I’ve spent the better part of the day fiddling with the code behind the Wizbang Stand Alone Trackback Pinger. Originally it was thrown together out of frustration, since my blogging software at the time didn’t send trackbacks to Movable Type blogs properly. Coding was done on an exception basis, which made for some spaghetti code.
It turns out the different blogging software packages each have some quirks about what they will accept as a valid ping. Some return success codes in instances where the pings are not successful. In a nutshell I had to go back to the drawing board.
This version of the software works with Movable Type and WordPress – that I know of. If you send trackback pings successfully to other platforms not mentioned let me know. It should work with all major trackback implementations.
Version 2 of the Wizbang Stand Alone Trackback Pinger is now active. Enjoy.
PS – Let me know if you have any issues using it.
]]>< ![CDATA[
After you submit your ping you usually will see a short XML message. A successful ping will generate the following message:
<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”iso-8859-1″ ?>
<response>
<error>0</error>
</response>
A failed ping usually generates the following message:
<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”iso-8859-1″ ?>
<response>
<error>1</error>
</response>
A failed ping may also generate a Page Not Found error, in which case you have probably entered the trackback URL incorrectly.
At some point in the future I will program into the form the logic to get and parse these XML codes and show a cleaner success or failure message, but I have to figure out how to transfer the logic from VBScript to JavaScript. My very rusty JavaScript knowledge is not up to the task today.
The code for the bookmarklet and the hosted version of the form has not been updated yet. They will be in the next day or so…
I’ve tried about 5 times and each time the track back has failed.
So I’m likely screwing this up: what URL goes in the Trackback space — the one I’m pinging or the specific entry on my own blog?
Thanks.
The Monk
The trackback URL listed at the site you are pinging.
For example the trackback URL for this post is:
http://wizbangblog.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/3046
I am not sure what a Permalink URL is. I know that is really stupid! I am new to all this. Also what am I suppose to post, a signature or what?
Thanks!
Kathleen (Righwingsparkle)
I’ve tried several times to use the form then and now (as recently, twice, as this evening, just a few moments ago….09/11/04, 1:37 A.M., PST) and I never get any response or result…but, instead, once “submit form” is selected, the window returns to the pinged thread.
No confirmation, no error response, nothing, just a prompt return to the thread display that I’ve tried to ping.
And, my results never show up in your “Trackback” data, so apparently my “pings” never are successful.
I use the “Permalink” information from Wizbang! threads (displayed code for the page under your “Permalink” link for whatever threads I’m trying to “ping”), and,
I use the full hyperlink for whatever thread of mine on which I attempt to create a “ping” relationship.
I am using Blogger to publish to my own server. I’d be using MT if I could only figure out how to install it…any helps would be helpful, cause I have a lot of bandwidth and all that I’m not using and would really like to have MT or TypePad or whatever instead of Blogger, I just don’t (yet) comprehend how to set up my php and/or all that stuff. Helps would be very much appreciated, cause I’d really value being able to be included in the trackback process.