So, how does a trackback work?

[walrus]

Unfortunately, wordpress seems to handle this differently with different versions.

If I quote you in a post and link to your post like Virgohippy's example, that should create a ping-back. Which is similar to a trackback other than it does not quote a segment of your text. It simply adds a link back to your post from their comments section.

If I quote you and I use your url (yoururl.com/post) and add /trackback (yoururl.com/trackback) that should create the trackback which takes a portion of your post and inserts that as a comment.

If you look in the comments section for the trackback link, when you mouse over the link, you'll find that the link does show the /trackback/ extension.

I know with my version, even though I have pingbacks allowed, I don't seem to do them and if you want to trackback to a post, you must use the /trackback/ on the url you post or the script wont process the trackback either.

As far as your article is concerned, as far as I am concerned the above is the only true trackback.

The second one he lists is spam.

The third is just reciprocal linking within a post.