Jul 28, 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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  2. Hi everyone! I’m new at blogging and I would really appreciate any sort of criticisms on my writing and the appearance (I only have a few posts). It’s GOING to be about my next journey to Turkey and reflections on my time in Russia. I think it reads too informal and like a journal, but I want to make sure to keep my voice. Again it’s just getting started, but any suggestions would be fantastic!

    Thanks so much!

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      2. The link works, but it has no posts on it.

        And to answer your question, no the user name does not have to match your blog address. I chose to keep everything the same because people can remember it better that way. (My user name, URL, and blog name are all the same and my blog gets the occasional Google search hit for Bumblepuppies.)

        Since I blog anonymously, I don’t have to worry about my friends and family not recognizing me here because I’m not trying to be recognized by people I know. Having a mismatched user name / URL could be justified by a need to connect with the people in your life… so it really is just a preference.

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      5. I’d recommend changing the theme on your blog because you chose one that is supposed to feature pictures for each post… and a lot of posts have empty slots where pictures would be.

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      6. Got it! Thank you so much! I noticed that you’re helping a bunch of new bloggers and you should know we all greatly appreciate it! ( I don’t know them, but I’m sure they do) Thanks again!

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  5. Hi All,
    I’m just starting to move into PhD research and it’s increasingly important to convey science to as wide an audience as possible. I thought, therefore, that I would give a blog a go, and have started on sebastianjpitman.wordpress.com

    In time, I hope to convey a bit more of my research, but for now have just chosen a few topical issues. I’d love any feedback on the content/layout etc, I’m totally new to it all and criticism from the community would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

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    1. When trying to convey science to a broader audience, you need to simplify your language a little. (That is, unless you only mean to put your work out there for a broader swath of people in your field. Your About page seemed to indicate otherwise.) The articles almost read like journal articles and the titles look like article titles, not the titles of blog posts. Think of your post titles as advertisements; that’s a huge leap from academe.

      BTW: I can follow your writing but I already have a Ph.D. I have a feeling that most other visitors won’t. Remember your intended audience and write in an way they’ll understand. Also remember that there’s a difference between dumbing down your ideas and making your ideas accessible.

      Otherwise, the header image is not great. You’re writing about coastal topics but the image’s focal point is the sun. I didn’t notice the lighthouse until I specifically looked for something coastal. Give your visitors something a little more obvious. (The image you have with your “Too Little Too Late” post would be excellent if your theme will allow it.)

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      1. That’s absolutely great, your feedback is very much appreciated. I’ll try and gear writing towards a broader audience again! Thanks for taking the time to look it over and comment!

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  6. Oh, I may as well offer myself up for judgement as well. Haha. If anyone has any comments, criticisms, or tips concerning my blog and making it an enjoyable read, do not hesitate to throw your opinions at me. I don’t know if I’m a bit hit and miss or just completely miss. I feel I have a bit of an odd style. I don’t know how effective it is. Thanks in advance!

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    1. Odd is good. You want to be giving your readers something that a thousand other blogs aren’t.

      Now, if I were you I’d change the theme on your blog (or at least the header image and background color.) Your blog title says whimsical but the blog’s look is anything but. Make it match but be sure not to make your text unreadable; that’s a common mistake people make when modifying their backgrounds.

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      1. Thank you, Bumblepuppies! Good point. I’ll stick with odd.

        Another good point. I better have a bit of a look at other themes and see what I can come up with. Thanks again for the tips. I really appreciate the time and effort taken to do that for me! 🙂

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  7. Tomorrow I will have been on here for a week! Wow! So, I thought I would, as THAT EJ put it so splendidly, offer myself up. But, not wishing to be a complete plagiarist, I thought I would liken the offering to that of the proverbial lamb to slaughter.
    What do people think of my bog so far? My main problem (other than my ongoing Special Needs status where technology is concerned, of course) is what to do with my previous posts! How do I get the ruddy things out on show? Or do I just leave them – like Henry’s V111’s previous wives – and go ahead and ‘marry’ another one?
    Any thoughts would be gratefully received!
    Alienora

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  11. Hi 🙂
    I am looking for some comments or suggestions on how to improve my writing/content or my blog generally. Thanks in advance for anyone who can help 🙂

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  12. Good Morning!
    I would like your opinion on the quality of my writing and on how engaging my posts are generally. Suggestions and advice are appreciated.
    Thank you 😀

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  14. I get frustrated with changing fonts and text colors. I’d like a “uniform” look to my verbiage when I post, but can’t seem to maintain it. I’d like a little bit more unusual font style, maybe a type of script. How can I make these things happen? (the “bouquet theme”)

    http://tamaraeckstadt.wordpress.com/
    Also, any constructive criticism would be appreciated.

    Like

    1. To get a more unusual font style, you’d probably need to buy the custom design upgrade.

      The alternative would be to do a live demo with a bunch of themes and find something that fits you better; different themes use different fonts. And then, once you add a custom background (or new background color), custom header, etc., a lot of themes stop resembling the thumbnail in the theme gallery.

      Since you have a collection of photos, you could probably design something really great.

      So I’d say the best thing you can do is take some time and experiment.

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  15. Hello All
    My blog is called the Crown Town Scribe, and it’s theme is the appreciation of storytelling in all it’s forms, from the staples we all know and love, like books and movies, to sources we may not be aware of, like sports and dancing.

    I’ve now built up a halfway decent archive of posts and reblogs, and now I’m hoping to optimize my blog and start to pull in traffic.

    Thank you in advance.

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    1. I really like your blog – especially the post about dance which I read fully and I must say your writing style is very good.
      One piece of advice I’d have is that you shorten some of your posts. As they are very long people might be put off and wouldn’t want to read them. This is the only thing I can think of as your blog is pretty good already.
      As for traffic – just advertise as much as possible on twitter, fb etc. Ask your friends to read it and read and follow other blogs 🙂

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      1. I’d love to use those mediums, but I’m writing this blog under a pen name that I need to keep separate, therefore my friends list on both Twitter and Facebook cannot be used. Is there anything else I can do?

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      2. You can get a Facebook page with the name of your blog and therefore no one has to know that it’s actually you behind it.

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      3. Or sites like tumblr, stumble upon and Pinterest can get you more traffic. You can also make a blog button and exchange it with other bloggers. (Like eg in my sidebar) So if people click on it it will redirect it to your blog. If u want to know how to do it I can gladly help you.

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  18. I’d like some feedback and advice on the format of my blog,

    http://kathyfootenotes.wordpress.com

    Specifically, I’m not always happy with the way the photos fit onto the final page. I’m starting to think that the whole style looks a little . . . squashed, if that makes sense.
    My blog is about my recent walk on the 800+ kilometer Camino de Santiago de Campostella. Although I don’t have many followers and I know some of the posts are too long, I would also like any and all writing pointers you can give.
    Thanks in advance.
    Kathy
    PS – Please note the spelling of the blog title, if re-typing it in.

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    1. I see what you mean about the photos. I also use a blog theme with a narrow column down the middle but my photos have never bled off the side like that. Maybe you should try out a different blog theme; since you have a lot of great photos (and text), maybe something with a white background would suit you better. And look for a wider text column.

      And in case you didn’t know, you can resize your photos in the window where you type in your new posts. Just click and drag on a corner like you would do in PowerPoint or Word. (I found myself wishing that the small pics were bigger.)

      Lastly, consider using the WPlongform tag when your posts are over 1000 words. That’s the tag people search for when they specifically want to read something long.

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    1. I love the name of your blog – and was touched by your explanation of its meaning and symbolism. The blog looks great, and your photos drew me in. I do, however, think that you could edit posts a little bit more. Some of your paragraphs, for example, are a bit on the long side. Living, as we do, in a bite-size world, such things can make a difference. Lots of promise there, though. Best of luck! Alienora

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    2. On first glance, I have no idea what your blog is about. It took awhile to figure out the order of your posts, magazine style is ok, but I’m not sure it benefits your blog. Again, I have no idea what you are writing about. I skimmed your initial post that told about the story, but I don’t think I quite understand it.

      A tagline or photo banner might help the audience understand whats going on. Also, the paragraph width of your posts are hard to follow, skinny article size posts tend to lose the reader easily, perhaps fewer columns or shorter paragraphs.

      Like

  20. Subject: Do I need to change my blog name? Need your comment 🙂

    Hi All!

    I started my blog because I love to read blog posts, articles, Pin on Pinterest, update status on Twitter, look at my photo gallery, when I am (sorry) in a toilet.. and I want to share those stuffs with people. Reading articles in a toilet always helps me to boost my day, get some ideas. One of the idea that popped up in my mind when I was in the toilet is to post something every day in a blog named The Toilet Post.

    I love my blog name, however later on, I write more about food and travel and it leads me to a confusion: Is the name “The Toilet Post” suitable for a blog that post many things about food and traveling?

    That is why I really need your comment! Do you think I need to change my blog name?

    http://thetoiletpost.wordpress.com/

    Appreciate your kind reply!

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    1. The title is memorable and that’s always a good thing, especially since the URL matches. Additionally, your tagline explains the logic behind your title. I really want to tell you to keep it, especially because your blog has been around a while and is presumably doing well.

      The downside of the title is that potential visitors (using the WordPress Reader or Google) usually (if not always) won’t see the tagline before clicking on a link to your blog. I can see how the name might occasionally deter people. Your title and tagline also don’t provide any information about the broader contents of your blog, which may discourage some people from exploring further once they’ve arrived.

      Back to the upside, the title may encourage people to explore further because it probably inspires curiosity.

      In the end, your blog title is a lot more effective than many I’ve seen. Odds are that a replacement wouldn’t be better than what you have. So… I suggest keeping “The Toilet Post.”

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  21. Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve visited this site before but after browsing through some of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I discovered it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back often!|

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