It’s just data

Trackback policy

Phil Ringnalda: I don't think the semantics of TrackBack really require that the pinger link to the pingee

True, but this provides an interesting example of how I approach problems and protocols. Wen you look it it, even though the end results apears to be much different, the fundamentals we both are applying are basically the same.

Phil identified this trackback as looking like spam. He reserves the right to retroactively delete any such entries on his weblog. I simply reserve the right to be more proactive.

When I look at the Trackback spec, I don't look for guidance on how I should display the results. I have never displayed trackbacks in the "traditional" way, though I notice that more and more people are coming to the same conclusion as I did as to how trackbacks "ought" to be displayed.

Nor to I particularly focus on the methods - I simply look at the data in and the data out. More on this subject in Neurotransmiters. What actions I chose to take based on receiving a particular sequence of data is up to me.


But Sam, you're an example to others! You have an image to upho... gotcha.

"In widely deployed implementations of TrackBack like MT, I would rather not see spam-proofing by automatically discarding pings from pages that don't link back, because it would limit the things that can be tried with TrackBack too early in its life."

Posted by Phil Ringnalda at

I've started out with a phpBB-based forum structure and am hacking it to become more weblog-like. I already have per-topic RSS feeds and am now working on trackback.
On my beta weblog I'm treating a trackback ping as a special kind of post, formatting the ping's data fields, and inserting that into the original topic. So it's just an automatic comment.
I agree that the MT trackback spec doesn't come out and say in so many words that the referenced permalink should be checked to make sure that it links back to the original post... but it's hard to think of legitimate non-spam examples.

Posted by Rainer Brockerhoff at

Phil: LOL! And, well put.

It is worth noting that I have not yet instituted a policy that links are a prereq for trackbacks, nor have I deleted the trackback that you referred to as probable spam. I simply reserve the right to.

My policy on e-mail spam at the moment is a different matter. If it doesn't pass spamAssassin, it doesn't get in. I realize that this may include false positives. I certainly may adjust this policy in the future.

Posted by Sam Ruby at

Rainer: Here is one legitimate use scenario for you.

http://www.intertwingly.net/blog/1184.html#c1044729239

Posted by Timothy Appnel at

Watch out for spam pinging

Is a Trackback spam? Is a Trackback collector in danger?... [more]

Trackback from A young man's Weblog

at

True, but this provides an interesting example of how I approach problems and protocols. Wen you look it it, even though the end results apears to be much different, the fundamentals we both are applying are basically the same. Phil identified this...

Excerpt from phil ringnalda dot com: A TrackBack is a comment, except when it's spam: Comments at

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