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BURNINGBIRD
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a node at the edge
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July 01, 2002
 Zip-Zip
I like Movable Type's trackback, but the problem with it is that now there's two areas whereby the popularity of a posting is judged - the comment count AND the trackback count. If a posting is a zip-zip, should it just quietly fold its tent, wonder off into the desert - the dog seeking an elegant death? Or is the posting so powerful, graceful, and eloquent that the readers are literally struck silent by the sheer beauty of it. (In this crowd? Are you kidding? The only way to strike this crowd silent is to hit them with a 2 x 4.) This same issue comes to mind with ThreadNeedle - the very fact that you register a posting with ThreadNeedle implies that you think the posting is strong enough to generate comment, but what happens when the weather's nice, the readers are lazy, and you score zip. If you use Movable Type and allow comments, your score would then be: zip-zip-zip Geez, only the strongest and most confident personality could survive this with ego unscathed. This is changing one of my overall views of how to incorporate ThreadNeedle into a weblog. What I did NOT want from ThreadNeedle was another measure of 'popularity', which I dislike. Thanks to Ben and Mena for the cool new technology. Also thanks for opening my eyes to a potential new problem with ThreadNeedle. (Should I track this? Huh? Huh? Should I? Should I? Go ahead, you know you want to...) Posted by Bb at July 01, 2002 06:54 PM Trackback Count (0) Comments
I guess this is one reason I originally asked whether Needley would work out-of-line. Sometimes the originator of a thread is the last person to realize there's a thread at all. Ow. Was going to write more, but headache is returning with vengeance. Ow ow. Plus, non-contoured keyboards really do suck. Posted by: Dorothea Salo on July 1, 2002 07:16 PMIf I depended solely on comments or reader feedback to justify my online stuff, I'd have quit long ago. I do get *some* but the vast majority of posts don't get answered. Sometimes this is due to the Usenet nod -- if folks agree with me, they aren't as likely to comment! Posted by: Anita Rowland on July 1, 2002 07:35 PMGood point Anita - we must look on these as tools for enabling communication rather than votes of popularity (Note to Shelley - look on these things as tools for enabling communication, not as votes of popularity). Dorothea - lie down! In nice, cool air conditioned room with cool, moist rag on head! And take axe to old keyboard, tell your boss an innocent lie (it was termites. Honest) Posted by: Bb aka Shelley aka Weblog Bosswoman on July 1, 2002 07:40 PMI assume that when people don't comment on my posts that I have stunned them with my wit and intelligence. Or they are so bored that they've fallen asleep. Glass half full, glass half empty... Posted by: rev_matt on July 1, 2002 08:01 PMI've found the Trackback tools and whatever Mark Pilgrim http://diveintomark.org/) uses are less than perfect. When I link to a post, I make sure to follow it (from home), if only to have it show up in a referer log. In general, this is not triggering a visit for trackback purposes. Although, as soon as I follow the link while at work it registers. I don't think it's a browser setting since I've tested it by following the link from IE, Mozilla, and Opera. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this disqualifies trackback as a reliable measure of popularity. (Besides, a lot of times I'll link the main page rather than a particular post, which won't trigger a trackback). Posted by: Bill Simoni on July 1, 2002 09:31 PMJust when I thought I had TrackBack figured out, it turns out I was completely and utterly wrong. I thought it was supposed to aid communication between posters. Nope, just another popularity meter. Oh, well. Posted by: Brennan on July 1, 2002 11:46 PMThere's a fine line between communication and masturbation, mutual or otherwise, amigo. Posted by: stavrosthewonderchicken on July 2, 2002 12:12 AMUh, not that that's a bad thing... Posted by: stavrosthewonderchicken on July 2, 2002 12:17 AMPost a comment
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