me, you search the room for someone you know, and you kind of hang out with them. All of a sudden, somebody taps you on the shoulder and says, " Hey, I overheard you talking about bulldogs, and how funny they are. I have a bulldog, and here is what my dog did yesterday". Now I am engaging someone new in a conversation that I was having, and I have made a new connection. That my friends is a trackback.
So how does this work with blogs?

If you notice, at the bottom of most blog posts, you should find something that says Trackback for this entry, or Trackback. All I do, is click on the trackback link, and I will see a URL for the post that I want to comment on. I copy that link and paste it at the bottom of my post where it says Send a Trackback to these addresses. When I publish my entry, the post that I am connecting with will get the tap on the shoulder to let them know I referenced them. In this case, I tracked back to a link about Trackbacks.

If all goes well, when I look at the post that I referred to, my blog title will show up, along with an exerpt from this post.

Using trackbacks is probably the best way to introduce yourself to the people you want to meet, so have fun with it, It's a big world out there!

Comments

[9Volt-Terry]

Excellent explanation! Dog lover that I am, you had me hook, line & sinker right out of the starting gate.

[byajero]

You've got nice info there! Now I knew how this track back works. Even though I don't have dogs exposed in my blog I still leave a comment here because I have seen you in Google for my query about track backs.