Blogger.com and Trackback Technology

I really like Blogger.com! Not only was it one of the first (or was it THE first?) blogging platforms available, it is so darn easy to use. Three simple steps, and voila, you have your very own blog! And, it's FREE! It comes with several very attractive templates which can not only be customized to the look and feel of your website if so desired, but can even incorporated into your site!!

One of the few components Blogger does not incorporate natively is trackback technology. TrackBack is a system developed by Movable Type that allows a blogger to see who has seen the original post and has written another entry concerning it. The system works by sending a 'ping' between the blogs, and therefore providing the alert.

That has been Blogger's "Achille's Heel" where I'm concerned, that kept me from using it myself. However, that little techno-gaffe can now be circumvented by using a trackback plug-in developed by Haloscan.com. And guess what, it's also free!

The best part about the Haloscan plug-in is that it uses a simple two-step process that detects your Blogger blog and installs the trackback function automatically. All you have to do is have your comments turned on and, voila, you have trackbacks!

If you're a small businessperson who is interested in blogging, I can't think of an simpler, more easy-to-use system than Blogger. (And I use TypePad!) It's a great way to get your feet wet at least.