Thread

I just enabled trackbacks a week or so ago. I’ve already set “Add Trackback Auto-discovery code to your pages?” to “yes” inside of trackback preferences of the global weblog preferences. I also have removed disable=“trackbacks” from my weblog entires tag on my full article entry templates.

e.g.

{exp:weblog:entries weblog="articles" limit="1" disable="pagination|member_data"}

A blog recently linked to one of my articles HERE

Yet, I have received no trackbacks or anything like that. What could I be doing wrong? Or, does the person giving the trackback need to use a special URL for it to work? If so, what’s the point of auto discovery turned on?

Thanks

Deron, unless the person specificially *chooses* to send a trackback, then you won’t get one.  There is no “auto discovery” of pages linking to that entry - they have to make the effort to actually trackback your entry.

You can make sure its working by trackbacking one of your own entries, so you know it was done.

Auto discovery on means that if they create the entry while viewing the page (for instance, using the bookmarklet in EE) that it can auto fill the trackback information.

Ok, I’m obviously lost on the whole trackback thing then. So…

1. Basically I can turn auto discovery off, correct? As it isn’t doing anything anyway. I’m not familiar with the bookmarklet in EE but the way it sounds is that for auto discovery to work, the other person needs EE also?

2. How does a person choose to send a trackback? I can’t test it myself because I have no idea what I’m doing to even specifically choose to do. I was under the impression that this all happened automatically once a person simply linked to one of my articles in their articles.

1. No.  Nearly all systems that use trackbacks hav some method for those interested in using them to create posts after scanning a page for autodiscovery.  If you want to encourage the use, I’d keep them on.  Trackbacks are NOT EE only.

2. The person either uses an automated system to grab the trackback URL, or copies it from the page where you’re displaying it and enters it in the trackbacks section (for you, in the Trackbacks tab, if I remember correctly: I view the trackback system as pure evil).  Then when posting, the site pings that URL and the information shows up on your site.

1. Okay, so before someone can trackback an article, their system will first have to scan my article for auto discovery? So, trackbacks will not work without auto discovery? I guess I’m just confused on what auto discovery actually does?

2. I’m not sure where this trackbacks tab is that you’re referring too? I went to publish an article and I don’t see a trackback tab, so I’m still confused on how I can test this myself because I don’t know how to send one.

Why do you view it as pure evil, if you don’t mind my asking? I’m also starting to view it as beyond pure evil simply because it’s so damn hard to understand and implement. I mean, you’d think with all the technology available, that once someone linked to an article it would automatically do it all for you. 😊

1. In some way they have to give it the trackback URL - they can do this with autodiscovery, or by copying and pasting the trackback URL you provide with the entry. 

2. Go to expressionengine.com/sales/try/ and login to the control panel demo and go to publish. You’ll see the trackbacks tab there.  If Trackbacks are properly enabled, that will appear on your site, too.

Trackbacks, as they stand, are nearly 100% a medium for spam, there are some valid trackbacks going around, but very, very few.  The blacklist and randomized trackback URLs can help, but the medium itself is, in my personal opinion, beyond dead.

1. Okay, I think I follow on number one now. For the trackback to work, one way or the other, they’ve got to link to my article using the trackback URL, if not, it won’t work. Therefore, they can either copy and paste the trackback URL (if I’ve given it in the article) or use auto discovery to get it automatically?

2. Ah, I see. now. I’ve not got them enabled correctly then. I don’t see the trackbacks tab on either of my two EE installs. Have to check my settings I suppose.

Thanks for your patience with me Lisa!

As far as the spam goes, I may not use them then. I’ve seen a few sites posting the most recent site on their homepage which trackbacked one of their articles. Basically a way to get more people talking about your site and in return they get an automatic link back on the homepage because they trackbacked your article. Like you said, probably would just encourage more spam, but I wanted to see if it worked.

[off topic] I noticed that after updating to EE 1.6 when I hover over the “publish” tab, it used to have a drop down menu of my different weblogs and now it does not. I have to click the tab before I can select which weblog. Is this default behavior and can I turn on the drop down menu again? [/off topic]

Deron, one of the first things I do with *any* EE install is turn off trackbacks. They are just so not worth it. The second thing I do is set the Publish/Edit form to not display the trackbacks tab. Then I set the default check boxes to not have allow trackbacks checked automatically.

As far as the clicking of the tabs for Publish, I much prefer having to click instead of hover. You can change that at CP Home ›  Admin ›  System Preferences ›  Control Panel Settings

Ok, you’ve both talked me into it. I’m turning trackbacks off 😊

Thanks for letting me know where the publish tab hover effect was. I’ve been looking with not much luck finding it.

EDIT: Actually, something must be wrong. My preferences for the publish tab were already test to “hover” yet it isn’t hovering.

Are you using the MSM (Multiple Site Manager)? Are you on the most recent build?

No I wasn’t at the time (sorry didn’t look…I really need to subscribe to build updates by feed or something)

I’m updated to the latest now (Build:  20070726) and no, I’m not using the MSM. I still doen’t have the hover affect. I mean, it’s really not a huge deal because I’ve been using it without the hover affect now ever since I upgraded to 1.6, I just assumed that it was a feature they removed but it seems like a bug.

Check in both My Account -> Control Panel Settings and Admin -> Control Panel Settings and make sure neither are using the 31three theme, and are using the default theme.

Ok, I was using the 31three theme. I changed to the default theme in both places as you said and still no hover effect.

Weird- is the setting ‘sticking’?  So if you go back to ‘Control Panel Settings’ it’s still set to ‘Hover’?  If so- I’d try it in a different browser, see if it makes a difference.

Hey Robin. Yep, it’s sticking. I checked again under the Control Panel Settings and it’s still set to “hover.” Tried IE 7 and Opera and still no hover.