Aug 17, 2014 / Community Pool

Community Pool

Don’t forget the sunscreen: it’s time for this week’s Community Pool!

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?

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:

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.

  • 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!
  • 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 Brian Cantoni.

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    1. I really enjoyed it! Yes you should post more of your writing!
      I’m currently writing essays for university and am OVERLOADED with writers block! 😦
      Keep it up! Loved it!

      Like

  3. Hey there!

    I’ve just started a blog and would love to get people reading it but don’t know how to get it out there. Pretty silly question probably!

    Like

    1. I like your first post and I agree. A couple questions: Why did you name your blog “gazpachodespacho” other then your connection to Spain? Was this post inspired from what you experienced during your time in Spain? Also, your image was beautiful.

      Like

      1. That’s exactly why I named it that way.. because of my connection to Spain. i want my blog to go down the spanish side. so discussing spanish cuisine, culture, travel etc. and then occasional ramblings from myself.
        thank you, I took that myself! 🙂

        Like

  6. We started our How To Be A Bad Boss blog (www.badboss.biz) a few months ago. The blog is a team effort of three professionals, including myself, at making fun of Bad Bosses by identifying all the things that Bad Bosses do. This can help those who are currently in the position of a boss to recognize and adjust bad behavior or a coping tool for those working for a bad boss. Our average traffic is 6,000 visitors monthly. I’d love to receive any constructive criticism. Thank you in advance!

    Like

  8. Hi all, looking for some feedback on my blog as a whole – including what I could write about (short stories perhaps?) and if my writing technique could be improved in any way. Will obviously check out your blog if you comment and give feedback 🙂

    Like

  9. Hey there! 🙂 I’m seeking constructive criticism (or any sort of feedback) on my poems at http://turquoisenoises.wordpress.com/ and I would love it if you could take some time to check it out? 😀 Really interested as to what sort of emotion my poems evoke, and do feel free to add in your interpretation! 😉 Thank you and I’ll definitely help you back out. 😛
    -x.

    Like

    1. I like how your poems and writing has so much detail! But for some of the writing, maybe cut back a little so it flows a little more, because sometimes it feels like the detail is forced. Haha, maybe just me xD But it all feels so delicate, and I found myself reading them softly and slowly!

      Like

      1. Why, thank you! 🙂 I think sometimes I like to go into sensory overload moments and I guess it’s pretty true, I may have done it excessively. 😛 Thanks for the lovely comment it really helped 😀

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Beautiful blog – and your pictures suit your poems perfectly. There’s a real art to that.

      If I was going to suggest something it would be to think about your font and its size (if you’ve already agonised about this – please ignore me!) I found myself wishing that the font was a bit bigger when the poems were shorter. The visual seems to be such a powerful part of your blog that the typeface deserves to play its part in the picture.

      As I say – please take that comment as the opinion of just one reader. Others will probably find your font to be just right. It may be more of sign that I need to visit the optician than anything else!

      Good luck with your blog.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Wow thank you so much for such a detailed comment I’m really quite touched :’) Actually because I’m not under the premium package I don’t think I can change the font size..? Haha I’m not really sure though. 😛 Thanks a bunch for the feedback will definitely attempt to do consistent updates. At the same time, I’d just like to say I admire how you actually give thorough comments for many of the users in the community pool! It’s crazy good. 🙂 Have a good week! 😀

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Hi stxrr — just to answer your question: yes, to change font sizes you’d need the Custom Design upgrade.

        That said, there are many free themes that come with a default font size that’s bigger than the one in Manifest, so you could experiment with some other themes if you wish. One such theme that comes to mind is Tonal (http://theme.wordpress.com/themes/tonal/), which, like Manifest, has a very minimalist, black-and-white look.

        Like

      1. Hello John! Sorry I took a while to respond but I just discovered the notification bar. I still have a lot to learn.
        Thank you for you comment. I am glad you like it 😀

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      3. I really think your first post is well-written and informative. Maybe adding a few pictures could be helpful when explaining how to work with UM planes may come in handy. That is just my opinion though 🙂

        Like

  15. Hello. So I feel like I’m having troubles communicating my more personal thoughts. I’ve going through some struggles right now but I feel awkward about posting my private feelings and troubles online. At the same time, I feel like I should post my thoughts to have a healthy outlet. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can open myself up more?

    Like

    1. I’m also having this trouble on my blog. I’m trying to post some stuff without sounding like I’m ranting or upset because I don’t know if people will then avoid reading my blog, but I’ve had some struggles which has actually caused me to start suffering anxiety attacks. And it’s almost like, you feel like you can’t communicate. My blog originally for me was actually to help aid my personal struggles and to keep my mind off them all, but it seems that I have become one with the blog in that time. To write a post does help me ignore what’s going on. But some days it gets too much and I get my blogging note book out and write out some posts on my troubles like a personal diary, then draft them. I don’t post them unless I feel like “you know what, I’m gonna do it, because it might awaken the purpose of my blog more” which is basically surviving the teen-age and the kind of things you go through whilst growing up. I’ll only post it if I think it’s right to be posted. But if it helps, do draft, or get a notebook to write out your personal thoughts as much as you like but never publish them unless there is a day where you think it’s right to publish them. But practising pouring your heart out even to yourself is a better way of practising to communicate better online than just trying to type away on something your heart isn’t into. I hope that makes sense! Plus I just read your latest post and thought it was great 😛 communication and all. So don’t worry or panic. Sometimes life clogs you up but seeing your emotions and feelings drafted will help you get your mojo back in communicating, because you’ll have practised in your own way. 🙂 I Did eventually post on my problems, but not as much or as emotional as some of the drafts and notebook entries is written before, just something simple so that it was out. And it actually helped me with the problem in the meantime. Hope this helps! 🙂

      Like

      1. Thank you! Your post was a lot of help. I think I’ll follow your advice and just work on drafts for now. I think that it’ll be good practice for pouring out my thoughts until I am ready to publish some of my “deeper” drafts.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Most of my blog is about personal thoughts and things that have happened in my past. I have no problem sharing them with strangers, but am having trouble sharing with those I know and love the most. I suppose this is because I will not have to face most of my followers ever, but my family and friends will see me soon. What if they judge? What if they are offended?

      Sorry, I suppose I have not really given you any advice. Just know that you are not alone in your concerns.

      Like

      1. Thanks for replying! It’s nice just knowing that others are able to share their personal thoughts on their blog.

        Like

  16. Hey, I’ve been blogging for nearly a year, my site is a collection of memoirs and the most recent post shows last. Should I reverse this so it’s in chronological order?

    Like

  17. I’m still relatively new to blogging and sometimes I feel like I have a tough time connecting with the reader with my posts. If anyone could give any type of feedback, it would be greatly appreciated.
    yourstrulyminnat.wordpress.com

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Hi all I’m new to blogging and online writing of any kind really. I’m going to post the link to my first post , I don’t think it’s too long so would love if you guys could have a read and let me know what you get from it. I’d give you some background but I genuinely want to know what vibe the posts gives off , it is drawn from a personal experience 🙂 Its called Red tape. http://hennadyedhair.wordpress.com/

    Like

    1. You’ve got a fantastically powerful opening, it really packs a punch. The style is almost lyrical and you’ve got this brilliant flow except for the last line. That seems to jar for me somewhat. The rest is filled with great imagery and fab, dry wit. The only other two niggles that I had was the use of ‘&’ instead of ‘and’. There didn’t seem to be any point to use it when you’ve used ‘and’ everywhere else. And also the numerical ‘3’ instead of ‘three’ but that last one might be more me than anyone else.
      A great piece of writing overall with a really snazzy, snappy feel.

      Like

  19. Hi, I’m brand new to wordpress & blogging in general… I want to use it was a medium to share different things I’m working on (poems, stories, a memoir, or just random ideas and journal-esque entries) get feedback, and stay motivated to write. I’m having trouble with the layout of the page.. does any one have a suggestion on how to have different categories? I have a feeling it has something to do with pages/parent pages or menus…. or perhaps there’s a better layout to use. Any feedback would be really appreciated.
    Thanks,
    -Hannah

    This is my site:

    about

    Like

  22. I have been blogging my experience training for my first 5k, and challenging myself to do 1 every month for a year. I am only in week 3, but I am trying to be as honest as possible so that people can hopefully be inspired to do the same. Today was a down day and I wrote about it, because sunshine and sparkles is not always real. I would love to know your thoughts:

    My Soul Will Need a Censor Bar After This One…

    Like

    1. Hi – what a beautiful blog! It’s very pleasing on the eye. Do you have a design background?

      I think people will follow you to see how you get on. If you put links to sites or books that you trust or that you’ve used to get information on how to work up to your 5k, your readers might find that really useful. Or ideas for running shoes etc, if you can help them to avoid making mistakes or wasting money when they’re starting out.

      Do you have a date in mind for your 5k? Is it a special run that you’re preparing for? You could put a counter on your page so that your readers can see how much time you’ve got left to prepare yourself. I’m imagining the countdown to the Olympics that they had here in the UK!

      Good luck with your writing, your blog and your 5k!

      Like

      1. Thank you so much for the feedback! I have been wanting to put a countdown ticker on the site, but I have been working from my ipad and it isn’t really user friendly for the site. As of last night, I found my adapter for my laptop and can update my posts a little easier and so now will definitely add one. I do actually know what my first 5k will be, but my first race will be “One Lucky Buckeye” on September 14, it is a 2 miler.
        Thank you for complimenting the design, I used one of the templates they provided and then added in my own flair!

        Liked by 1 person

  24. Hey folks!
    I am a blogging novice and would love feedback regarding pretty much anything. Let me know how I can improve content wise especially, thanks!

    Like

  26. Hi! Well I’m all lost in some ways. At a loss as to how/why/what to set up my pages correctly, and at a loss to properly tag and categorize my posts. I need help.. if anyone is willing to help this mental block, you can check out my page at

    http:\\beginninglifeat43.com

    Like

      3. Oh I also wanted to ask you.. I’m really confused about the category/tag situation.. is there a blog or post for dummies on this subject? I have them under my menu in the first circle if you click on it.. but they aren’t how I want it. Also setting up pages… i mean its kind of a mess. What I want is a page and a link to each topic that’s relevant on it. I want a menu that makes sense to what I’m blogging about.. but I’m still feeling my way around this.. I had one goal but its expanded some since then. But I read wordpress etc. its just not helping… I hope I wasn’t too confusing, you’ve been so helpful.

        Like

      6. Hi once again , i am new to blogging myself. I would suggest that for some time till you get used to everything , maybe you could opt for a simpler theme. Because you know it be easier to browse the older posts. Pages are there but you know clicking on it and then selecting . Maybe you could just arrange the categories in the side bar . Your recent posts , categories below the follow button . And all the photos and instagram stuff below . And also the purple background you could make it more subtle. I really dont know about others but I like it simple yet colourful. And an easier way of browsing through . AND also the content would be highlighted more . Personally that is what i feel . Rest all is up to you. If you wish you could visig my blog and see .

        Like

    2. Hi Laura! We have tons of resources on the questions you have. For info on tags, you can go here:
      https://wordpress.com/support/posts/tags/
      For categories, you can try this suuport page:
      https://wordpress.com/support/posts/categories/

      It’s hard to give more specific advice on what pages you should have without knowing more about your site. However, we did publish this post a few months ago on some of the types of pages that many bloggers find useful:
      https://wordpress.com/dailypost/2014/06/21/long-term-content/

      I hope this helps!

      Like

      1. Hi, I checked your blog posts, actually a number of them. I liked “Difficult People” and “Last Night” very much but “Purpose” seemed to be a little too lengthy. My suggestion is that you could probably keep this post (this particular one) a little smaller. Also, you have written a sentence in a language other than English, if you put the translation within parenthesis that will help people. Overall a nice blog, so keep writing !

        I would appreciate if you please check out my posts and give your feedback. Thanks !

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Thank you so much for the advise! I had a hard time making the “Purpose” short since thoughts were really overflowing at the time. I will try to improve it!
        And thanks so much for the tip about the translation!

        Yes, I will visit your blog as well. Excited to read some of your thoughts. 🙂

        Like

  28. Hello!! I’ve started a blog. Can someone suggest a theme that isn’t flashy but will still let me show pictures or video’s in a cool way?

    Like

  29. I could use some content advice. Is my writing too vague, for instance. Any insight into disclaimers and citations could help as well.

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    1. Hi Andrew I visited your blog, I liked your content maybe you could add categories on the sidebar , it would be easier to find posts. Feel free to visit mine . Thank you .

      Like

    2. Hi Andrew – I hope you keep writing. It’s a joy uncovering sentences like: “We met at very pivotal times. I feel like your pyjamas are my fault.” (There are plenty of others – it’s just tricky to keep clicking on and off your post while writing this comment!)

      As I was reading your post, I had a really strong feeling that I was settling into the beginning of a novel. Your words feel quite Russian doll like. you obviously have a very clear, 3D concept of your characters as you write.

      Like all of us you could probably comb through your post and see if you could catch any stray hairs. Think of it as brushing an angora rabbit – keep what you remove on a separate page, in case you can knit something new from it later.

      Please keep writing.

      Like