Trackbacks and pingbacks are similar but have their differences. Trackbacks were created by SixApart, the people who created the Movable Type blogging service. Trackbacks allow a blogger send to another blogger a link back their blog post. The purpose is to stimulate more conversation by having two blogs involved with the same topic. Trackbacks are supposed to help prevent bloger comment spamming, because they are from another blog and not random spam selling websites.
Pingbacks use differing communication technologies. Pingbacks use XML-RPC technology. Trackbacks use HTTP POST technology. Pingbacks use something called auto discovery in which the blogging software automatically detects links in a post. It also, automatically attempts to pingback the URLs. Trackbacks do this manually. With trackbacks in the blogosphere, a user has to manually enter the trackback URL that the user wants the trackback to be sent to. Pingbacks as opposed to trackbacks don’t actually send any content (text/images) when executed.
Trackbacks and pingbacks are a remote method to leave links and or comments on other blogs. Trackbacks send a link and content whereas pingbacks don’t . Trackbacks can be edited by the blogger who received the trackback. Pingbacks just send over the link from the other blogger.
The choice of using a trackback for a pingback is dependent on the blogger or user. Trackbacks are much harder to verify. They can come from anyone. Pingbacks are much more authenticate and verifiable, where the blogger being pinged verifies that the pinger is saying who they say they really are.
Feel free to trackback or ping this post!
JF Web Think 