May 25, 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.

Photo by t_a_i_s.

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  2. Hi there – i am busy running a series on race-related issues on my blog, mostly using guest bloggers and some amazing stories have come out so far [none more than this one by Caley Daniels which blew up my blog as far as visitation goes – http://brettfish.wordpress.com/2014/05/17/taboo-topics-race-identity-what-makes-me-me-meet-caley-daniels%5D but also a few couples who shared about their mixed race or culture connections [as in dating or marrying someone from another race or culture] which were really great – http://brettfish.wordpress.com/2014/05/01/taboo-topics-race-mixed-race-and-culture-connections

    I would love for people to go and take a look at those, but it would also be great if there is anyone reading this who has an experience they might want to share as a possible post for the blog and would also appreciate any other ideas of race-related issues to address – i currently have a panel of people representing different racial backgrounds who i invited the blog readership to ask any questions to and hopefully they will be getting back to me with their answers this week.

    thankx a lot
    brett fish

    Like

    1. Hi Brett.

      I had my fair share of racial abuse/hatred when I dated a Black boy as a teenager – I’m white. All I can say is that it was horrible. I received racism from all directions. We were very much in love and stayed together almost a year, but it felt like because of the racial divide – which didn’t matter to ‘Us’ – everyone else had an issue with it and I feel partly that was the cause of us simply not standing a chance.

      20 odd years on, I feel that mixed racial relationships are still viewed negatively. I fear for my future children because their dad is mixed race; they will have an Indian surname and despite being 3/4 white, I believe they will encounter racism. He did when he was at school. So, I do worry.

      Some may think I am being negative, but to me, I feel that I am more of a realist because I’ve witnessed it and still hear racism now. The whole thing leaves a bitter taste in my mouth as I’m sure it does other couples. (I’m feeling angry now!).

      Racism isn’t going away, not yet anyway.

      Thanks for taking the time to read 🙂

      ~ Vic

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you so much for sharing, Victoria, and I hear what seems to be a deep pain for you and I am really sorry that has been your experience. I do tend towards hope and the idea of being part of the change we want to see and so I hope that become something possible for you in your family, even if it maybe for not feel likely at this point. As much as there are many people still around with both subtle and deeply rooted racism in their lives, so there are those who are actively fighting against it and living a better way and I hope for you that you will find your lives filled with those. If you would be up to sharing some of your story on my blog I would be glad to host it for you. Sometime just getting a story out can be the start to some deep healing, and sometimes it helps reveal those in and around your life who can be part of that better future.

        Like

    1. Your writing tone is utterly captivating. Your eloquent words do not detract from the ease in which your words flow from the readers tongue, an art that I see many fail to master. Such a beautiful post with such an intriguing spin on a common topic. A wonderful read, thank you.

      Like

    1. I found your content to be pretty great. Not sure if this a stylistic choice on your part, but I do think your rhythm gets thrown off a little with some missing capitalization after periods in your prose. For grammar sticklers it might distract from your flow of thought, but your content is solid!

      Like

  7. Hi guys! My blog is a lifestyle blog from a college perspective. I’ve been trying to tweak my layout lately and make it more unique and also make my site as easy and clean to use as possible. Any feedback on my blog would be much appreciated!
    Fromcampuswithlove.wordpress.com

    Like

    1. Use the “more” tag, that way people can click on the titles that interest them without having to scroll past an entire post that doesn’t interest them (it also will increase your hits 😉 ). Personally, I think using the “more” tag makes blogs look much cleaner and easier to navigate.

      Like

  8. Hi there,
    I’d love some feedback on the structure and organisation of my blog.

    I’m keen to use WordPress features but at the same time stay fairly uncluttered. I also try and organise posts (using categories, for example) to make them easy to find/search but without bombarding the reader with too many options.

    I think I’ve succeeded but id love some honest feedback from some ‘fresh pairs of eyes’. Feel free to disagree!

    Thanks

    Like

  9. Hey guys,
    I’m currently very new to blogging and started up this one one wordpress to write about travelling. What I have written so far is a very in depth and extensive view of our travels. I feel as though it may be a little to geared towards a select few who know me personally and not very ‘open’ to new readers. Feedback would be much appreciated!
    Itinerancyentrenched.wordpress.com

    Like

    2. Hi! So I read you’re insert and first of all I must say how extremely jealous I am of your travels!! As a new reader and someone who doesn’t know you from eve, I didnt particularly find anything wrong with what you had written. It’s always nice to have a personal view in a post – after all it is YOUR blog. What you have to remember is there is always going to be those who are disinterested in not only where you have been, but travel as a whole. Personally, I found your descriptions interesting and would now quite like to visit some of the same places.
      Hope this helps

      Like

      1. Thanks very much! Glad you enjoyed it and the feedback is great. I wasn’t sure if there were too many ‘in’ jokes that I know friends would get but others might not. This was stopping me from writing anymore in this style (I have a lot of content backed up and waiting to blog it). Will get something more up soon. Thanks again for the feedback!

        Like

  11. Hi, I recently started a second blog, what I am not able to figure out is the comment which is after blog which says:- This WordPress.com site is the cat’s pajamas what does that mean? I am also noticing that the posts I am publishing to do not show clarification would help me to go forward.

    Mabel.

    Like

    2. Hi Mabel! I had to smile because my personal blog too say’s it’s the Cat’s Pajamas! 😀 All that is,is your blogs *tag line* which you can easily change in *Settings* on your dashboard. Your tagline is basically a short description of your blog. You can even omit it if you feel a tag line isn’t necessary. I thought it was dead cute and decided to keep it as a fun thing. But you can change it! 🙂
      ~Vic

      Like

  12. Hello all. I posted an insert onto my blog yesterday that was more of a personal rant for my own gratification than anything of public interest. I’m wondering if someone would mind having a look at it and just letting me know whether it’s worth keeping it up or perhaps taking it down now the bitterness has subsided?
    Link here: http://chloemarie953.wordpress.com/

    Like

    1. I really enjoyed reading this. You should definitely leave it up because it is a social problem that many people really struggle with. People use the stereotype “typical white girl,” and the bugs me to no end. Anyway, I really enjoyed reading it!

      Like

    2. Hi chloemarie953. Leave it up, it’s great! I’m sure you’re not the only person of your age feeling so disillusioned with how things are right now.

      However, I have one niggle. You complain about people stereotyping you because of your background but then go on to stereotype Eton-Ox-Bridge graduates. Might be worth changing to stop you getting flamed 😉

      Like

  15. Hi everyone. I’m fairly new to WordPress, but I’ve been using a different, very crappy 1/10 would not recommend, site called blog.com. I’m fairly new to writing as well, so I’d like some feedback on my most recent post called “You’ve got me captured.” It’s a very rough look into what I’ve been reading in the Bible lately. My blog is kind of all over the place, but feedback would be nice! It’s pretty much a daily journal, but thank you!

    Like

  17. Hey I’m new and I would really love some advice on how to get my blog more readers. And how I can improve my writing.. If you could help me that would be grand thanks

    Like

    1. I’m afraid that as a new blogger there’s nothing that anybody can offer you beyond the advice that is already out there for getting subscribers, views and comments:

      * Write engaging content
      * Attractive design
      * Use relevant images
      * Visit blogs on subjects you are interested in and leave them comments
      * Engage your reader to get them to want to come back

      And just be patient, develop your voice and go for it! The cyberworld is your oyster 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Hello!

    My space is of exposition, analysis and opinion related to important topics in society: relationships, the way people think, the way people act… From my point of view. I feel outcast here because it is in Spanish and it seems all people here are English speakers. Despite of that I enabled the Google translate tool that translates the whole blog into English and French. I would appreciate your visits and some feedback because I pursuit the improvement. Much appreciated! =) Thank you!

    This is my blog: dandelion1st.com

    Like

    1. Hello,

      One thing I have seen is that you have too many tags. This gives an impression like… you release your posts with the first category that comes to your mind, without an order. Tagging your posts with more order will improve the impression of the blog. I suggest reducing number of tags from almost 80 to 10 with very clear categories 😉

      Esther ( dandelion1st.com )

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks, that is good advice, I think what happened was I had lots of posts and chose key words from each to tag and ended up with too many. I will work on reducing them, thanks for the feedback

        Like

  21. I would actually appreciate comments on my poem.

    FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD:

    Whenever it’s possible
    To find a moment for myself
    A heartbeat gets skipped
    On a moonlit nite, at lake’s side
    I stand there silently rooted
    Looking for the lost hopes
    Fishing for the drowned dreams
    Now I spend my days forlorn
    All nights go awry searching
    From here to eternity. …

    My valley is still echoing
    No longer a fairy tale
    Some passionate moments
    Still touch my self, tug at heartstrings
    My empty stares in the mirror
    Are going wasted
    Yesterday’ memoirs not forgotten
    The fragrance of lillies lingering
    My teardrops fall in lake waters
    Start a new rhythm

    Thanks guys, will be awaiting comments. http://aishakhan0208.wordpress.com

    Liked by 1 person

    1. is a beautiful poem. I’m sure only yourself would know what it truly translates into. I am intrigued by poetry, ever trying to develop my own skills. This was amazing! Woah… 🙂

      Like

    2. I thought this poem was amazing. You are excited for alone moments you have enjoyed and that is when you do your best dreaming and you remember those times. The way you wrote it sounds beautiful!

      Like

    1. It is a beautiful poem. I’m sure only yourself would know what it truly translates into. I am intrigued by poetry, ever trying to develop my own skills. This was amazing! Woah…
      🙂

      Like

    1. Hi,

      I can seem of the old school, but black letters on red background has made the post difficult for me to read (even though I liked it). Also I suggest you reduce your amount of tags to a number not bigger than 10 or 12, it will give an impression of order and consistence to your space 🙂

      Like

    2. Hi! Cute blog but the first thing that jumps out at me is the fact that it’s tought to read because of the contrast of the colors 😦 Even just changing the text color to white would help (if you keep the pink background). Also, adding an About page is always great to let people know what to expect from you and your blog 🙂
      Hope that helps you a bit!

      If you get the chance, I would love to get feedback on my blog as well – I’ve recently changed its layout and would like to know what people think! 🙂 http://prettylittlethingsxo.wordpress.com/ Thanks!

      Like

  24. Hello!

    My space is of exposition, analysis and opinion related to important topics in society: in my diary I see relationships, the way people think and act, from my point of view. Despite of being in Spanish you have the Google translate tool that translates the whole blog into English and French. I would appreciate your visits and some feedback because I pursuit the improvement. Much appreciated! =) Thank you!

    This is my blog: http://dandelion1st.com

    PS: I know this is the second comment, but the URL wasn’t working!

    Like

  25. Thank you for your continued interest in helping those of us whom need a lot of help with our blog. I keep getting distracted. Lately I have had to push a little harder to keep my business going. This has left me with less time to blog or inquire about blogging. Also thank you for leaving the address where to get the info. You are welcome to critique my blog or what I post. You can leave any specific comment and I will look at it as I am able. Thank you for helping to keep the torch lit up.

    Like

  26. I would like your opinions on how to display comments. Do you like to read through a lot of comments? Would you prefer if they were broken up into pages? Would you prefer to have the newest comment first? I would very much appreciate your feedback. Here’s an example for you…

    My Date With a Scotsman

    Like

    1. Hi there! I don’t mind having all the comments on the same page right below the post but maybe try to do what the dailypost does on here which is to put hide the replies to comments (that helps to shorten the list). Also, I prefer to see the most recent comments first! 🙂

      I’ve recently started blogging and would like some general feedback on my blog as well, so if you can give me any tips/comments that would be amazing! Thanks 🙂 http://prettylittlethingsxo.wordpress.com/

      Like

      1. Hello and thank you for taking the time to give feedback. Much appreciated.
        I had a look at your blog and would suggest increasing the size of your font. For me, likely decades older, I find it a bit small to read. Possibly interspersing your photos with the text would be another thought.

        Like

  27. Evening folks,

    It dawned on me the other day that i no longer get the Daily Post challenges on my Reader anymore.

    Is it just me or is anyone else having a similar issue or knows how to fix this.

    Cheers.

    Like

    1. I’ve had that issue in the past. Your best bet is to check the forums to see if anyone else is currently having that problem.

      (Also, make sure you didn’t accidentally unfollow the Daily Post…)

      Like

    1. Hi 🙂 I’ve looked at your blog to see what kind of things you post about and the categories are a bit.. random hehe 😛 What I suggest to you to organize yourself better is, when you write a post think “If I was looking to read something like this on WordPress, what would I search for/what category would I expect to find this in?”. That might be helpful to get you organized. Of course, the names of categories can still be creative and fun but it will make it easier for your readers to find your posts 🙂

      If you have the time, I would really appreciate it if you could take a look at my blog! I’ve started blogging a few months ago and any feedback would be great 🙂 http://prettylittlethingsxo.wordpress.com/

      Thanks! And I hope I helped a bit 🙂

      Like

      1. Thank you dear.
        I appreciate you taking out time ..
        Oh yes, I really need to get organized… somehow, I just dont seem to be growing up 😀
        Thankss ❤

        Like

  29. Hello everyone!

    I started blogging a few months ago and I’ve been tweaking my blog ever since to improve it as much as I can. I’d love to get some general feedback on its layout (recently changed it) and on the topics that I cover as it’s mostly a lifestyle blog about whatever comes to my mind.

    Also, any tips on blogging on a regular basis? How do you stay organized? Do you plan to post, for example, Monday-Wednesday-Friday or on a weekly basis, or do you just post when you like?

    Any help is appreciated 🙂 My blog is: http://prettylittlethingsxo.wordpress.com/

    Thanks!

    Like

    1. First of all, “Not all who wander are lost” – I love that quote.
      It looks like you are doing well and you seem to be gaining a following. I suppose I am not really your target audience but my instinctive reaction on landing on your page was, “Too many choices!” Personally I like simple design and I don’t want to have to choose want to read… I want the blogger to show me exactly what I should be looking at. I see you say you blog about “everything and anything”… Just my opinion but maybe focusing your blog more would help your audience grow? Seems you like travel and photography and that’s what it seemed like your blog was about when I landed but then I saw the first post was on Social Media Buttons and I was a bit confused! But you write well and you have talent. I am no expert, just adding my two cents :). All the best.

      Like

    2. I like your new setup, although I never saw the original, so I decided to start following. I’m pretty new but for posting I set a goal. Sometimes I post more since I’m new and trying to build up my content, but I’m shooting for once a week. My best hint would be to save drafts when you have inspiration and then you can come back to them later, adjust, and post. It puts less pressure on me to come up with something in the moment although those can be great too.

      Like

    1. You may ant to experiment with different themes (templates) to create more color and interest on your blog. Find one that speaks to your personality. Hope that helps for a start. 🙂

      Like