Jan 20, 2013 / Community Pool

Community Pool

Community Pool

The Community Pool is for those of you looking for input, whether on post ideas, writing, blog design and layout, or anything else. If you have a post, page, or idea you want to bounce off someone, leave a comment. Your fellow bloggers can then click through and offer input either on your site, or in the comments here (feel free to indicate which you’d prefer).

Read on for the ground rules and to leave a comment . . .

  • You’ll get the best feedback if you can be as specific as possible about what you’d like people to respond to or where you’re struggling.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. We’re here to help and support one another, not to beat anyone down.
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • No running on the deck.

Photo by t_a_i_s.

Show Comments

335 Comments

Comments are closed.

Close Comments

Comments

    1. What do you feel doesn’t belong? It doesn’t look cluttered to me, though the background image is rather distracting at the top.. makes the blog title harder to read.

      Like

    2. I would start by removing the default “Meta” section. It is of no relevance to your blog. If you want to keep a links list at least make sure to put in your own links, and keep them relevant to your blog content.

      The text piece + picture you have top left could easily be under the “About” tab, unless you feel it is very important to put it on the front page.

      Also, if your theme supports two side columns instead of one you will be able to pull the side bar contents upwards on the page a little more (to avoid a long scroll). You can also limit the number of posts shown per page or use the “more” feature to cut your posts into previews on the front page (people can click them to read the full post) – this will also make the scroll shorter.

      Really, you do not have that much content in your side bar as it is – it is just a matter of rearranging it a little, perhaps?

      Good luck with the blog and your writing!

      Like

  3. Hello fellow bloggers! I’m fairly new to the blogging community (6 months), and I’m pleased to report that my traffic is increasing month by month. I so appreciate those who have taken the time to visit my site, sometimes follow, and share their thoughts. I like to visit and comment on others’ blogs too, however with a full-time job I find it difficult to carve out time to post consistently AND respond to fellow bloggers consistently. Does anyone else feel bad when they can’t devote as much time to blogging as they’d like? Do any of you put yourself on a publishing schedule (like I have started in 2013) or do you just find the time here and there and hope for the best?

    Like

    1. I’m with you Angelina. I don’t have time to comment much, however, I do comment on others if I feel moved to do so. I do certainly reply to any and all comments I do receive.

      Like

    2. Hey, I like your blog, especially the new ‘Scene on Queen’ feature! I’ve got the same quandry, I don’t know how often to blog, I seem to do it once a week on Sunday, but would like to do it twice a week – but then I don’t want to compromise quality.

      Like

  4. I’m loving this community pool idea. Last time I asked for some feedback on the layout and formatting of my site, but today I’d like some feedback on the balance of content. While I write a lot about my travels and participate in a few weekly photo challenges, I also have a feature that covers my extensive post card collection – and I occasionally write some personal posts about motivation, memories, etc.

    Do you all think the balance is sufficient? Or alternatively – can you even tell what the balance is? Essentially I’m asking if you understand what the balance is by the navigation available to you throughout my site.

    Thanks for your feedback!

    Like

    1. I like the personal stories you tell about the postcard collection. If you want to change anything, I’d suggest more posts about the postcards. It’s what makes your blog unique!

      Like

    2. That’s been my problem too, but I think you have a really great feel for the balance. It is an excellent mix of words v. photos; personal v. not-so-personal. I think you have done a great job 🙂

      Like

  5. I just started blogging this week. It has been totally engrossing getting set up and writing just 2 blogs. I would appreciate any advice or feedback on my writing and advice on how to move forward!

    Like

    1. If you really want comments, I’d solicit them in the posts themselves. That might help direct people to look for them.

      Like

  7. My blog at http://honestpuck.wordpress.com/ is a mix of both my technical and personal interests.

    I’m wondering if the mix is a good idea or should I have two different blogs, one for the technical computer stuff and the other for the personal, philosophical cultural stuff.

    Opinions will be listened to 🙂

    // Tony

    Like

    1. Hi Tony. I just spent ten minutes or so puttering around on your blog. My opinion is that you should separate the technical computer stuff from the rest, maybe on a different blog. My eyes glazed over when I came upon a technical post but the experience was very different when I used your categories to find topics I was interested in. I really enjoyed some of your writing on art and literature, for example. But the fact that you’ve got such extremely varied topics all mixed together would actually dissuade me from subscribing to your blog. You could always link the two blogs together so people are aware of your other interests.

      One other suggestion — I’d love to see more photos in your posts. Let’s see some of your Lego creations…. I hope these comments are helpful to you.

      Like

  8. Can i get some feedback on my blog, Danielinwonderland.wordpress.com ? I use to get likes everyday and today i hardly get any. Is there something i’m missing? Am I boring? Is this considered a humor blog?

    Like

    1. Daniel I just read your joke post and found it interesting, a good idea for a topic….just would be good if some of the jokes were funnier…..but thought it was interesting how stressed out people got when they were under the gun to come up with something funny…..good luck!!!!!

      Like

  9. I’d really love some feedback on my blog: http://www.natureismytherapy.com. Do you think I need to tighten up my content to focus more on the stated title and tagline of my blog? (If you’ll take a look at the category cloud in the sidebar you’ll get a quick idea of what I’ve been writing most about.) I’ve been wondering if my birding posts are boring people who come looking for more general nature topics. What do you think? Any comments about my overall content and writing are most welcomed. Thank you.

    I’m working my way through the other comments here, trying to give feedback to some of you as well. I love this Community Pool idea!

    Like

  10. I’d really love some feedback on my review blog, thebishopreview.com. I’d like to know what people think about the layout and my reviews. If there’s anything that sticks out at you, I’d love to know.

    Like

  11. I am an amateur photo bug and started my blog a few weeks ago. I think it’s laid out fairly simple but due to lake of comments, maybe not. I get a lot of likes, mostly repeats but almost no replies.

    On my “About Me” page I welcome all comments of constructive criticism as that would/could help me to become a better photographer, or a least to a point.

    Where am I missing the boat on comments on my blog? http://phoport.wordpress.com/

    Like

    1. I like your photography – especially the Allen Seminary series. Maybe you could make the posts that accompany the photos more personal ? There’s a lot of background info on the seminary, which is very interesting, but I’d also like to know how you got inside those old buildings ? Was it hard to get in ? Did you step on anything ? Find anything interesting inside ?

      Also like the photo of the girl at the ice cream stand too. Who was that kid ? Someone you know ? I just find stories about how a photo was taken very involving, could just be me though!

      Like

      1. You make a good point Peter. I have been wanting to go and take photos of that historical site for almost four years. Yesterday I got that chance and as luck would have a bit rushed. A more personal touch I will certainly put in with my photo gear. I thank you for you useful advice, your visit and “Appreciative Eye”.

        Like

    2. Hi Jerry, couple of comments after visiting your blog, you have a lot of spelling mistakes, several in your About page 🙂

      From a personal POV I am not a fan of blogs that have an overt religious tone in the writing, which I found with yours, so thats one reason why I wouldnt follow your work regularly.

      However the photo of the wolf hair in barbed wire is fantastic 🙂

      Like

  13. **Good evening ya’ll..I’m still, I guess ,considered new here..Only been on the site & blogging for approx 2.5 months. (though I’ve been writing/poetry for a long time) Took me almost 1.5 months to learn how to navigate the site & design my page(still haven’t learned how to get my gravatar to not disappear) ..But I’d like insight from pro’s out there if possible(anyone whose been blogging and/or on the site longer than me) What can I do to make my page more interactive? (to start an actual on-going dialogue; same as how I interact on others pages) What attracts readers to actually read? (is it graphics or ?) Thanx in advance for your time..

    Like

  14. Well, it seems like I’m not the only one with this problem, but I’m not really sure what to put on my About page. http://liquidmatthew.wordpress.com/about/ Right now, it’s kind of short and bland, but I’m not sure what sort of stuff would interest readers. My blog is primarily for my writing and stuff related to that, so I feel I should include more about that, but I’m just really bad at summarizing myself. Any tips?

    Like

  15. Something I wonder about is context. Am I supplying enough background information in my posts for the reader to “get it” ? My family and friends know all about the people involved, so understand a story I tell, but will the reader of the blog ?

    Here’s a sample post. You can comment here, or on the blog itself.

    http://www.sofacents.com/tool-box/

    Like

    1. Sorry–you don’t think a person outside of your family would understand that story? I had no trouble understanding it–I was expecting cryptic “in-jokes” (like when I say to my sister–or she says to me– when we go to a restaurant, “Fresh ground pepper?” in a fake French accent, and we both crack up), but I don’t see any of that here. If you’re looking for feedback on your writing, I found it hard to get past “Mr. C” and “Ms. J” pseudonyms that you’re using for the characters. If you’re looking to reach a larger audience, and don’t want to use real names, make up names for them. If you’re just writing for your family, those are probably cute little nicknames that you use, and that’s fine 🙂

      Like

      1. Thanks!
        We have a number of pet names for our son, Mr C is one, so I was already used to that one. Making up a name for my wife seemed really odd at the time I started the blog, and i thought that with my limited brain capacity using a full pseudonym like “Jane” would just be too weird for me to remember. so I decided to be consistent and use the same format and Ms J it is. I do see your point though, and I know it’s not a great solution, so I should consider alternatives.

        Like

  16. I would love to get some feedback on my blog. I just moved platforms (from blog.com), and I am still learning my way around wordpress (which is 100 times better!) Thanks!

    Like

      2. As a fellow book addict, it doesn’t really matter to me what genre you write about. Sometimes a good book review is better than the book being reviewed. Maybe that’s just me though!

        Like

  19. I am having a difficult time bringing traffic to my blog. My blog talks about education from a gutsy and informative perspective that has never been told before: from the school teacher. It is a no holds bars blog and will not be effective if there are no responsible and genuine comments. Please help me and visit me at peopleinthetrenches.wordpress.com

    Like

    1. BUilding traffic takes time. I noticed that you only have couple posts so there’s not much content that people can find. Adding pictures, commenting on other education blogs, linking to interesting blogs and resources will help your blog grow.

      Like

  20. I don’t feel like my content is attracting as much attention as I feel it ought to. I know I’m just starting out and it will take time, but when I write my posts, I feel like I’m putting some decent stuff out there and it isn’t getting much recognition. Am I doing something wrong? How can I make what I write more appealing?

    Like

    1. You’re not doing anything wrong! Your content is great and you’re absolutely right about it taking time to grow your readership. I recommend continuing to blog at your current frequency plus interacting on other blogs that you find interesting to let people know you’re out there and to help your audience find you.

      Like

    2. You have a really lovely blog. You’re not doing anything wrong; you’re content is gold.
      It takes time to gain readership and the only thing I can suggest is, other than carrying on the way you’re going now, try to promote your blog more. Whether it be by sharing your posts or commenting on other posts. By promoting your blog more people will find it and share it, therefore gaining more readers.

      Should you need any help with this, just ask or you could read this.

      I’ve followed your blog because I think it’s really excellent. Great job and good luck! 🙂

      Like

      1. You’re not doing anything wrong. In fact, you’re doing a lot of things just right. It does take time and a lot of effort, but it’s worth it. Just keep going and being yourself. I hope I was actually helpful and not just gushing on your pages.

        Like

  21. I could really get some suggestions on new site designs because I’m purchasing my domain name in a few weeks. My vision for my site is a place for inspiring blogs, interviews with other creatives and entrepreneurs, a schedule of my workshops and other miscellaneous components of my artistic endeavors.

    Meanwhile, I will be checking out sites from other comments (p.s. that includes any replies to this comment!)

    Like

    1. I really like your blog design. Quirky, colourful and very attractive. In my opinion, I think it would be better with a different background image.

      Now, I’m not saying get rid of the colourful aspect of the background – I like that. It’s just, blown up to proportions that large, it’s quite low quality.

      I suggest, if you have Photoshop or another similar program, creating a background of overlapping blocks of colours. This would keep your background fitting in with the theme but would be more attractive.

      I also think that your footer is a little cluttered. Perhaps try and move some of your widgets into your side bar?

      Other than those two minor points, your blog is really splendid. Great job!

      Like

      1. Wow, I appreciate your comments. They were really thorough and constructive. I want my blog to feel more like a website than a blog because, essentially, that is what it has slowly been evolving into. I need to do some reassessing of the visual communication behind it as well as the content. So I will definitely keep these suggestions in mind.

        Like

      3. I left you a comment and am checking out your blog now. I will have to do some more reading to get a good feel for it, but I’ll definitely be on the lookout and give you my feedback in due time.

        Like

      4. Thank you! I’m just getting around to reading and replying to the comments you have left on my blog. I really appreciate it, thanks. 🙂

        Like

    1. Hey, you’re doing a good thing here by commenting on other blogs. It makes you more available and allows others a preview into what insights and perspectives you have about life!

      Like

    2. I like this post, reminds me of Amy Sedaris! I’d just suggest that you could break it up into shorter posts, there’s a lot of funny ideas there but you’re covering a few different topics.

      Like

    3. I do have a question after taking a look at your site:
      What do you envision your blog becoming if you have any projections, that is? People are already pretty receptive to your content. I saw a lot of comments on what you wrote. Do you feel like you’re not reaching enough people?

      Like

  23. I’d love some feedback — the next goal now that it’s been up and consistent (every Friday “news you can use to shmooze”) for about 4 months is MORE PARTICIPATION. I just changed around my theme to encourage sharing and feedback… Any additional advice would be lovely. I’m going to begin asking more obvious questions to hopefully prompt responses, and perhaps highlight some of the surprising countries I’m getting viewers from, on the sidebar… Eh? Thank you for your time, all! http://www.thesmaryattheparty.com

    Like

      1. Just my opinion, I think you’re going to have a difficult time getting participation on a news blog that publishes a round up once a week. News gets old fast, and people just aren’t talking about the same stuff at the end of a week that they were talking about at the beginning of the week (even the magazine Newsweek has had to fold).
        Personally, I’d like to see more of your own analysis (which seems smart and funny) and less links to what others are saying.

        Like

    2. I think Karen has a point. News DOES get old rather quickly and your consistency is something that I am sure has helped build and keep your readership. I can definitely sense that you are moving up to the next level and fast! I am in a similar place.
      Your site has the potential to be more than just a reel but a participatory ground where there are opportunities for regular feature writers and guest blogging. Perhaps consider a template that enables various featured post on the primary page with sidebars that advertise your ongoing content such as “New you can use to schmooze.”
      I do a weekly post myself, Sitting down on Sundays, and have missed maybe two posts since June 2012, but I would reference my absence in the post of the following week. My readership has been like a staircase with increases and plateaus and more increases again. So I can attest–from personal experience–to the consistency and engagement which have both been essential to me developing as not just a blogger but as an connection-maker, artist, aspiring art therapist, and entrepreneur.

      Great job so far above all else, and keep writing most definitely!

      Like

  24. I’d like some feedback on my blog: http://kuyasnotebook.wordpress.com/
    Specifically the layout/theme and recent posts (especially the recent New York travel ones). I’d love to hear a critique outside of the “Good writing” from my family. As in, brutally honest constructive criticism.

    If there’s one thing I’m struggling with, it’s how to define my blog (and describe it in the about page), but I’m also struggling with attracting followers and commenters. Thanks!

    Like

    1. I skipped over the food post; I like meat. But read the first part of the post about hope and Jude which was “good writing”. See? I’m not your family and I said it was good too.

      Like

    1. I have read a couple of your posts and found them to be interesting. I am not a big reader of poetry, so I didn’t connect with the poems. I did like the post about strong characters.

      Like

      1. Thank you! I will try to include a better variety of styles in my posts. At the moment I just haven’t had time to work on anything longer than poems, though.

        Like

  26. This is a link to my blog: http://bluescluesnotebookblog.wordpress.com/
    I would like to know if the theme is OK, if you can read it, If the posts are good reading and encourage talk/ thinking. Basically, is my blog of a good, follower-able standard. Thankyou so much, please tell me anything you think I can improve on :).

    Like

    1. I think you really need an “About Page”. As a stranger looking at your blog, I had no context- who is this guy, how old is he, where does he live? And it really bothered me. Since you write from a personal perspective, it’s so important to know who you are! In your latest post, you mentioned a story that you had previously written about and then told us to check the archives. Make a direct like to that post! I would have clicked it but I’d never go through your archives searching for it. Make it easy for the reader.

      Like

      1. The only complaint I would have is that it’s a bit hard to read. I’d either darken the type or change/lighten up the background color. Your title is great though.

        Like

  29. Would love some feedback on my blog, http://lensaddiction.wordpress.com/ both content and layout. As a keen photographer I struggle to find a good theme that allows me to post photos but also tell a story around how or why I took them. A lot of the specific “photography” themes seem to be about showcasing an image a day and I am not that sort of blogger.

    Any beginner photogs out there, drop by and say Hi and I will come check out your blog. I try to do a big read and comment a couple of times a month for the blogs I don’t regularly subscribe to ”

    All feedback and advice welcome 🙂

    Like

      1. Thanks – your comment was “I’m just wondering why you decided to go with this theme and not one that focuses on photographs?”

        Thats a good question, and the reason is I like to write about photography and include several photos in my posts. Many of the photography themes I have seen tend to focus on one really large image per post and not really cater to a lot more text and more photos.

        Would love some examples to prove me wrong!

        Like

      2. Well seeing as I follow another creative medium I wouldn’t know too much about it. But I will keep an eye out. If you want to talk about photos and post them, your theme does seem to be perfect for it.

        Like

    2. I like how you add a good deal Of technical info on the equipment used, while still including other non technical things like info on the location. I take all my photos only using an iphone, but still like reading about more advanced techniques.

      Like

      1. Thanks Peter that is the blend I am aiming for, to appeal to beginners and also more technically minded. Of course my foreign and exotic location helps LOL

        Like

  30. Is there anything I can do to make mine simpler ? Is it easy to navigate ? Any helpful advice appreciated to be honest.
    Thanks Stella

    Like

    1. Hi Stella,

      You may want to consider a different theme, one that makes your content stand out more. You have good content, but in my opinion it kind of blends in with the background. It is easy to navigate, though. I hope that helps. 🙂

      Like