Sep 29, 2014 / Community Pool

Community Pool

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

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).

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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!
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Photo by Brian Cantoni.

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  1. Hi everyone,
    I try to blog as regularly as I can, which is more or less once every two weeks. The blog started out as some kind of diary on my PhD-research, and as a way of practicing my English writing skills (English is not my native language). One of the things I’m struggling with is to make a choice between writing academic blogposts, more or less like journal papers, or more personal posts. I’ve done both, but feel I should decide on which route to take with my blog. So any advice on that, or on the blog in general, is welcome.
    You can read the most recent post here: http://meaningofevolution.wordpress.com/2014/09/29/the-evolution-of-the-alphabet/
    Thanks for your help!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Maybe have two blogs? Or just post different types of posts on different days of the week? I think it’s important to post personal things, but also to post things you are passionate about. I think your blog looks good the way it is. Don’t worry to much about making it about one thing. 🙂 Its your blog afterall.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Like ‘The Elephant in the Room’ said you could have two blogs. But if you find that too much in terms of keeping up with two blogs, you could have a different category for your personal stuff and one for academic. That way you’ll have defined entries.

      Good luck with it all.

      Like

    3. Hi – I enjoyed your blog post. I liked the moving graphic of the history of the alphabet too.

      If you write academic blog posts will they be too complicated for general readers to understand? Do academics read each others’ blogs? Sorry – I’m asking questions instead of offering answers!

      Could you write academic blog posts in your mother tongue and keep your English in good shape with shorter, more personal posts? Otherwise you might wear yourself out.

      I hope your future blog goes well, whatever form it takes.

      Like

      1. Thanks for your feedback. I certainly consider your suggestion of writing shorter, more personal posts in English. Maybe blogging isn’t the appropriate medium for academic writing…

        Like

    4. Hullo Tomuytt 🙂 don’t be shy of including academic work! One of the best things about blogs (for me) is the depth of research and thought in blog articles – compared to shallow, short ‘news’ type websites… One thing I would love to see more of in your blog, is personal reflection – why the research you are writing about has meaning for you – that would be a lovely thing to share 🙂

      Like

  2. Following previous advice, I am trying to use photos a little more often in my posts. Recently I used four photos in one post! (I know!!) I would love some feedback on the layout. I have centred the photos – but wonder if I should centre the text when I do this? Would that look more balanced, or just annoying? Warning: two chickens lost their bones in the making of these photos.

    Leftovers – With Marcella #62, #63, #64, #65, #66, #67 & #68 (of 466)

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks, I’ve had a few friends and blog followers ask for more photos. My challenge is to remember to take them when trying to get the meal, still warm, out to the table for my guests. I’m thinking I could work on taking photos as I prepare the dish instead.

        Liked by 1 person

    3. The photos add to the post, and four is not too many. I personally would not center the text. One thought that you may dismiss as you choose- have you considered making your tags more concise? Usually if someone is searching for a specific topic they will only use one or two words. Maybe trying tagging as Food, Foodie, Italian, Cooking, Recipes, etc. instead of as the particular dish you are showcasing. 🙂

      Like

      1. Thanks so much for your feedback. I’ve been wondering about the tags. I know that a few people have stumbled across my blog as they have been searching for particular recipes of Marcella’s. So I’ve kept up with it. But perhaps I should also add shorter terms?

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    4. I get so hungry! Perhaps, you might consider adding filters to your photos? Not those that gives weird shades etc, but rather increasing the brightness, adjusting the contrast etc. I guess this mini alterations may do a difference to your overall layout of the post together with the photographs.

      Like

    2. I really enjoyed reading some of your blog. Especially the part about waiting for your nails to dry! Get out of my head!!! It’s a very relatable and enjoyable read!

      Like

      2. I mentioned this yesterday on my blog and I can’t think of a more apt moment than this to share ~ “When we think of the word “gender”, we associate it with women. But gender refers to men too. Therefore, any policy which hopes to improve equality between genders needs to target all genders, transgenders included.” I am neither gay nor bisexual but I subscribe wholeheartedly not just to gender equality but also to, for lack of a better phrase, sexual preference equality. Good, good piece.

        Like

    4. I’ve read both of your posts and I love the way you write! It’s really funny and so relatable. I can’t wait to read more! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hi – love the quotes you have. Very Inspiring, from a quick scroll of your blog, I like the design, very easy to read but I think perhaps photographs could be improved and personally I always enjoy an image accompanied with post, it helps the reader (ME) visualize what you’re writing about.
      I hope that helps, please swing my blog and let me know what you think? http://ladolceviva.wordpress.com/
      good luck!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hi !
        Congrats on your little one on the way! Thank you for your feedback, yes I’m definitely working on uploading more of photography with better quality. (i need get a better camara :)) I visited your blog and I love the richness of your photos and the good vibes it delivers, you seem very happy and in love! ❤
        xoxo

        Like

    3. Your header is eye catching. Such a clear, whimsical shot. Also I like how the sides are a muted color and the writing sort of pops out. Its no distractions. I’ve learned when changing my blog, sometimes its best to leave whats good alone. I spent hours changing everything, only to revert back to the original. I think what you have right now-works well for the content you are delivering.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I absolutely appreciate your wonderful feedback. Thank you! I visited your blog and I’m in awe of your story, I had to follow! You are a brave young woman in which you have Angels who’ve protected you and a God that Loves You. xoxo.

        Like

    4. I like the color scheme and header on your blog as well. I would like to see an explanation of your blog name, perhaps on your About page, and maybe a bit about you. On the About page itself, all of the footers are appearing twice- I see Recent Posts, Recent Comments, etc. each repeated side by side. I may be seeing double, it’s been known to happen. 😉
      Loved “My Reunion With Autumn”!

      Like

  6. Hi everyone,

    Your thoughts on my new blog Flicks and Pieces would be amazing:

    http://flicksandpieces.com

    It’s been up and running for a couple of weeks now, I was wondering if anyone could give me some feedback on the general layout, how to encourage readers to click into another article after they finish reading the post they’re on (what are you thoughts on tag clouds?), and is there anything about my writing style that stands out as needing improvement, see my latest post for an example –

    Godzilla (2014) Review

    Thanks in advance fellow bloggers 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love your layout. And I really like your content and your writing style. I think tag clouds can be useful. Even though you have the related posts at the bottom have you thought about putting an “If you like this you may like” and then linking other similar posts? Related films or genres? Good luck.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Hi,

      I really enjoyed your blog, the photos are brilliant, it looks as though you’ve done some amazing adventuring! I’d maybe suggest if you could categorise your posts and add a side menu to make it a bit easier to navigate it would be great. Keep up the good work 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Hey blogging world! I’ve just started blogging and wanted to get your valuable feedback on my site. What do you think about it? any improvements I can make? is it cohesive? do the photographs compliment the posts? Do you think there are too many photographs? I love photos so i like to share, but I don’t want to overshare and it be dull for readers. Do they need more editing? make them smaller?
    Please let me know what you think?
    http://ladolceviva.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 1 person

    2. I think your photos are lovely! Your theme/layout really complements the photos you have included. Towards the end of your most recent post, you have several photos in a row, perhaps break this up with some writing or titles. Love the blog!

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Would appreciate comments on my blog. Especially writing style, content, organization, and other things I haven’t thought of. aareavis.wordpress.com

    Like

  12. Ive had a blog about reading for a few months now but I hardly ever get any feedback or comments. I would really appreciate some feedback! Its corrosiveteapot.wordpress.com

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I appreciate that, one of my favorite websites is cracked.com and I modeled myself after them. They use pictures to break up their articles too

        Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks for the feedback! If you have anything you want me write about (or a book you think I should read) then please let me know!

        Like

      3. I didnt even know there was a movie until I was well into the series, but Ive heard good things about it. The books are a lot of fun even if they get a little repetetive toward the end

        Like

    3. I enjoyed your blog. Especially since I don’t often have time to read and I hate wasting time on a book I dislike!

      My only suggestion would be breaking apart the large paragraphs so that it is less overwhelming for your reader! 🙂

      Content is fabulous though!!!

      Like

      1. Thank you so much! And yes I need to work more on breaking up the paragraphs, sometimes I can ramble pretty bad haha

        Like

      2. Haha I am guilty of that too! That’s why I always try to read my blog out loud a few times and that helps me a lot in finding good places to make a break. 🙂 One day I’ll get it right!

        Like

      3. If I could just get where I catch all of my spelling and grammar errors before posting I could be happy.

        Like

  14. I was writing and thinking about Ferguson and acknowledging the real pain. “You can’t be oppressed without your permission, only without your knowledge.” while I was working on making something of myself it inspired this post > basicresilience.com
    Would love some feedback.

    Like

  16. Hello everyone !! I’m new to blogging kinda it’s been a few months but I’m still learning and I just recently started blogging about a new topic. Just to empower other women of different shapes and sizes. I’d love it if you guys could give me feedback on my recent posts. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  18. Hello fellow bloggers! I recently started blogging more seriously, writing a wide variety of subjects. I call my blog World, Mind, and Food. I’m trying to decide if I should streamline all my posts or create division between subjects. The issue I’ve come against is a lot of subjects I address could go in multiple categories. Also, if I categorize, this layout could turn sloppy. I have a handful of posts up this point, so I appreciate if you could do a brief look through and then share your suggestions and opinions! Thanks so much!

    Like

      2. Thank you, I will keep doing it! I feel more plugged in with the flow of ideas, education, news, and inspiration in the last handful of days than I have in ages. 🙂 Any suggestions on how to parse my categories? As I mentioned, a lot of the things I put up are either rather specialized or a mix of ideas.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Tina! Welcome, I began blogging in March/April and found it daunting. I wrote several posts before I even received a comment, but mostly, I was writing just for me. Of course its always awesome to know someone is reading it. SO here are a few tips that i learned:

      Participate in Community Pool (congrats you took the first step). Interact with other members, genuinely engage in their blogs and it will inevitably cause them to become curious about who you are. Hence they visit your blog and perhaps even subscribe.

      Participate in Daily Prompts, Weekly Writing and or Photo Challenges. This adds you to a long list and causes others to seek out your blog.

      Keep writing, and keep sharing. Make sure you add tags (no more than 14) to your posts. It allows others that are looking for a particular category, to happen across your blog.

      These are just a few things I found useful. Happy Blogging

      Like

  24. yes! please help! 🙂 I am not only a new blogger , my english is my third language , first word I learnt when I was 23 years old.. I am also new in America, have been here for 3and 1/2 years… so please come and look at my page and say what you think! ))) Universe will notice that! Namaste!

    Like

  27. Hi friends,

    Here is a link to my most recent post. I also changed my theme yesterday to add a Blogs I Follow widget (embarrassing, but I accidentally followed myself when testing my Follow by email widget, so I show up on my own blogroll…red-faced). I’d love any feedback on the post and/or the look of the blog.

    Has Social Media Caused the Death of Civility?

    I’ll go through all of the comments on here today and try to check out as many blogs as possible. Thanks, Karen

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Good evening lovely people!
    I’m new to the WordPress community and blogging world – I’ve got a small blog that I set up just to get myself back into the swing of writing again, and even if no one reads it, it still feels so good to be writing something! I’m planning another book review to go up soon, as well as something solid about my love for tea…
    Anyway, have a look if you like, drop me a line as I’m always up for a chat 🙂

    Liked by 2 people