May 4, 2014 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The Community Pool is for those of you looking for feedback, 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 . .

TIP: 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.

  • 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. If you simply leave a link to your blog, it’s likely to be overlooked.
  • 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.
  • No running on the deck.
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  1. Hello fellow word pressers, I am in the process of building a website called Guild that can help Artisans promote their work. Artisans are anyone who offers a service, for instance hair stylists, sculptors, bakers, carpenters, etc. I hope to create an experience that keeps people interested and something people want to tell their friends about.

    I’m having problems that about the user experience such as
    -how to allow artisans to create profiles that show up on pages
    -how to organize artisans on the pages
    -how to distinguish users from artisans

    Is this sound like a website that you would be interested in?
    I appreciate any feedback.

    http://www.artisansguild.co

    Like

  3. Hello Everyone, Happy Tuesday!

    I’ve been blogging now for just a little over a month and still have lots to learn. This has been a great community to say the least. I’m still building my blog site. My concern is that although I have some followers and my stats show that others are reading, these readers don’t seem to feel too inclined to comment. Should I be concerned? Please take a look at my page and please provide all the critique you can muster up. I want to learn from everyone here, from the newbie to the seasoned blogger. My page should be for you, the public, the reader, so I need YOU to tell me what is best to keep you coming back.

    Thank you in advance, My blog is http://www.theprettyplatform.com

    Elke

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    1. I really like the site’s layout, color and background graphics. I am a pretty new blogger also and I think getting people to interact instead of just clicking follow and like is always hard and from what I am hearing it just takes time. Humor in posts is always good I have found I get the most interaction from humorous posts. Truly nice sit though!

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      1. Sarah, thank you so much for the feedback. I will definitely be taking your advice and adding humor in to some of my posts. I agree with you that blogs like yours that ooze sarcasm and wit do keep folks coming back for more. Even your titles had me laughing even before I started reading, loved it. I sometimes worry a little about the folks that I personally know and maybe them taking some offense to what I write. I might have to just care a little less. The purpose of my site was to just speak my mind. I guess once I started, that concern portion of me started to surface. I’ll find a way to drown her voice out, or sedate her at least.

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      2. That’s great to hear thanks for checking out my site also! I love being able to make people laugh and yes being a lifelong outspoken person I have learned that you have to grow somewhat of a thick skin. With blogging I feel the same way. This is your personal space where you can run with your freedom of speech and be as creative and out there as you feel you want to be. People that love it will love that about you and people that do not will have to just not follow and you will eventually get a thicker skin about it all. I am passionate about personal freedom of speech and I think people should never be making others feel uncomfortable about it. I say go forth, speak your mind and let people that have a problem with it fall off!

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  4. Hello Community Pool. Like others who’ve recently posted here, I’m quite new to this as well. Currently have two quite specific blogs. One showcasing my love of poetry; the other my love of music. I’m passionate about both and am therefore keen to get out there in the blogging world. I’m picking up hints and tips all the time, but it’d be great to hear what you think. Have a look sometime at http://jemverse.wordpress.com and http://jemtunes.wordpress.com

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    2. Hi. I love the layout of your blog, It is easy to read, but I personally prefer the text to be un-bolded instead.

      Like

  7. This is my first blog.

    It’s has short stories/flash fiction and it has articles. Currently the articles are on the different personalities of superheros (based off of the Briggs Myers personality test) because I’m a huge nerd.

    I’d just like some feedback on the quality of the short stories and the articles. Are they too long? Are the short stories too descriptive or not descriptive enough? Is there something that you think should be changed in terms of pacing, mood, or layout?

    Any feedback you can give would be very appreciated.
    Thank you in advance.

    http://shallowstorms.wordpress.com/

    Like

    1. I’m a huge nerd too. i commented on your blog on the Green Lantern post. I forgot to say that I agree, of the JLA, Hal Jordan has the greatest potential for the same reason you said, he is only limited by imagination and concentration. If you are going to make them an e-book, make sure you proofread. You didn’t exactly ask, but there isn’t any color on your blog that I see. Can you move your “recent posts” widget to the sidebar so I can navigate without scrolling to the bottom? Also, your widgets are all duplicated, at least that’s what I see, maybe there’s a glitch? As a minimalist might I suggest “Superheroes” would work for a category as well or better than “superhero things.” The short story is cute, it also needs proofread. I like that it encompasses two viewpoints. It is super short, but that makes it an easy read. let me know if you want anymore help and please check out my blog specifically this piece http://londryfairy.wordpress.com/2014/05/05/prologue/
      Do you think it is too wordy? Is the vocabulary a barrier to the story? Any other input on layout, header or the about page?

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      1. Thanks so much for the comment and I’ll see what I can do about the layout. For some reason it won’t let me get rid of the second widget. I may just need to get a new theme.

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  8. Hello bloggers,

    This is my first time blogging… or posting anything online. I picked the easiest layout available because I’m not so tech savvy so any tips on layout would be greatly appreciated! I would love any tips on how to attract conversation around the topics as well.

    http://www.noahmelik.wordpress.com

    Thanks!
    – Melik

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    1. Hi Melik. Are you sure you don’t want to title your poem with (just some wild examples) ‘Vibes’ or ‘Kitchen of Dawn’–instead of that ever-consistent [title-1] or [title-273]? But mind you, I’m not a poem guy. Just a thought. đŸ™‚

      Layout? I don’t see anything wrong with yours, so far. Even enjoying Poem-II’s pic. But really, are all of the pics on your blog will be very much alike? Cheers!

      Like

      1. Thanks for dropping by. I considered titles. Just couldn’t land on any good one for these honestly. I’m sure an actual title would draw in more. I’ll work on that. The pictures for this series of poems will be the same throughout. But I’ll eventually post different things.

        Good thoughts! Thanks.

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    2. Hey Melik. I love your poems. And given that I’m a desk worker, I loved Poem 1. But I do agree with kutukamus, i really wished that the poem had a title. You seem very poetic and creative, so i’m sure you’ll do great coming up with something that connects the title to your poem. And if your pictures will be consistent within a series, maybe your titles can be too. I do like the idea of you connecting a series through visuals. Your content is great, the layout definitely works, but looking forward to seeing what titles you come up with.

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      1. Thank you! I will put some time into creating titles for sure. I like the idea of consistent titles instead of chronological ones. This is a welcome challenge! đŸ™‚

        Like

  9. I’m not sure if anyone will see this comment… but I recently changed my layout and added a banner. I would like to get feedback on it: what vibe does it give you, is it too feminine for male readers, or is it suitable, do you recommend I change the font, size, colors, etc…?

    My blog reachs out to the music/guitar community.

    Like

    1. The text in your header comes across as slightly hard to read. I didn’t notice the hearts immediately, which is a positive for me (a guy) but a negative in terms of design. If the hearts don’t get noticed, you’re better off going with improved legibility. So, I suggest getting rid of the hearts and it should be fine.

      The color scheme doesn’t scare me off…

      Like

  11. This is a question for women and men. Ladies would you read this book if it was going to help you in your relationships? Men would you read this book just to gain insight on women and relationships? Why and why not?

    Like

  13. Hello,
    You guys helped me so much the other day, I thought I’d be cheeky and ask for some more advice.
    I have redesigned my blogs header as part of Blogging 101: Zero to Gero and I would love to see what you guys think. I’m worried that it may take up too much space and put people off scrolling down. Any thoughts?
    Find me at: kayleygilbert.wordpress.com
    Thanks again!

    Like

    2. I like the header, although i never saw the old one, this one is strong. It takes a second to load on my terrible connection, but I can scroll down during that process. I really like your widgety thing that rotates articles just beneath the header. It gives a clear and immediate idea of what the blog is like/about. (Unless that is what you were referring to as the header, in which case I still like it, but ignore my comment about the thing which is not the header) đŸ™‚

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      1. Thanks for your feedback! I did mean the top image, yeah. But I’m glad you like the slider as well. I was worried that the header would take a while to load, its quite a large image, but it works okay on my computer. I don’t know whether anyone else has found this a problem.

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  14. Did I paint myself into a corner?
    Originally I had a blog dedicated to words and chose a white theme with dark lettering. Later, I changed to a dark background where the photos look good, but not the words (in theme pre-sets).

    I add contrast in HTML code to brighten the text, but comments are still grey-on-grey, harder to read.

    Too late to change?
    If I change to a white or pale background again, I’ll may have a problem of light text on light background: low-contrast again.

    What do you think? I’m sorry I didn’t jump into this community pool earlier to ask your opinion!

    Here’s a sample page where you can check color contrast in text & comments: http://marsowords.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/chrome-glass-stainless-steel/comment-page-1/#comments

    . . . and here’s where you can leave your comments (where I first posted the theme-change question): http://marsowords.wordpress.com/?s=change+theme

    Thanks for taking time to read this! (with hopes it helps others with similar questions)

    Like

  15. I am new to WordPress and I have just posted my first blog. I have always been a writer, and afraid to show my true self. After years of procrastinating I am ready. Very anxious to hear thoughts and feelings.

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    1. I loved the first paragraph and it motivated me to read the rest. However, the original idea seemed to get lost? Are you talking about how it is important to stand by your morals so you can be a strong influence to others or how to stay focused is a world of distractions? Both are actually really good themes and you could turn this in to two posts. Title is really important as well. People what to know what the subject is before investing time to read it. Otherwise really cool. Hope this helped đŸ™‚

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      1. I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to read and I really appreciated your feedback! I guess I really wanted it to be somewhat of a prologue for multiple ideas. I had hopes that my blogs would revolve around the ideas I expressed in this excerpt. I’m going to be posting often and I’d love if you would keep me posted on your thoughts.

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    2. I almost have to believe lidialadelle is being ironic. Suggesting greater structure on a post about nonconformity, even prescribing a specific structure? It’s a good post about questioning the whether or not we want the box we are living in. Personally, i would just like to read more about what you might be doing passionately in your life, outside of the societal standard (aside from creative writing) as part of this post. Not to challenge you, but to inspire the reader.

      Like

    1. I have found several of your posts entertaining. The “surviving marriage” one is cute. I am pretty sure last time I looked (before today) the layout seemed different, but I changed devices, so I can’t be certain. I have considered writing a “surviving marriage” post, but less tongue in cheek than yours. đŸ™‚ Keep posting, I’m reading.

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      1. Thanks so much londryfairy! Yea you are not imagining things I did have a completely different layout but I had to switch over. Great memory and thanks for reading!

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    1. I really like your blog. It’s pretty and has a cozy nostalgic feel. I think you picked a good theme. It’s awesome that you have all those specific memories and photos to boot. I like that the text/photo ratio seems in balance. I also like that you made the photos big enough to view easily. I’m sorry that your daddy passed, I’m glad he left you with a legacy of travel and good strong memories.

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      1. Thank you! I threw that theme together in a few minutes last night. It’s not the one I usually use, but maybe it’s time for a change. I appreciate you taking the time to look and give me such detailed feedback.

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      2. Hi Audrey, I like the fact that in addition to a family/vacation/relationship post, it was also a tribute to your dad. I miss my dad too. I think you are certainly ready for prime time sharing, my only suggestion would be to make the post shorter (maybe divide into a few posts) as I found my attention waning past the midway mark. Good luck and happy writing!

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      3. Thank you for that suggestion! This post was Part 1 of 2, but maybe I should have divided it even more. Is there a preferred number of words for post?

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  20. Prologue Draft

    I’m hoping for more critiquing of this short piece of fiction.
    Also, I just added a header and about page, input world be appreciated.
    If you don’t have time or interest to look at any of that, please comment to say hi, right here in the pool is fine… I just want to be sure this comment is visible…?

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    1. I love your header with the picture of the trees, and your blog design overall! Is the “introduction” your about page? It was very interesting and I think about moving into our motor home all the time. My son is homeschooling for 10th grade now, and we try to do as much traveling as we can. On your fiction piece, you asked about the vocabulary. I had no problem understanding it.

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      1. Thank you for your feedback! The intro is a post, the “about page” is called “the woman behind londryfairy”. My header is rotating, so if you want to see another cool one, check back. đŸ™‚

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    2. Ah, photos from Yellowstone! I was there when I was 15, and we were to visit there last year, but the government shutdown wasn’t over yet. Still hope to go in the not-too-distant future. Looks great! đŸ™‚

      Like

    1. HI, you blog seems very passionate, the problem? Who is Allen Post? đŸ˜‰ I went to your home page to find out more information and it was a bio on yourself. I think if you are going to write about someone you need to add more information about who they are why we should care about them. Also try adding some more tags like “politics” or “refugee”. These are people who may know who he is and will have interest in your blog. Hope this helps đŸ™‚

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  23. Hi everyone!! Greetings from California.

    I just started a philosophical/environmental blog; PLEASE help me improve! It would really help me if you skimmed through a couple of the 3 articles I’ve uploaded/the video I’ve uploaded and gave me feed back. Are my last posts upload worthy? What do you want to read about?

    I have a brief article on the costs of capitalism, an article about how war is detrimental to human beings as a species, an article on why I love philosophy and why I think it’s important, and a very insightful video called “This is Water” which is part of a commencement speech, played over a video, about awareness.

    The blog I need help with is dannynetzer.wordpress.com

    I’m brand new to this site and blogging in general so any and all encouragement is appreciated!

    Thanks you!!

    Like

  24. Ładne wnętrza domu to nie muszą być ogromne wydatki. Wystarczy odrobinę finezji, żeby salon, pokój dziecka lub ewentualnie kuchnia stały się piedestałem piękna i wykwintnego stylu wnętrz. Jeśli nie wiesz, jak spowodować, żeby twoje wnętrze wyglądało porządniej – wstąp na witrynę internetową, gdzie tapeta na ścianę to podstawa. Zapewniamy, że pomażemy w dekoracji mieszkania, ujawniając wszystko, czego potrzebujesz. Zaoferujemy również pomoc, poradzimy i zaadaptujemy zmiany, które upiększą każde Twoje pomieszczenie. Więc nie zwlekaj, wstąp teraz oraz skorzystaj z okazji, która przenigdy się nie powtórzy!
    http://www.udekorujdom.pl/

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  25. Hi all,
    my blog doesn’t really have any theme – it’s a mix of topics in my life (dating, having MS, gardening, writing, random thoughts, things I find amusing, etc). Just wondering if this is a bad thing to have with a blog. My posts are categorized and tagged, so it’s organized. But is it better to have a main theme or topic for your blog?
    http://myfarragoesblog.wordpress.com/

    Like