Oct 6, 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).

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.
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  • 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. Hi Alan – what an inspiring, sad story and how wonderfully you tell it. It sounds as if one of your grandmother’s gifts is finding her way through horrible circumstances and I hope she’s able to bring that power to bear, in some small way, on her present situation.

      If I were going to give one bit of feedback, I’d say – have you thought about splitting the story up into chapters – like Dickens or like suzie81, who split her story about an abusive relationship into 3 sections? Here’s the first http://suzie81speaks.com/2014/08/20/the-tale-of-a-sociopath/

      The only reason I say that is because every word is worth attention, but people might get lost if they can’t see the horizon. In lots of stories it’s pretty easy, as a reader, to read the map of the narrative and to tell whereabouts you are within it. In your story, because it has so many twists and turns, it’s harder to know where you are. It’s more labyrinthine.

      Thank you for telling your grandmother’s story. She’d be proud to know how you remember her.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you for the wonderful response and thank you for reading. It truly means the world to me.

        I am actually in the process of composing a piece in which I speak candidly about my experience with domestic violence – fitting, since October is Domestic Violence Month. I felt a bit overwhelmed by all I wanted to say, but splitting it into chapters (I think three should do it), is a BRILLIANT idea.

        You’ve really opened my eyes. Thank you ever so much.

        Like

  2. This is my first day here and I am about to build a platform to show myself. Please kindly have me some of your advice about how to manage this website. I want promote myself by personal website as much as I can. Should I post only business and career related topics or personal interests will also be welcomed and helpful? Any of your suggestion is appreciated and highly expected.

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  7. Hello Everybody!
    A couple months back I started my blog, Imaginationem. On my blog I post about DIYs, outfit ideas, makeup tutorials, and hair tips and tricks.

    If you could check it out and provide me with some feedback on my layout, topics of my posts, and the quality of them, that would be great. Thanks!
    –Callie:)
    http://imaginationem.wordpress.com

    Like

  11. Home.

    Hi Guys! I was adding a few pages and such ended up with me redoing my entire blog. I had the standard blog style where when you post your blog, the entire post would be on the home page and you’d scroll down the home page as you read the post. I probably spent about 5 hours redoing 4 different themes that would optimize and align with the goals of my blog.

    I was looking for style that would focus on a picture of the blog post with the title, hence a food pictures + restaurant name. I thought it would be easier to scroll through and “filter” since these are restaurants.

    What do you guys think? Does this style make sense with the type of blog i have?

    Thanks in advance for all your feedback!

    Liked by 2 people

  12. Come and read my poetry. Don’t leave your emotions and shortcomings at the door. Welcome to all you beautiful Men and Women. Honesty is all I have on tap. – Monty

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    1. Your blog is so personable! The way you combine anecdotes with recipes is something I’ve played with too 🙂 I think it is great! When loading, your white subhead font in the image is a little hard to set from the photo. A font outline or border would fix that right up!

      Eating your blog up! 😉 followed

      Like

    1. This brings back memories! Your beautiful photos really capture interest, the posts would be more streamlined if you focus the format. For example, the 4 picture collage would work for each bullet

      Thanks!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you so much for feedback! I have been wanting to do a 4 picture collage but not sure how to do that on wordpress? I think I have to make it a collage elsewhere (adobe pdf?)and then export into my media pictures? If you know where I can do in wordpress, that would be so super helpful 🙂 Thanks again!

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    1. I suggest that you should put it under your name. But of course, the decision is still yours. And one more thing: add categories at your sidebars or create a menu for categories so that your fellow bloggers can easily navigate articles throughout your website.

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    2. Hello! 🙂 You have good stuff up, it makes for an engaging read! Just a thought, you might want to take a look at grammatical errors? They’re really sneaky and can slip in, detracting from the content if they’re too obvious.

      Happy Blogging! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. The lay-out is good. But I suggest you should put an “About” page so that bloggers will know who you are and what your site is about.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you!

        You’ve been to very nice places! Definitely keeping this list (and following your blog) for future reference.

        If ever you find yourself in the Philippines, don’t hesitate to contact me. 🙂

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    1. Hello! I checked out your page. I like how colorful it is with all of the images you have chosen. That is big plus.
      Good job enabling your share icons also. I read your about pg and it is good. In time, you might want to add more about yourself so your reader feels more connected to who you are. Just something to consider.
      No one has to be a professional writer to blog. I literally re-read over my posts 10 or more times checking for errors in spelling or grammar. If I have confusion about anything, I Google it or ask a friend.
      If I want my writing to improve, that’s the best way to push myself.
      Good luck to you, and have fun blogging! It looks like you have a good audience base already. You have a Niche, so keep up the good work 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  22. Third post out in my ‘Irony’ series:

    The Irony: Part 3

    You can read it directly without reading the other two parts (no pressure!).
    I’d prefer it if feedback is given here and not in my blog. Thanks for looking through!!! 🙂

    Like

  24. Hey all! I changed my posting format around a wee bit. Earlier I would post images with poetry, but now it’s just poems or prose, because I read that images that aren’t your own can prevent you from getting on the Freshly Pressed list. Also. I’m worried my blog looks too bland without the splash of color. I do want the focus to be on m poetry but not at the cost of visual appeal. Thoughts and comments please?

    http://calliopeslyre.wordpress.com/

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  28. Hi fellow newbies! I’m about a month in. Woo Hoo! I have a “niche” but I use a few different voices. They are all ME. And I’m also featuring guest bloggers.
    This is one of new my sassy, humorous posts about going to a party when you are sick. I would love some feedback about the page and anything that stands out to improve upon. Thanks for taking the time!

    Party Etiquette for Sassy Spoonies

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  29. We all write for different reasons.. One may write for a pat on the back while others do this as a stress reliever. Whatever your choice is, make sure you words are real… I write because it’s healing for the soul and it’s always good to go back and say wow, were those my thoughts? Hmm…

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  30. Does anyone know how I can add another link for my readers next to ABOUT at the very top of my page?
    I don’t see an additional Widget to add to the top.
    Is this only with an upgrade? I see others of you with several links at the top and my page is jealous :/

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      1. Thank you Ben. I might use that widget after all. It’s a sidebar menu; I was hoping to add a few additional links beside my “Home” and “About” at the very top.
        Thanks for your help!

        Like