Apr 11, 2012 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The place for feedback, advice, and friendly blogging chatter.

Have you just published a new post and are dying for some feedback? Did you recently start your blog and could use some layout or design advice from your more seasoned peers?

The Community Pool is for peer feedback and advice. Looking for more specific information? Check out some of these resources:

Tap into the wisdom of The Daily Post blogging community and leave your question here in the comments. Others can then click through and offer input either on your site, or in the comments here (feel free to indicate which you’d prefer).

To help us make the Community Pool a productive space for discussion, here are some tips you might find useful:

  • While you’re not required to, we encourage everyone who requests feedback to also reply to at least one or two other bloggers who need some help. Spread the love!
  • The Community Pool comments section can get quite big — and starting duplicate threads doesn’t help. Thanks for not posting the same question more than once!
  • If you’re looking for quality feedback, be as specific as you can. Questions about a particular post tend to draw more comments than ones about entire blogs. Questions about specific design elements are more likely to be answered than ones asking for general layout advice.
  • We discourage leaving links without a more substantive message or question. These are often overlooked by other bloggers, and we frequently remove them to make the comment reading experience smoother.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. The idea is to have fun — it’s a pool, after all!
  • To keep from losing your place in the comment thread while you visit others’ blogs, right-click on a link to open it in a new tab or window.
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • No running on the deck.
Show Comments

1,329 Comments

Comments are closed.

Close Comments

Comments

  1. Hey everyone I just started blogging.Please visit my new and fresh post.
    Please Please Please Please Please………………………………….
    sayyouth.wordpress.com

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Hello Vibhav,

      I read your articles and I should admit that I was overwhelmed by the brilliancy with which they were written. Brilliant Keep it up. I like your Paakeezah, your shayari.

      But there’s one thing which I felt difficult was I tried following your blog, but i couldn’t find any follow button there. Is this your theme issue or your own descion.

      Anyway

      May you please have a look at my blogposts as well, and provide your niche comments on that :

      https://vineetpandeystories.wordpress.com/

      Please read and FOLLOW the blog in case you like it.

      Thanks !!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hey Vineet, thanks a lot for your lovely feedback. please do read the other posts also.
        To follow the blog please click a button on the top right corner.

        I am actually reading one of your story. please do read “A Blind Date” and “65 Days of Love” too, going by the contents of your blog I think you would like that.

        Thanks!!

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Hiya…I visited and read your posts. Then, I got curious about you, the author.

      Gulp! No About has been written yet. Hope you will, then post here again.

      You may be surprised to learn that many site visitors begin at your About, then visit other pages after. They also Like and Comnent there too.

      Like

  4. Dear Bloggers… I am new at WordPress blogging. I write posts of interest to Followers of JESUS, those who want a deeper walk with HIM+.

    I cannot figure out what to do to let others know my posts are on, except to post them. So, I post them… and no-one shows up to read or comment.

    My last post was on a mission-minded Christian young woman who works with the Native Americans out in BLEAK South Dakota… far away from friends and family.

    Her short article is so very REAL… of the trials, fears, and victories she has experienced in her calling for CHRIST JESUS.

    The post is not “theoretical” nor is it “theological”… just REAL. No-one is reading it.

    What more can I do ?

    Sincerely,
    In JESUS
    Who+ alone is Life
    both here and beyond the grave…

    Sr. Judith Hannah + + +
    Monastic-At-Heart
    (www.monasticatheart.wordpress.com)

    Liked by 2 people

    1. One of the most valuable things you can do to spread the word about your blog is to start on social media: make a facebook page for it, spread the word to your friends for them to spread the word to their friends and so on. It’s a great way to direct traffic to your site 🙂
      I get the most traffic from Pinterest, but I feel like that probably wouldn’t quite be the best platform for your topic

      Like

    2. You might visit some other blogs with similar interests and put likes and comments on some of their posts. That will make your blog more visible to others. Also, it might help to put Tags on your posts. For instance, on your recent one, you could Tag with monastic, missions, Christ. That might help people find the post. http://gracelead.co

      Like

    1. With all the religious blogs popping up recently, it’s nice to see people doing something a bit more.. 21st century. Good luck with the blog guys 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    2. I see you don’t ask for feedback, but I’ll tell you anyway that I appreciated the graphic. It reminded me of similar graphics (or perhaps the same one) on NOVA (I think) and helped me better understand what you were saying.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Hi,

    I run a Christian blog (www.catholicspiritualinsights.wordpress.com). If anyone here would like to provide some feedback, I would be very grateful!

    Regards,

    – Jake

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Hi all. Would really appreciate it if any of you could drop by https://peanutbuttertomysandwich.wordpress.com and comment on/give a feedback on any of my posts there. I’ve been in WordPress since 2012, but it is only now that I mustered the guts to deliberately let the world see it, let alone comment on it. I don’t think I could ever share my site to anyone of my personal friends in real life though . . . they’re really private thoughts I prefer to keep to myself and other people who don’t personally know me. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Nice to see you are posting again. I left a comment on your About page.

      Speak your truth. Polish, Polish, Polish.

      Publish and let your readers enjoy. If your words are for them, they will acknowledge and accept. Just like this!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Hi everyone!
    My name is Wolfcalls (for those of you who’ve been asking, yeah, that’s my real name) and I write poetry! And everyone who reads it tells me to write free verse, but PLEASE DON’T TELL ME THAT I’ve already tried and I don’t like it so I stick to rhymed verse. Anyway, I do welcome feedback, constructive criticism included, because it will help me improve. I’m very young (just in my teens) and very ambitious, so please let me know what you think!
    https://nightwhisperswolfblog.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Your poem flowed very well for me, and I nearly lost myself in the story it told. You drew wonderful word images that transported me to other places and times, and reminded me just how painful the teen years can be. I loved how seamlessly the rhyming worked, without distracting from the story and mood, yet there every step of the way. I look forward to more form you.

      Liked by 2 people

    1. Hi Kathryn – the page loaded pretty quickly for me (though my computer isn’t the fastest these days!) The slide show was helpful in the way that pictures of processes are always helpful, but the pale text vanished into the flour when it was laid on top of the pictures.

      The recipe looked lovely and I suppose the only thing that troubled me was the “Nettle-wrapped artisan-dairy soft cheese” requirement. I know you say that brie or another cheese would work, but I’d assume, because you specify it, that nettle-wrapped soft cheese is somehow ‘better’ than brie etc. We have nettle-wrapped Cornish Yarg here, but it’s not a soft cheese. I probably wouldn’t make the scones because I don’t know if the cheese I’d find here would work in your recipe.

      Hope that’s useful. Thanks for reminding me that asparagus is in season!

      Best wishes
      Elaine

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Elaine, thank you for your comments. They are most helpful. I’ll see what I can do about the slide-show captions, and I’ll look into the cheese issue too. I cannot update today, but can tomorrow. I’ll leave another comment here when I’ve done. Thank you again. Much, much appreciated!

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Sadly, no longer. Now I have to buy mine in the store like everyone else. One day I may again live in the countryside and where no pesticides are sprayed. Thanks for the link. I read the article. Fascinating!

        Liked by 1 person

      6. If you lived in Andalucia, you could go up the mountains to find wild asparagus. I remember a local 86 year old gentleman who used to climb the mountain with his dog, stay overnight, pick wild asparagus in the early morning and bring it down to the market. It was delicious!

        Liked by 1 person

  10. Hello fellow bloggers,

    I have – once again – changed my blog layout, made a few changes (created a Facebook too! + I am still looking for inspiring people to feature in my blog series). I would love to hear your views on my blog over-all or on particular articles.

    I would gladly visit your blog and try to offer some constructive feedback in return.

    http://www.thehighheeledpapergirl.wordpress.com

    Giulia

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hi Giulia…I left a comment on your blog too. I’m happy to take a ride with you, so I followed. Thanks for the invite.

      Your home page is very welcoming. I felt like I wanted to hang out. I enjoyed your making a difference section. I hope you will introduce us to more people just like your feature.

      Very clever to don your journalist hat!

      All in all I’m very excited for you and your future. In my opinion, you have both the wit and the talent.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Hi, I have published a new post on my food blog. Earlier I used to uploaded pictures of all the steps of making a dish. Then I read somewhere that people are not interested in viewing every single step. So now I refrain from doing so. What is your suggestion? I blog at http://thefoodfunda.com/
    Your suggestions are eagerly awaited.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hi Michaela,
      Finding the right audience (your eventual followers) takes time. For a couple months I didn’t have one, but the more I started visiting other blogs in which I had an interest and making thoughtful comments, the more bloggers found my space and some would follow. I visited your site and it doesn’t seem you have tagged your posts. That is another way wordpress users as well as users of internet search engines will find relevant posts, so I’d suggest tagging your posts with accurate words. I’ve also found that an ‘About’ page makes a site more friendly and community-oriented so adding one, telling the readers a little about yourself, is not a bad idea. But by far the most useful way to increase visibility is to read other blogs and sincerely comment. Have fun!

      Liked by 2 people

  16. I started my blog back in September, but after four posts I couldn’t figure out what I wanted my blog to focus on. Finally, I came back to it last month and changed the design and decided that the site would showcase my poetry and fiction. You can visit my blog at https://www.josslynraeturner.net. I would love some feedback.

    Liked by 2 people

  17. Good Monday to ya! Hope you had a great weekend. I’ve written a new post on Giving Comfort. I would really appreciate some feedback on the topic. Am I way off base, do you feel similar, can you offer a different perspective? Do you think anything else could have been added to really drive the point? All comments are welcome. Agree or disagree just keep it respectfully.
    http://aneneslife.wordpress.com

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I agree. My biggest struggle is the impulse to “fix” whatever the problem might be. This is not always what they want and not always what is best for them. Another challenge is that some people want me to agree with their point of view (often to blame someone else for their problems). I can’t do that. The challenge becomes how to help them see their situation objectively while also reassuring them that I care for them regardless. http://gracelead.co

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yeah, I think many of us have that impulse to “fix” without inquiring what they need, its probably just human nature. How to handle a situation when others won’t accept their own responsibility? That too is a tough one, there is a fine line to walk with that and balance is definitely needed.

        Like

    1. Hi Zona,

      I like your theme and love your tagline! Have you thought about adding some menu tabs to the top or sidebar to make it a little easier to navigate?

      Like

  19. Hi, there…Truly here 🙂 I’ve just submitted my latest post–“Cindy Lou Who-Do-You-Think-You-Are?–and I’d be over the moon if you’d read it and gave me some feedback…it is the best feeling knowing you’ve connected with others…and, given my love of writing, it’s such an magical way of sharing–and being shared with! Of course I would be privileged to return the favour; and it’s a great way for me to discover new blogs. Wishing you joy, and smiles…and a really great day…and, if you’re not having one today–rest assured that one is just beyond the horizon 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi I took a quick look at your blog, it seems to have posted the same post one and a half times? Gift Giving is showing as a post and then a separate post above with the same name that cut’s off mid sentence….

      Like

    1. I like the idea for your, albeit vast, project. It reminds me of the four-hour documentary, ‘Human.’ In this film people from all over the world are removed from their environments and asked profound questions. I highly recommend it for you.
      In Chinese, the expression ‘ten-thousand’ is just another way of emphasizing ‘many.’ So don’t worry about reaching your goal and enjoy the journey and the souls you meet:)

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hi, I like the name and the layout of the blog. You mention you are struggling with how to convey your theme. Have you thought about changing the tagline or adding a longer description (2-3 sentences) to the heading? That might help a bit. Otherwise, looks great and very interesting.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. I really like the concept of this blog so far! I think a concept like this evolves over time and – especially because you’re interviewing different people – will always evolve. I do enjoy it and followed!

      Like

    4. It’s time to write your next interview. Choose someone in your neighborhood that your feel comfortable sharing space with, but don’t know well. Write your next interview!!!

      Do you have a Facebook Page? Since you are space conscious, you may be able to get some of your Facebook friends to line up to be interviewed. They will probably need a compelling reason to do so however. Share yours!

      I believe having an updated plan detailing how you want to proceed is going help you get refocused. I would also set new goals. For instance, you will do (1) interview a week.

      You must get more comfortable with your project, and yourself. The idea is sound. It’s ambitious yes, but it’s got a rainbow in it. At the end of this rainbow is your pot of gold.

      Highest and Best!

      Like

  27. Hey guys! Relatively new blogger here. I’ve got a new post that I would everyone to check out. It’s something I wrote a few years ago, I made a few tweaks here and there and I would really love your opinion on it. If you could check it out here: https://kaleidoscopeofdreamsblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/so-you-want-to-be-famous/#more-117 I would be so appreciative.

    I’ve also updated my ‘about’ page a little bit, I’ve tried to make it slightly funkier and enabling, so the big question here is, what do you guys think? https://kaleidoscopeofdreamsblog.wordpress.com/about/

    Writing has always been a passion of mine, and I would just really love some feedback on my content and writing. All criticisms are welcome, not matter how nice or harsh. Thanks guys! – https://kaleidoscopeofdreamsblog.wordpress.com

    Liked by 1 person

  28. I just did a major redesign and brand overhaul, changing my site’s name, my about page, my tone, etc, etc so I could really use some feedback on my new look!

    ofbooksandbailey.com

    Liked by 4 people

    2. I enjoyed my visit to your blog. Wished for an About page soon please. Liked your post about attending the conference. Left several comments.

      Did I mention I wished for a completed About page? You seem so interesting. I went to read just how interesting you feel you are and …..????

      Highest and Best

      Like

  30. Hey Nerds! My name is mckelodeon, and I run the nerd lifestyle blog, Nerd•ily!

    Today, I have a thought-provoking post up on the site. It should be a great discussion piece, so if you could take a gander, I would be very appreciative!

    https://nerdilyblog.com/2016/04/11/when-do-we-become-nerds/

    I might not reply right away, since I’m on my break at work, but I will go through the comments here when I get a chance. So if you don’t hear anything from me for a while, that’s why!

    Thanks!

    Liked by 5 people