For ISM bloggers: Sending TrackBack pings

This is an internal note to other boggers on this site. (All ISM planning group members are able to create blog entries here after logging in.)

If you read other blogs, you may have noticed a feature called "Trackback" at the end of each posting. It's a little complicated, but in short what this does is allow a blogger to tell another blogger that s/he has included a link to an item in the other's blog by sending a "ping" to the quoted blog.

The software we are using presently does not have automatic trackbacking available, but all is not lost. It is possible to send trackback pings manually by creating a free account at http://www.haloscan.com and using the "Manage TrackBacks" feature.

First, create your account and login. Then click the "Manage Trackback" menu item at the top of the Members page, then select the Send a Trackback Ping tab and follow the instructions. Or if you're logged in to the Haloscan site already, just use the link here.

Finding the permalink

I didn't mention it earlier, but the "Permalink" wanted by the trackback form is the link to the blog entry's stand alone page. To find that, click the entry's title and URL of the page that comes up with just that entry is the permalink.