The Pings I Know

What is a blog ping?

In the context of blogging and in laymen’s terms, a blog ping is a signal a blog sends to a (or many) ping server(s) that blog content has been updated.

What is a ping list?

A ping list is a list of web addresses

What is a ping service?

A ping service notifies blog directories and search engines a blog has been updated.

What are the dangers of pinging?

If you use a ping list incorrectly, your blog can be banned and you will be labeled a spammer… er, a spinger (aka a ping spammer). An example of this would be when you update your blog – another ping goes out and technically, your post is not considered fresh content.

Are ping lists always up to date?

No – ping servers come and go, so whatever list is used it should be kept up-to-date.

What does this mean in the context of WordPress?

WordPress makes this easy for you by listing Ping-O-Matic’s server (rpc.pingomatic.com) by default. All you need to do is sit back and let it work for you!

Source: Wikipedia