Apr 18, 2014 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The place for feedback, advice, and friendly blogging chatter.

Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/63057306@N04/5734415538">Beachfront Solutions</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(CC BY-SA 2.0)</a>

Have you just published a new post and are dying for some feedback? Did you recently start your blog and could use some layout or design advice from your more seasoned peers?

The Community Pool is for peer feedback and advice. Looking for more specific information? Check out some of these resources:

Tap into the wisdom of The Daily Post blogging community and leave your question here in the comments. Others can then click through and offer input either on your site, or in the comments here (feel free to indicate which you’d prefer).

To help us make the Community Pool a productive space for discussion, here are some tips you might find useful:

  • While you’re not required to, we encourage everyone who requests feedback to also reply to at least one or two other bloggers who need some help. Spread the love!
  • The Community Pool comments section can get quite big — and starting duplicate threads doesn’t help. Thanks for not posting the same question more than once!
  • If you’re looking for quality feedback, be as specific as you can. Questions about a particular post tend to draw more comments than ones about entire blogs. Questions about specific design elements are more likely to be answered than ones asking for general layout advice.
  • We discourage leaving links without a more substantive message or question. These are often overlooked by other bloggers, and we frequently remove them to make the comment reading experience smoother.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. The idea is to have fun — it’s a pool, after all!
  • 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.
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • No running on the deck.
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    1. Hey Kathryn I checked out the template for your page and everything seems pretty easy to navigate. I’m new as well so I’m learning the ins and outs of WordPress too. But everything looks good so far! Check mine out and let me know what you think!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hiya Troy…I checked out your page. I really enjoyed my visit. You speak your truth as it comes to right now. I’m always very impressed by a straight shooter.

        Your site is well put together. It appears you gave it some thought and consideration. Site visitors always appreciate this.

        I don’t know how responsive it is to other screen sizes, but it’s working well on my laptop. Ever checked this out yourself?

        I left Likes and Comments – Highest and Best!

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Good Morning Le Le..i was happy to visit your blog today. I found it well appointed in most areas. You gave me pause to think and leave your blog with some take-away too. I left Likes and Comments.

      The March 12th post had a lovely song on it. Unfortunately, You Tube has seen fit to block it from being played due to copyright issues. Hopefully, you will be able to find another rendition of it on You Tube, or maybe Vimeo.

      Please check it so all your visitors can get the full breathe of your post.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hiya…

      I visited your blog today. I enjoyed my visit, and left you some food for thought.

      I also winced when I came upon your About Page. You haven’t unpacked it yet. Hope you do soon!

      Like

  7. I’ve been here for one week today. Thank you to everyone I’ve met and talked with. This is so much fun😊

    Please stop by sometime 🌷

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Hi! I’m not into manga personally, but I found your exploration interesting, and I agree that women should have more of a substantial role. Well done! Only thing I would ask as a general thing on your website (if you can change this) is that the mid-screen pop-up comes up later, after the reader has read more of the article. It was a bit annoying that I hadn’t read anything and I was already being asked to subscribe! Thanks for sharing though 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi. Nice, short, sweet. Seem like good tips, and you have a new follower. But – and maybe you did this on purpose so people saw your other posts – I’d appreciate it if you linked directly to the article and not to the site in general. Thanks!

      Like

  10. Hi all! I’m a (male) professional ballet dancer blogging about dance culture out of France, and I just published my first AMA (ask me anything) post. My question is: Does my little preamble make you any more likely to ask questions? Is there anything I could do/say to convince readers to participate?

    Corporal questions: Ask me anything

    Thanks for the feedback 🙂

    Lucas

    Liked by 4 people

    1. I might work on making the preamble a bit shorter but I’d definitely take out the section about it possibly being a flop. Yeah, it might be an AMA to keep all your pet crickets in but treating it like it’s going to be an awesome success will get other people more into treating it like it might be an awesome success.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. hey i love your blog and just checked it out! i did reply to your last post and asked you a question 🙂 as for how to recieve more participation or feedback…the only advice i can give you is to keep writing from your heart. people will follow and comment and interact with you as time goes on.write from your heart and let the magic happen. i admire your passion greatly ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks! It’s true that sometimes it’s a matter of time. I think it can be hard to build a community of people that can (and want to) participate in a discussion about a a very specific topic like this. Thanks for the feedback and follow!

        Liked by 1 person

      5. i just read your last comment, i hadn’t read it yet and was actually a little confused to be honest, and that is actually funny. i will say once more, great minds DO think alike! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Hello! Last week I wrote a post to celebrate my one month anniversary, talking about 5 things I’ve learned about blogging since I began. One of my followers suggested I link to it in the community pool, in case anyone who is starting out might find it useful.

    I’m definitely not an expert, but maybe you’ll find something that you can use:
    https://overanalysingliterature.wordpress.com/2016/04/14/5-things-i-learned-in-my-first-month-of-blogging/

    Have a lovely day!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi! Your blog has an aesthetically pleasing layout and feel to it. I really enjoyed reading your post that I commented on. It was long, but the way that you organized it was easy to read and follow and I loved the addition of the pictures. Great job, I followed you to keep up with your adventures!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hi! It is very aesthetically pleasing and I like the content. I would say the one piece of critical feedback is that from a quick 2-second scan of your page, it’s difficult to know what your blog is about. Perhaps consider a prominent image or tagline to entice viewers to keep reading? Great job with the blog!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. hey i love your writing! i don’t have any suggestions at all (sorry, i am kind of new to blogging as well) but your blog name (love the alliteration) is eye catching, your writing is amazing, and your layout isn’t confusing or anything. i gave you a follow, as i am looking for new blogs to follow, and look forward to hearing more from you soon!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you for that lovely commentary. New to blogging is a mine field…no need to apologise. Will return the favour tomorrow (getting late here) and pop over to yours too. I have a personal mission statement that says anyone that likes a post or comments gets a visit back…includes follows too. Thus far everybody I’ve met is uber friendly. I’ve found that one of the best things about the blogosphere. Love meeting new people 🙃

        Liked by 1 person

      2. you are right….the blogsphere is a great way to meet people. today is the first day i have actually made an effort to interact with people besides just liking posts…and i can already say that i have met some lovely people!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I was like you a few months ago…staring and looking at other blogs thinking how did they get all those followers and why do they sound like they all know each other so well? Then I started joining in and have I been blown away by how friendly everybody is. That was so unexpected 😊

        Liked by 1 person

      4. yessss exactly. i’m like why didn’t i do this sooner? and the best part is most everyone likes to write!!

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Well you have now so…no turning back and going all shy again 😇 I know rewriting….and the challenges here….they are all over the place….never expected that either !!!!!

        Liked by 1 person

    1. i love your poetry! also, if rhyme is what works for you…keep it up! You do you, and what will make you happy as a writer 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    2. I like the rhymed verse, I think it works well with your writing. This poetry is well written and relatable. Though I’m sure these are direct experiences in your life, I can read pieces and relate them to aspects of my life, too…and we’re strangers! I look forward to seeing more from you!

      Liked by 1 person

    3. I really like your writing! Keep up the rhyming, every poet has their thing. I’d suggest playing around with rhyme schemes other than AABB… because rhyme works well for you!

      Liked by 2 people

  18. Good Morning Everybody,

    You all great out there today.

    I would really appreciate any feedback, critique or just any reaction to my Blog;

    https://stevolom.com/

    Its mainly funny fiction and biography, with some more serious stuff thrown in there as well.

    Especially, could you check two of my pieces, please?

    A small story about flinty rocks, soft voices and red fruit.

    This is a short fictional piece about a sad, lonely girl.

    Smirking, and a potential remedy for the social ills that can follow

    This is a much more humorous piece about being easily distracted andhow to deal with the reactions.

    Thank you for taking a look, I appreciate it.

    Love, Stevo

    Ps I know I need more pictures: I’m getting there, honest.

    Like

      1. Thank you for looking, I appreciate it. I have had a read of some of your posts, and whilst I don’t share your beliefs, I do like the colour of your words; faith often makes for the most dramatically shaded writing.

        Like

  20. Please excuse the interruption. Last August, I started to blog by opening a wordpress template. I called it thepegasusfiles, but never actually wrote anything. Shortly there after, I started another and called it The Daedelus Files and have written stuff there on a sporadic basis and still continue to do so. Looking at the statistics, it’s entertaining to note that one attracts almost as much attention from readers as the other.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. The blog theme is extremely stark. I would consider getting something it at least one other color. Black and white is a tricky thing to make attention grabbing. I’d also work on capitalizing the site header. The all lower case mpreviewsblog kind of runs together. Also there are too many periods in your ellipses.

      You have a widget on the side bar that isn’t being used. I’d try to put a tag cloud or category list there to help organize your site.

      The “s” in “spice” for your latest post should be capitalized. Your post ends with “Try these homemade ones & [savor] the taste for a lifelong.” but there are no links to recipes or anything so it leaves me feeling as if the post isn’t complete.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. Hi
    I’ve been blogging for a few months now, done a couple of Blogging U courses and all is going reasonable well (I think). My blog is mostly for photography but there is plenty of other stuff in there too. I am wondering what (if anything) I can do to improve the look and feel of my blog. The theme I chose is one of the free one’s and I’m not really interested in buying something. I want it reasonably simple with photos being showcased as much as possible. Does anyone recommend a better theme or some changes that would make it more interesting to readers?

    here’s my blog https://carrotroom.wordpress.com/

    Any thoughts appreciated

    Thanks 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. i personally think that a simpler theme is better than a more complicated one. I would say you chose a great theme because your blog revolves around your photography (which i love, by the way!!! <3) and that a more complicated theme would take away from your artwork. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you. I was wondering whether some more menus, navigation was warranted or perhaps some sidebar stuff. Not that I don’t like it as it is but I’ve seen some others that just make me think. I’m glad you like my images 🙂

        Like

      2. of course! and yes, i think some menus could be cool to maybe say more about yourself, or to add a contact page, or maybe to link to other bloggers or photographers or links you would like. it could make your site more interactive while also making it more personal. but as you said, it also just great the way it is!

        Like

  23. Hi friends! I recently decided to start a blog. I’ve always thought that just blogging about one’s day or life had the potential to be slightly self righteous. I felt like it needed a point like many of yours have…playlists, poetry, fitness, beauty products, etc. When I began writing, I felt that my content wasn’t going anywhere in particular and that I was rambling. Would any of you mind checking my first post out and telling me what to change or what to center it towards? Right now it’s all over the place! Thanks in advance. I’ll check out blogs on here and all blogs of people who can help me out with advice!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. hi. I don’t think you are all over the place at all! you are very clear in the title of the post what you will talk about. Also in your “about page” you are clear that your blog will be about different topics, instead of just one….like miscellaneous! my only suggestion would be to include the links to your websites maybe in your “contact” page? other than that, its off to a great start! I’ll give you a follow since im kind of new to wordpress and need some blogs to follow! Hope i helped!! 🙂

      Like

      1. Thank you so much! Links to my websites…like personal websites? (Twitter, Instagram, etc.) Also, I just saw your comment about the “follow” button. Let me figure out how to do that!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. yeah that’s what I meant! I just feel like it would make more sense under the contact page. and it took me a while to figure out how to add the follow button…i think you can add a “follow by email” for those who don’t have a wordpress account, and then there is a “wordpress follow” too. I added both actually. its under the widgets menu, i know that much

        Like

      3. Thank you so much, I think I did it correctly! Yes, I might add those things later in the contact page 🙂 I appreciate your help and feedback! Checking out your blog now!

        Like

      4. sorry, i reread the part about the fitness guide…i thought those links were to YOUR sites, not hers. my apologies

        Like

    2. One more thing, you actually don’t have a “follow” button, so if you are looking for followers and readers, i would suggest going to the widget menu and adding the “follow” button to at least your “about” page. But if you dont want to, that’s perfectly fine too!

      Like

    3. Since you’ve just started blogging, I think it’s ok to try out a variety of topics and posts. You are still finding your blogging niche. I do the same thing, and it’s helpful to figure out which posts flop and which ones do well.

      I really like your About synopsis. Clear who you are and your purpose.

      Liked by 1 person

  25. hi! i recently started my blog, and am looking for tips on how to get “out there more”? it is a blog that speaks on mental illness, and recovery, and i also am including my poetry. it is personal, but i do believe awareness is oh so important, and it’s just basically my story. I would love feedback or advice or any kind words (and constructive!) 🙂 ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Since I am new for the blogging scene, I unfortunately don’t think I have the best ideas for how to get “out there more”. Your blog is great and so relatable though so I think it should be out there more. ED and mental illness are both things that so many struggle with and I think having an outlet like your blog would be great for so many. Maybe just refer your friends, if you have a tumblr then you could post it there and just be a safe haven for people who are struggling with similar situations. I followed you and can’t wait to follow your story. Thank you for being so brave and sharing part of you with us!

      Like

      1. oh wow you are so sweet! and that’s a good idea, maybe i will it on tumblr 🙂 i appreciate your kind words so much ❤

        Liked by 1 person

    1. I would recommend making the header smaller. It takes two taps of the space bar to get to your actual content which, in my opinion, is not great use of space. I would also change the font of your site title.

      I would also suggest mixing the pictures in with the steps for your DIY posts. People work better with a visual accompanying their instructions. Scrolling back and forth can be a bit of a pain. Also, crop the black out of the pictures for that bow. Even crop out some of the excess white to make them look cleaner.

      I’d also advise adding a category for “DIY” and not strickly Washi Tape DIYs. I think you might want to play around with categories like “DIY,” “App Reviews,” “Crafting Tips,” and “Homemade” as those are the things you’re putting forth in your about page as being the center pieces of your blog. You might also want to add what the “220” means to your about page.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you for your comment, I’ll edit them soon!

        The “220” doesn’t mean anything because diywithme was already taken!

        Do you think it’s still worth it writing why?

        Like

    1. hey i think your blog is great! A nice mixture of things you love, (aka your adorable cat), books you have read ( i personally absolutely love book reviews) and also opinions because (in my opinion #opinionsmatter). you have a nice clean theme that isn’t too confusing or anything, and also the #sorrynotsorry is my favorite hashtag to use…just sayin’! anywho, im gonna give you a follow because im new to the blogging world so i am trying to fill my “followed sites window” and i really hope to read more from you soon!

      if you have the chance, will you give me some feedback on mine?

      https://perfectionhasapriceblog.wordpress.com

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I’m so glad you like my blog!

        I like the clean but not stark look. If possible, I’d suggest putting spaces in your site title so it’s a bit easier to read but I know somme themes don’t let you.

        Love the pic on your “About Me” page. It’s happy, full of energy and just over all pretty adorable.

        You might think about putting together a playlist for your 35 songs so people can play and just let it run.

        Love the awareness links. I hope this is something that keeps expanding as you continue blogging. Also really great support page.

        Love the over all content. Very good job.

        Like

      2. i figured out how to space out my title – you are right it is much easier to read! And aw thanks. i like your suggestion about the playlist…would you suggest i just make a playlist on youtube and then link it? i really dont know how else to make a playlist?
        i really appreciate your kind words. thank you so much ❤

        Like

      3. No worries! If you make a playlist on youtube, you can embed it so people can see the videos as they play or even go directly to youtube to listen to it while they read your blog. You can find the code to embed under the youtube video > share > embed and then just copy and past into your page.

        Liked by 1 person

      1. I would get rid of the picture of the rocks above your site header. It looks out of place.

        The About Me section needs a bit more working over. I’m not entirely sure what “Evolving Individuals” is. From the title, it sounds like it’s a project you’re working on but it’s never really gone over in the About section. I would encorperate a bit more about you, personally, as well. If you can weave information about yourself with information about your blog, people will be more interested. As it stands, it feels a bit discombobulated. I would also add a home button to your menu bar.

        The purple throughout is a nice shade of purple but, depending on the tone of your site (heavy/serious or light/motivational), you may want to consider a lighter color, perhaps something closer to a pale lavendar.

        If at all possible, see if the images for your posts can be centered. They look a bit awkward hanging in the upper left hand corner. Also, try to settle on a single font and color. Using a larger/different font for poetry is nice because it makes something small that might normally be lost pop but Green Card should be turned black.

        The fuzzy purple picture looks odd where it is. I would either try to make it the entire background, encourperate it into the header, or get rid of it.

        Hopefully this helps. Your blog has some nice content so hopefully it really takes off!

        Like

    3. I really enjoyed your piece on trains. I’m not sure it’s a uniquely American thing to rage at the quality and usefulness (uselessness?) of the national railway system, so I understand your frustration.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yeah, I think gripes about public transportation are a fairly universal first world grumble. I just wish America actually had some public transport to complain about. lol

        Like

  28. Hey! I have a competition for all the Writers going on! Don’t miss out the topic for April! And meet so many new bloggers ! Here https://being1nsane.wordpress.com/2016/04/03/quickly-grab-the-ttt-spotlight-with-this-challenge/

    OH! I ALSO write poetry and fiction would really appreciate if you could check out my latest write up on that topic called “My confidential letter to myself (Something you need to hear) – https://being1nsane.wordpress.com

    Oh! If you leave a nice comment with mesioning your from The community pool, I’ll do the same for you 😉 Thanks!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Your site looks good and the content has a sincere, friendly tone. You might want to create an About page. You could copy what you have in your Hello post into the About page. Many people look for an About page when they first visit a site hoping to see the purpose of a blog. https://gracelead.co

      Liked by 2 people

  30. Gloria,
    I really like what you are doing with your blog. I like how you include pictures too! I’m glad that prayer has been redefined for you and not just a monotonous action. I also appreciate how you have written some posts about relatable things for other people. Keep going strong, girl!

    Like