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Suppose there is a blog post and at the top there is usually some metadata like: 

"Entry date: 21.01.2014 12:12" , "Posted by Herr Mustermann".

The translation that I got from a native German speaker was following: 

"Eintrag vom 21.01.2014 12:12", "Beitrag von Herr Mustermann"

So it's "Eintrag" in first case and "Beitrag" in the second case but they refer to the same object (blog post).

I wonder if it's possible to use either one "Beitrag" or "Eintrag" in both these lines?

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  • 1
    Note that your translator used the same grammatical construct for both phrases, whereas the English one mixes two styles, i.e. Published on … or Author: … could be used instead. Your translator also avoided all political correctness pitfalls regarding gender by not choosing Datum: …, Autor: / Autor/-in: / Autor(in): / AutorIn: / Autor_in: / Autor*in: … or something like that. – Crissov Jul 12 '16 at 21:07
  • I want to use the dative for the second bit, so Beitrag von Herrn Mustermann. – Jan Jul 28 '16 at 1:08
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Eintrag = entry
Beitrag = contribution

Both nouns are related with verbs:

eintragen

This means to write a new item into a list.

Wer mit dem Bus zum Treffen fahren will, muss sich in diese Liste eintragen.
Who wants to travel with the bus to the meeting has to enter his name in this list.

So an »Eintrag« is an entry in a list or in something that is similar to a list. (i.e. a logfile or a class book)

beitragen

This means you add your part to something bigger.

Ich will mit meiner Spende dazu beitragen, dass es anderen besser geht.
With my donation I want to make a contribution in order to help others.

So a »Beitrag« is what someone adds. Together with »Beiträge« from others it forms something that is bigger than what one person could have made alone.

Since an entry in a blog is a contribution, you can use both words, and so all of this four possibilities are correct and understandable:

  1. "Eintrag vom 21.01.2014 12:12", "Eintrag von Herr Mustermann"
  2. "Eintrag vom 21.01.2014 12:12", "Beitrag von Herr Mustermann"
  3. "Beitrag vom 21.01.2014 12:12", "Eintrag von Herr Mustermann"
  4. "Beitrag vom 21.01.2014 12:12", "Beitrag von Herr Mustermann"

But because the first part (»xxx vom 21.01.2014 12:12«) has the focus on the list-idea, and because the second part (»xxx von Herr Mustermann«) deals more with Mr. Mustermanns contribution, #2 is the choice you should prefer.

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  • I agree that #2 should be preferred over #3, but something like #4 could even be better, although I would avoid the repetition: Beitrag von Herr Mustermann vom 21.01.2014 12:12 or perhaps geschrieben von Herr Mustermann am 21.01.2014 um 12:12. – Crissov Jul 12 '16 at 21:01
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The words are quite similar, but not exchangeble here:

Eintrag would be short for Logbucheintrag - which a Weblog-entry is basically.

Beitrag is a post/addendum to a (forum) thread like a comment. It could also be an editorial in a newspaper, in which case the entry/Eintrag part would be misplaced. The terminologies overlap here.

Posted by XXX should've been translated as Geschrieben von XXX or just von XXX instead. This form is pretty common, too.

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