Aug 18, 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.

Show Comments

274 Comments

Comments are closed.

Close Comments

Comments

  2. Hi I think your pictures are spot on, good variety of picture choices. I really like the pictures in England. Might be because I have always wanted to visit. Anyway nice job.

    Like

  3. Hey, can I get some feedback on my blog? I’ve only just started and I’m doing a travel blog to chart my adventures abroad this summer. I’m using it as a platform to reach out to close friends, family, and mentors and thus it’s more private. I’m not interested in a large community of followers or anything, just my personal circle of friends. I know the posts are a bit long, but I’m just trying to share with the people I care about. So other than that can you give me any feedback? I’ve only just started 6 weeks ago! Thanks!

    http://ennylej.wordpress.com/

    Like

  7. Hello lovers & friends! We are new to word press and would love some support,tips, and feedback! Love us, hate us, #NOONECARES just follow us 🙂

    Thanks & ciao!

    Blogwithbrookelle xx.

    Like

  8. Hey! I started my blog a while ago and would like to get some constuctive criticism on stile and content of my writing.
    My post contain a bit of everything.
    Cheers, T!

    Like

      1. Huh. I think you’re looking at a different link, which I will not post here to avoid confusion. Our story is called There Are No Heroes, but the link is arenoheroes.wordpress.com.
        We really appreciate comments, of any sort. This right now is Zeta, one of the writers, but I’m not the only one.

        Like

  14. Hi everyone! I’m a first-time blogger sharing the experiences I’ve had with a unique medical condition, as well as my experiences messing up to medical school. Since I’m a newbie, I’d love both general and specific input on what is working and what I should do to improve! Thanks 🙂

    Livingbecauseofeds.wordpress.com

    Like

    1. Hi, I’ve just looked quickly through your blog! First off, I’d like to say that you have a really unique message, and I think it should be heard! I’ve also been toying with the idea of discussing a medical condition of my own on my blog. It’s definitely a bit scary, and I respect you for doing it! As a journalist, I’d suggest you try to make your posts a bit shorter and to the point. People are impatient these days and they don’t have the attention span to read huge blocks of texts. You have a lot to say, so make sure you focus yourself in the beginning of a post. Write a lead (basically a few to the point sentences about what you want to say) and then expand from there. For example, in the post where you’re giving advice about choosing a doctor who is right for you, lead with that. This will give your reader a more personal connection to your writing from the start. Good luck with your blog! I’ll be following you 🙂

      Like

      1. Thanks Kristen! It’s been difficult organizing my thoughts at first, but I will definitely make use of your advice moving forward!

        It feels good to finally write about my condition after contemplating it for a while, but I’ve made it easier on myself by not yet sharing it with friends and family… Perhaps if you’re not 100% sold on the idea, that’s a way to ease into it! 🙂

        Like

    2. Very eye-opening! I love what you’ve wrote. Just chop the text-blocks into smaller ones..

      And here’s a suggestion, although you’ve given a link to the EDS Wiki page, how about YOU write what you know about it? All that boring medical talk on the page is stifling, I would love to know what it is exactly, in layman terms 🙂

      Kudos to your strength and patience!

      Like

  15. I have posted my first attempt at short story writing on my page. I would love some feedback. Literary style, interest, vision…grammar? 🙂 It’s still going through some editing, but you’ll get the idea. Thanks all.

    markjnorris.wordpress.com

    Like

  16. Hi everyone! I’m looking to start a small critique group for short fiction and non-fiction pieces. This would be a group of about five or six people who would exchange their work via email and send back constructive criticism…maybe on a monthly basis. I’m totally open to suggestions on the way it would run. As someone who’s looking to be published in journals, I really need a group of serious writers behind me to critique my pieces! Ideally these would all be people who’ve work shopped before and know they way it works. Thanks 🙂

    Like

    1. P.S. It’s a blog containing chronicles of my 18 years of having been a flight attendant. Can be a little crass at times, but that lifestyle was crass in general. I call myself “youngjhung” here (jhung is my last name), but I’m not that young. The blog’s name is “jetlag”.

      Like

      1. Hi Young,

        It’s funny and I say definitely keep at it! My suggestions are:

        I think your web address should read the name of your blog instead of your personal name, because the blog name “Jet Lag” is super catchy and would entice readers. I also recommend making the name much bigger. It gets swallowed up by the rest of the text on the page. Maybe consider upgrading through WordPress so you can customize your web address.

        If you clean up your writing a little bit by avoiding broken sentences, it would read a lot more smoothly and the humor would come through much better.
        I would also be a little more descriptive to really add punch. Coupled with fewer broken sentences, it would make for a smooth read.

        Also, breaking up writing into more blocks of paragraphs is a blog rule, but I suggest you use fewer because sometimes too much is… to much.

        Just my suggestions…

        For a first-timer, it’s pretty darned good. I look forward to reading more of your stories!

        Best of luck

        Clever Girl

        Like

  19. Hi all, I run a gardening and sustainability blog and would appreciate any feedback or observations you could pass on.

    http://groundtoground.org

    I’ve been considering putting out a call for fellow gardeners to join the site as authors, and would be interested to know if anyone else has done the same, and if it worked out?

    Like

  22. hi people this is my shop sjbfitness.spreadshirt.co.uk wondering what people think of the ideas

    Like

  24. I am new to blogging . My recent blog also my second blog is about a festival in India “rakshabandhan”. Please read and give me the feed back. 🙂

    Like

  26. I thought I had gotten a hold on Themes, but it turns out I haven’t! I want to lessen the width of the sidebars, if that’s possible, or do I have to change the theme altogether?

    I don’t want to purchase any theme. I want one that has dark colors, purple and black is preferred, and this is the only one I could find that was free! Every time I try to customize one, it just gets stuck at the “Save” button.

    I need help. Does the current theme make my blog look cluttered? And should I just leave my love of dark colors aside and go for a lighter one to make it look more spacious?

    Please give me some feedback and tips on this matter. Here’s the link:
    http://livinginpak.wordpress.com/

    Like

    1. Dear Akram,
      I am new here as well, & have not had a lot of time to learn everything…but I believe I have learned that on the free themes one uses to set up their blog site…some are only “customizable” if you do pay a certain fee…I have done so…and was able to customize my site (it is not yet complete at this point) but it did allow me the changes I sought…you can upgrade, get what you want, & if memory serves me today…you get an expanded amount of data storage…the capability of downloading video (extra storage) and you get to customize features
      that you normally would not be able to do. I thought it was worth it…so I went ahead & paid for it. Sometimes, you have to pay…to play! Also, loved your color scheme…very masculine & yet regally elegant at the same time…you do have one typo on your sidebar…other than that, looking good…especially liked your pic of the caves. Very interesting!

      Like

      1. Hey thanks for taking the time to help! Before I sart, my name is Raiha, and my surname is Akram, I’m thinking of changing my display name too because many people think I’m a guy, which I’m not 🙂

        Anyway, I might consider paying as well, that is if I stick to this long enough. You must know how teens are, getting bored and moving on! I don’t think I will ever stop blogging, but I still want to give it a few more days before I make that decision. I don’t want to hand out my CC details until I’m sure.

        I’ll see to the typo right away. As for the theme, I’m glad you think it’s okay because I was worried it was too dark and that you couldn’t see the words easily!

        And yes the cave picture is pretty cool. Unfortunately I haven’t seen the place myself, but I have every intention to!

        Thanks again for the help!

        Like