Mar 3, 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.
  • 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.
  • No running on the deck.

Photo by t_a_i_s.

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  1. It’s really good to re-read the community rules!
    I find this blog really helpfull… the only thing i am still working on is “how can i make people read my blog” … hehe… not so easy!
    Another thing i remember now…. many times, after reading a promt, i find that “coments are closed”… why is that? Why can’t i post on there?
    Thanks very much for ur help.

    Just in case, if anyone wants to check… melinarepetti.wordpress.com =)

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    1. Do you mean the daily prompts? If so, the way to be included is to link from your post written in response to the prompt. This creates a pingback (in the comments area) so others can find your post. Sue

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  2. Hi! I started a blog (http://improvingkrys.wordpress.com) at the end of January, and in order to get my feet under me, I decided to start out with a strict topic schedule, posting 6 days a week.

    I’m not having trouble writing the content, but I’m starting to feel a bit of “conversational whiplash” bouncing from topic to topic each day, and wonder whether it’s just me, or if it feels that way to readers, too.

    I’m considering cutting back to 3-4 posts per week, with a more organic transition from post to post, as opposed to the rotational schedule I’m currently following. I’m not entirely sure how to do that, but right now things aren’t feeling quite “right”.

    In addition to feedback on the conversational whiplash concern, I would also appreciate thoughts on my writing style and the look/feel of the blog itself. It’s still so new, I’m mostly playing to an audience that I know personally offline, and therefore I feel their feedback is colored by their association with me.

    Thank you in advance for your assistance!

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    1. I like your sense of humour, the letter to your future self is cute (love the rad tattoos comment). I dont know if you can change it but your font size is really small difficult to read. Otherwise nice clean simple design (not a fan of the floating balloon personally but it may well be your thing )

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  5. Help! I started blogging last 2011 but then completely stopped the entire 2012. Then this 2013, I decided to go write again but it was so hard to start again using the old blog that I created a new one (i think my OCD got the better of me).

    However, as I was maintaining the new one, followers from the old blog were curious and wanted me to keep the old one. So I decided to make my old blog somewhat like a diary and a more personal one(less or not publicized). Then the new one will be like the more literary and more “out there” blog.

    Is this wise? Or should I just merge them? If I should merge them, how? I love the structure of the new one. But I can’t let go of my posts in the old one. Thanks so much.

    Old blog: http://mafiatot.wordpress.com/
    New blog: http://dramaqueenunderthesun.wordpress.com

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      1. Hi! Thanks ffor answering…. Yes im unable to leave comments so people can find my work on daily prompts. It always says “comments are closed”. Thank u!!!

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  7. This site ROCKS!!!!! Kudos to wordpress. I’ve learned more in three hours about blogging and the art skills I need to improve the product I am putting out than I’ve learned in twenty years. That said-
    I have to get out of the stone age with my cartoons and go digital. I NEED FEEDBACK!!
    Would someone kindly check it out and leave a critique? Knowledge shared is knowledge gained and grace received in kind. (what goes around comes around)
    Not worried about content just the images.
    thanks
    http://just4ublogdotcom.wordpress.com/

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    1. Again nice simple clean blog design, nice mix of images and text but the text size is quite small. Made me feel a bit like I was squinting. Cute beagles!

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  9. In every aspects of life, appreciation & criticism are going to play their role. Its up to us how we face it. I personally believe that where appreciation encourage me & keep me inspire to do the work which I am good at, criticism make me correct my mistake & sometime I enjoy to make my critics wrong too :). So all kinds of comments are welcome 🙂

    Date with Death
    http://hopeoflight.wordpress.com/2013/02…

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    1. I read your most recent post! It was very inspiring and a ray of sunshine! My only critism would be some grammatical errors, but that is easily overlooked with the content of your blog! Keep it up!

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      1. Thanks a lot for reading my post. I am trying my best & yes I admit that there is some grammatical error as English is second language .
        Thanks once again 🙂

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    1. I love it! I am now following you. I love your honesty, love, love, love it. AND you made me laugh! Bonus! Only critism, you have archives twice as a widget, unless I’m missing something, I don’t think there is a need for two.

      I look forward to reading more of your posts and am hoping they continue to be unexpected and honest.

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      1. Thanks so much Ms. Sarah. I appreciate the input. Thanks for the input on the archives. I’m still finding my way around wordpress, so, no you are not missing a thing. Hahaha yes, unexpected and honest you can pretty much count on. Thanks again!

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  11. I’d love some feedback on my blog and site. I have a static homepage and I think it may detract from people reading my blog. I’d like to expand my subscribers beyond friends and family. Any input appreciated.

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      1. Great blog. You speak from the heart and from experience. Readership seems to build the more you write and with clear tags and well set out page, which you have. You’ve encouraged me to make mine a little clearer.

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  15. Hello everyone!

    I am a new blogger and would really like some feedback.

    All comments are acceptable as long as you are trying to be helpful, so please be honest.

    Let me know what you think, what I can improve on and what you like!

    I can take anything you dish out, so bring it on!!!

    Thank you in advance for taking the time to help me out!

    http://courage2run.wordpress.com/

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    1. Sarah, I looked at your page. I’m not into reading food or exercise blogs, but your content looks good. What really struck me is that the site looked too busy to me. The layout with the double columns on the right side were too busy for my brain to take in. Just one opinion.

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    1. I read your static homepage and I really liked it! I found it to be refreshing. My only question is about the Celebrate Recovery ~ what is it exactly that you are recovering from? Is it the death of your mother? I only ask because when I hear 12 step program, my mind automatically goes to addiction. It wasn’t completely clear why you attend Celebrate Recovery and what it is. I briefly went through your other pages as well and did see under resources you do give a clearer description of what it is, however, I am just thinking a clearer picture of what it is on your static page would be good. Or having the resources on your static homepage would make your site easier to navigate. I really do like the ‘about me’ being the first thing you see though!

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      1. Thanks for the feedback. Recovery is a lifestyle for me. What brought me to recovery was my work addiction, but that I found out I was co-dependent and had many addictive tendencies in my life. Your feedback is good food for thought to edit my home page. Thanks!

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  18. Hi! Over the past few weeks I’ve had some great feedback on many of my posts and on my theme and general layout. It’s been fantastic; thankyou to everyone who has commented so far!

    If possible, I’d be super duper grateful if I could get some thoughts on my actual writing, and writing style in general. Also, if you have any ideas for a new post, that would be amazing, as I am still quite new to blogging.

    Thanks!!

    http://mydiffer3nce.wordpress.com/

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    1. I like it. It’s a nice clean look. The only suggestion I have would be to reverse your side bars. In my opinion you have the most important things on the left and the least on the right.

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  20. I just started another blog for writers of fiction to come to have their work critiqued called KRI-TEEK MEE. I started it based off a recent Community Pool: Focus on Fiction. I’ve been looking at it and I’m wondering if there is too much information. What I would like to know is if it is a lot of information and if so, what can I pair down and of course any other suggestions you may have.

    http://kriteekmee.wordpress.com/

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  23. My blog has recently got consistent. Before it was here and there. I have set a goal to post one photoblog which began this week (Wednesday) and one weekly blog (Mondays). I have reviewed many of the dailypost recommendations and tried to implement, but not getting much traffic, its about on par when I stopped blogging regularly 3 months ago and recently began again. My stats are just under the last quarter in 2012. I use SEO and Social Media (mostly twitter, yahoo and tumblr). What I’ve noticed is much of my viewers don’t get past the home page. Take a look and give some feedback about making the blog more appealing to continue reading. What am I missing?

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    1. Hey Kirby – I’m no expert by far, but i took a look, and i found myself distracted, looking left and right, rather than focusing on the articles that should be drawing me in. One thing that struck me was that the blurbs were too short and interrupted mid thought to pull me in.

      Changing Seasons could benefit from more structure to guide the readers’ eyes where you want them. On first read through, i didn’t make the connection that “Camp Shenandoah, April 9th, 1862” as a heading to a letter – the central theme of the post it seems.

      I think a little more upfront to set the context of where you’re going (pull me in), give the letter, and then tell me what it means to you. (i.e. a “conclusion”, or call to action). “what a man thinks about when facing death – his true love” …. a challenge to live every day like this soldier. To live our core values. To face life’s difficulties knowing what’s truly important.

      Great stuff, keep going!

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  24. If anyone is still following this post, I would appreciate your feedback on my ‘About’ page and ‘Recipe Box’ page. Looking to find a way to get more traffic to both. Please help a girl out!
    Thank you!

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