Mar 16, 2014 / 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. I love the layout of your site! Your header is fantastic. I look forward to reading more of your material in the weeks to come. Once your archives start to grow, you’ll find your voice and your blog will blossom. Keep it up!
      –TheAnsible

      Like

    3. First of all, I’m sorry you’re going through such a hard time. But from your writing you seem like a strong woman; you’ll be all right. As for the blog, this is a fantastic blog. Your writing is excellent, and you have a good sense of suspense. You keep your posts to a good length, and transition one in to the next flawlessly. You keep people wanting to come back. I have nothing critical to give you…this is great. 🙂

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    4. I really like your writing and the general layout of your blog. I also love the fact that your writing has personality and it is really interesting to read.

      Like

    1. I enjoyed your writing very much! I’m a new blogger as well and I think you have good post as well. I especially enjoyed the one about the Ellen selfie..

      Liked by 1 person

    1. This is FABULOUS. Really well written, well constructed as a story with a solid beginning, middle and an end that ties everything in a knot. The use of the imagery to tell the story (and not just serve as visual punch) was perfect. One of the best “first posts” I’ve seen. Looking forward to more!

      Like

  6. New to blogging actually. Realized one day that I like to read a lot from all different kinds of media, but those around me didn’t have the same passion from learning from multiple sources. I am a University student and would like some feedback on my blog (far from being where I want it to) as to how I can make it flow better as well as make it more inviting to discussions.

    Thanks

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think your subject matter is great and you do a good job of getting your passion for the subject matter across. What struck me as odd was the balance of posts. The first one was nearly two long (it could easily have made two posts), and the other was so short I wasn’t 100% sure if it was a post or just a caption for the photo, or what you were trying to convey. Finding that balance is tough, I know.

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    1. I think your blog is really great, and you’re a very good writer. I like your theme for your content as well. You do a good job of balancing imagery and content. I don’t have any critique to add…it’s great!

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      1. Thank you so much, Jenna! I love your blog; it’s a unique perspective. Growing up playing soccer, I know what it feels like to hate a ref haha! I’ve also experienced the opposite side, and it’s very different. Love the topic and the design! The writing style also suits both well; it all goes together 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Hello Devon. I just had a read of your blog and I have to say that I rather enjoyed it. I hope that it isn’t always going to be set on a train though. although I did enjoy imagining you chatting to that black bloke and listening to the gossipy girls. I liked your Christian perspective too, although I an an agnostic, I do like to consider the spiritual side of things. Perhaps I have good reason to, as I have been dead since 1995, and have spent the last 18 years on “the other side” Anyway, take it easy, and keep on writing!

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      1. Thank you so much, Auntie Doris! It won’t always be set on a train 🙂 but I appreciate that you can imagine my side of things! Your blog is so interesting; life before the 2000’s must have been very different. It’s neat to read accounts of the past in general. Thank you for your feedback!

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    1. I like your writing and you stay consistent in your point of view in all your posts. I think the length is good, too. I would normally say the theme is a little boring for your content or you need to add imagery, but I don’t know…it seems to work with your subject matter. Good job.

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    1. I think the ideas in your poem are really engaging, and I love the imagery and word choices you make…but for me I would like something just a bit more structured – as in I want to see the ideas take me somewhere specific. (Maybe I am missing something!)

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    1. I liked the look of the blog. It isn’t something I’ll follow. I have no desire to become a millionaire. That just causes more problems. 🙂 Good job though.

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    1. Good theory and ambitious plan! There is always room to fail and always life emergencies. Be more forgiving in your plan. Make it OK to restart from where you left off. Maybe a rewards method is better than a snooze-lose one. Congrats on your first dollar! For every 22 failed there is one success, that counts. Good Luck.

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    1. your image makes me want to get a glass of ice cold tea! Great colors and design. It feels welcoming. And I like your writing, it is consistent through out. The stories are great! Keep it up 😀

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Your writing is very good Yasha but I wonder which state’s CET declares result in March :P. Just kidding, I know that you must have taken admission last year.

      I am a graduate now and I think electronics is a great branch. Try and score distinction in all semesters and do well in GATE and you have a career waiting for you in PowerGrid.

      As far as your blog’s design is concerned, I am afraid that the theme seems too old to me. I think that a theme with right sidebar and a good header would do great wonders for your blog.

      P.S. Happy Holi 🙂

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      2. I found your posts very interesting. If you want me to be honest, I saw a few typing/grammatical errors that could be easily fixed and don’t take anything away from the message.

        I enjoyed your descriptions. They really brought everything to life.
        Take care
        Mel

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  14. Hello am really new to the world of blogging but since i love to write i wanted to take it on. WordPress is an excellent platform. How was it for the rest of you all to start here? And yes i still don’t get the press it feature a little help would do!!!
    Thank you

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    1. Hello, welcome to bogging!

      I don’t get the Press it bit either!

      i think wordpress is great to use, it’s quite self explanitary and you can play around with what you want to do with it – add videos, galleries, new pages.

      What are you wanting to write about?
      Ellie

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      1. Thank you for the reply Ellie. Please do go through my blog I did put up a few posts but am not sure if it would click with people.
        I write about my own perspectives of life. I do stories n prose too.

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      2. I’ve just had a read, I like it, I think the best thing you can do with a blog (I can spell it now I’m not on a bus) is to be yourself and speak with your own voice and I think once you’ve put a little bit more up we will get a strong sense of who you are through your voice.

        Keep it up and don’t forget to keep adding tags so that people can find you!

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    1. Hello,

      I think you’ve made a lovely start, the story about finding the lost girl is quite affecting, I can understand you being scared to help as the world seems so accusing towards men interacting with children these days.

      My only comment for considerations would be that the subheading – Experience with the Tiny, makes it sound to me like you are talking about life with your small child!

      Ellie

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    1. I checked it out. “Wow, awfully busy.” I didn’t know where to look first. But I can tell you did a lot of thinking in designing it. Good job.

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  18. Would love some feed back on my blog baylorsadventuresabroad.wordpress.com I post three times a week and am always updating and looking for new ways to improve THANKS

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      1. Hi Sue — it’s great to see your enthusiasm in the community pool! One important thing to remember, is that we prefer you don’t leave an extra link to your blog in your comments. Folks can find your site by clicking on your name. Thanks!

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  19. Hello everyone,

    I’m about 20 months into writing my blog and it’s doing alright, I’m just not sure if my posts are a bit too long. Would anyone mind taking a look and letting me know please? I’ve got about 6 more on the go, but I’m not sure if I should leave them as longer or break them down into shorter ones. Apologies for any typing errors, I’m on a bus in Cambodia and it’s a bit rattly!

    http://www.overhillsandfaraway.com

    Thanks,
    Ellie

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hello there, I’ve had a look around your blog. I like the way that you have subdivided it to cover your interests. I know that you are away travelling at the moment, so you may not be getting much chance to cook right now, but I particularly liked the recipe section. Maybe you could feature some of the food you see on your travels? (Of course, I am showing my bias for food blogs here).
      I don’t think your other posts are too long, they are pretty focused on single subjects, and they are clear.
      The only constructive criticism that I can offer is about your home page. I like the text a lot, it drew me in, and made me want to read more. However, I was confused by the changes in colour in the text. I thought they led to particular blog posts, which I tried to click through to read. I was left wanting more, but with no link to click through to. An example of someone that tells a great story with links for posts covering what she is talking about is New York Cliche (http://newyorkcliche.com/about-new-york-cliche/). As you can see you can click through to read more. I think you might like to consider something similar, to really hook people in.
      Other than that, I enjoyed reading about your travels and your thoughts on the things you have encountered. Well done

      Like

    2. I wandered around a bit on your blog. I landed first on massage (fun teaser to get there) and I think you need to be less concerned as a writer with the details, which makes your writing become awkward as you try to enter them, versus just writing from the feeling-experience of the memory. I can see that when you are doing the one versus the other, and your writing flows when you forget what you should include (the afterthought of the price) versus the experience.

      The second was the elephants. A much better piece of writing — from your sensory-feeling experience. The images were wonderful!

      And I know you are on the road, but editing is needed (and self-editing is hard, as it is hard ot see what you are saying awkwardly when you have the thought in your head.) I find that my writing is better if I write, let it sit overnight, and read it again before posting. I find all kinds of ill-formed things, or poorly chosen words, and can correct them. It makes my writing better.

      I can’t speak to other things because some of your posts are off-topic — about the tele and so forth — so I passed. I will come back and visit!

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  21. Hi! I am new to the world Of blogging and haven’t decided exactly where to go with it yet. I have a lot of random thoughts boiling in my head and tend to just publish freely with no consistent strategy.
    I have looked at all the blogs here and am very impressed by the high level of writing and design. I would like to hear what you think about the lengths and topics (and titles) of my posts, if I post too many pictures, how often I should post and what I should write more about. I apologize for occasional language misspellings, I am originally from Norway. All feedback and criticism is very appreciated. http://Www.cosmosandkvikklunsj.com

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I like the way you used the photo’s but for me it was quite long. Maybe shortening it into a series would keep the attention going. Great job for just starting. Just post whenever you feel like it, There’s no time frame and happy blogging.

      Like

    2. Great Blog! Loved it. The only thing that could be improved is the position of the images. In the post “Be your own piece of mind”, the images aren’t centered and hence sometimes, it looks not as great as the rest of the blog.

      Excellent choice of theme by the way. 😀

      Like

    1. Hi Wits!

      I think that your site needs to be revised. There is no THERE, there. I can’t find the blog itself. Then I landed on a page (http://dgadavenue.wordpress.com/) that had many broken links. I think you have something to say from skimming your writing, so here is my advice:

      1) I think your posts need to be shorter and more to a point. I often ramble when writing for me, or raw writing, but I choose what part of it I want to share in my post. So many people don’t want to read a very long post — they want to know where it is going, then they might come along for a longer piece. I found myself wondering where you were going.

      2) I think you need to tell us what your blog is about. It could be all over the place, but then, is this all about your life? You spoke of being a technical writer, but it isn’t about that. Your dad told you to write about your life, and if this is what the blog is about, then how do you begin to organize it? I finally posted a couple of topics on zenkatwrites (I have a couple of blogs) where I could organize two topics — on brothers (I have three) and Buddhism (am am moving things there now.) You might look at how to organize your site better.

      3) Edit your work. I see grammar errors, and if you are writing in your second language then tell us that in your about me page — it helps me to dismiss things that are incorrect.

      I’ll come back and look around again!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you zenkat.

        I am very encouraged by your comments.

        Please know that being new in this circle and in blogging to be precise; I am still acquainting myself to the system. I am in the process of discovering the how to’s, and the do’s and don’t’s. So my biggest apologies for all the errors.

        I really appreciate all your suggestions and am happy you took time to write them down for me.

        Allow me to explore more.

        Thanks again.

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    2. I loved “My Story.” You have the gift of gab. I think that this topic is a good one for people in your situation, other young mothers who are not, and parents coping with kids who are. So, before you post, do spellcheck. Just saying!

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    1. Hi! For a new blog I think it’s very important to have a good “about” page because since you don’t have a lot of posts written that’s where most people will go to try to see what you and your blog are about. So investing in a good about page is always a great way to attract readers! Another good thing for new blogs is to include photos and work on the image of the blog – so adding images to your sidebar, to your posts, as a header (like you’ve already done) and then also managing what you want on the sidebar, the color of the background of your blog, etc. All those things will make your blog visually appealing which will help to draw people in 🙂

      Your recent post is great but make sure you focus your writing – you started out talking about distracted drivers and then went off to talking about how we all worry and/or have regrets in life. I enjoyed reading it but it would have been even better if the topic had been more focused from the beginning.

      Anyways, sorry for the long post. Nice blog so far and good luck with it from here! 🙂

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    1. I really like your layout. It’s easy to read and colorful without bring overwhelming (plus, the spiderman header is amazing). Some of the posts are kind of short, but that’s not always a bad thing — I just like the longer posts better. Keep up the good work!
      — TheAnsible

      Liked by 1 person