Dec 15, 2014 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The place for feedback, advice, 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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Photo by Brian Cantoni.

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      2. Thank you! I have read some of your posts as well and one thing I like a lot about them is that they are real, real experiences make them that much easier to understand and relate to.

        Like

    1. I truly understand this “gap”. Your writing style about this is topic is unique, and I am a bit excited to see how your blog will evolve. Good luck!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Really liked your blog! I’m new to the whole thing myself, but I found the narrative nice and easy to read. And I’m at a similar point in life, except I’m completely out of that whole system thankfully.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. I really enjoyed reading your most recent blog post which was why I decided to follow your blog. I’m currently applying to university but I can totally relate to what you have written about. I love the idea of just travelling somewhere without thinking about the stereotypical life plans that everybody expects you to follow. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    4. I really like where your blog is going and it’s really relatable. I love your writing style, it’s simple but still has an impact. Keep up the good work!! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

    2. There weren’t too many pictures and they were great. Since I’m not a Las Vegas fan, I skipped that post and perused a few of the others. The one about your dog is wonderful, and I left a comment.

      Liked by 2 people

    3. Please take this in the sprit it is given. When I first went to your “blog/site” ( and that either or …or both, is important), I thought you were trying to share and engage..but trying way too hard. For instance, your post, “…Downtown Las Vegas…” is actually a really good, this is what’s happening, locally, in Sin City, been their type of review. But the way you have set up your blog, at first glance, I felt the story was presented as boosterism…which, I don’t think was the intent.

      I went deeper into your “blog/site” and found a wealth of fine post on numerous subjects yet I was distracted by the overall feel of your “blog/site.” Now the template you’re using is a great template but I don’t think it works for what you guys are trying to do. I think what you guys need to think about is how to create a “web site” using the content management system (CMS) of WordPress.

      You may want to consider a magazine template, that would afford your readers an overall front-page blush of what you guys have to offer. It can clean up some of the clutter, allow for a better presentation of most current content, as well as readily “display” and allow quick click though to category and archived post. You won’t be limited to “tell little” excerpts, and since you have broad interest, you won’t be caught in a niche top down blogger feel. ( Nothing wrong with top down) but I just don’t think it’s for you guys, and you asked for “a look see and a tell me.” So I told ya.

      I have no money interest in any wordpress templates, excepting I’ve paid to try most of them, and while I could recommend a few, I think you might find the “MH Magazine” theme may just do your work justice.

      One more thing, moving from a top down blog to using the CMS of WordPress is a bit of a learning curve but I have no doubt that you guys can more than pull it off in no time.

      Good Luck and
      Regards,

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Woah that’s a great idea! To do the alphabet and then try to make it flow. It must be insanely hard to do something like that, and although I guess it could be better, I think you did a great job (I couldn’t have topped that anyway)! I also write poems.. but my style is more with rhyming or a lot of imagery. Best of luck on your blog!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. The Alphabet Soup is creative. I like that you thought of your readers and put the definitions of those words at the bottom. I have some poetry at my site if you want to check it out.

      I also checked out some of your other short stories or tall tales from Preston. If you have the time to read, you can also check out my site. I’m publishing what is left of my book on WP.

      https://ellesadventureinchina.wordpress.com/

      I haven’t gotten many retainers but I hope to find some and keep them.

      Like

    1. Hey, I’m new, too.

      Improve: Be more specific. I read your bullying post and I agree that teachers and parents must be proactive. [Side note: What I hypothesize is that some children bully because there is some need that’s not met – maybe unconditional love, maybe some respectable role models]

      Fonts: Paragraph is normal. Pre is not normal. Heading 1 is kind of like a topic. I try to use all the big fonts on my WP. The link I’m imbedding has Heading 1, Pre, and Paragraph. The smaller headings, I assume are for other things. I imagine the smallest heading could be equated to as fine print, and headings with smaller size than Paragragh can be used for citations. I think you should use what is good for your site.

      https://ellesadventureinchina.wordpress.com/book-1-i-introduce-to-you/

      Expose Writings:
      1. Participate in Community Pool and honestly check out others’ sites. It’s important to network since if you don’t know anyone, no one knows you.
      2. Get others to follow you or subscribe to your site. If they like what you write, they might send it to people they know = more traffic to your site.

      Hope this helps.

      Like

    1. I like the way you write about the simplicities of everyday life! Although, if you could find a way to make some of the sentences and paragraphs flow a bit more into each other, it will be much easier to read. Best of luck, J

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Please take a look at mine, and tell me how I am doing, what I could improve on, constructive criticism is appreciated! Ill retaliate! I’m new to this and would appreciate the help. Also, how do I get different topics to appear on my menu? lets say I wanted to write about food or show various travel routes. Please help!

    Liked by 1 person

    2. First of all, it’s a very itneresting blog and you have it organized. It’s itneresting!
      Second, a friend helped me out to get various menus and she said, “you’ll have to first post an article related to that. Okay? And before you publish that article you have to create a separate category called ‘food’ in the editing section on the right side above the tags option.”

      “After you make a category, you publish that article. After that go to Dashboard, Setting, Menu. There, there will be an option ‘Category’ which will have your ‘food’ option. If you click on that you’ll see that it’s adds in the menus area on the right. Save changes and then you’ll see there will be a separate column for your ‘food’. Don’t forget to check both the options below the menus area.
      If you want, you can check out my blog at whatiliketodobysteve.wordpress.com

      Liked by 1 person

      1. ok thanks! making a post first was what had me stumped! makes sense though!

        Really enjoyed how many sub areas your blog has, it pertains to a lot of separate interests. Couldn’t help but notice the dream about travel section. All I can say is take some time to stop dreaming and just do!!! skip the all inclusive shit its corporate bullshit, take two weeks off and grab a lonely planet and fly! Your blog says your on the verge of adulthood. The time is now! I traveled through South East Asia for 6 months on 2000 dollars. and I lived like a KING. once your there, you can make your way to Australia, did you know their minimum wage is around 25 dollars an hour. That’s much more than in the states. You can save it all and come home, then start your life. If you want to by then 😉

        Like

      2. Thanks! Yeah, I have a lot of interests but I didn’t want to have a bunch of different blogs so I put it all together.

        Yeah, I’m still in school but once I have enough money I’m going to travel to some place – either Australia and New Zealand or England.

        Really? Interesting! Didn’t know that! Australia is pretty generous then!

        Like

    3. I really love your blog! I enjoyed reading the post “You’ve Changed” it is really relevant to my life right now! I love your writing and it is exciting to see everywhere you are traveling! I definitely followed! plus you wear cool clothes! lol anyway if you want I would love some feedback on my blog! Thanks!

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Hey everyone! 🙂 I just posted a new piece of writing last night! It’s called The Journey of the Boy to her Heart! And I would love some feedback! As always I will give feedback to those who give me advice on my blog! biancasbloggingadventure.com Thanks in advance!

    Liked by 2 people

      2. I read your most recent post and I think it’s great. I’m an emerging writer and wondering if you’re one as well.

        One tip I would suggest is that you use your “read more” button, since you’re writing this story in one whole blog post. Have a little teaser to get people to click on the post or continue reading link to see the whole story. I do it with my chapters and severed chapters.

        https://ellesadventureinchina.wordpress.com/

        Like

      4. You’re welcome! That’s what we try to do in Community Pool, as I find. Everyone is so nice and helpful.

        Emerging writer high-five!

        Good luck to you too!

        Like

    1. I enjoyed reading your blog! The layout is good and the imagery used in the imagery used in the content really made me feel as if I was there. I especially like your post, Victory.

      I would appreciate your feedback on my blog, which I began this month http://tashab95.wordpress.com

      Liked by 1 person

      2. I read your post: Words. The way you expressed everything, the fact that it is so open to personal interpretation and the relatable-ness of your poetry is truly amazing.:)

        Liked by 1 person

    2. viewed your blog! great contents…following you already. you could also make your post more attractive by adding photos that relate to the posts…some readers feel the urge to read further when they see a photo they can relate to! great work… 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    3. I like your layout. Can you have those swirly things at the top of your page also on the sidebars? It’s a nice color and design complement. If you find out how to do it, let me know. I want to do that too, with a free theme, of course.

      As for content, I think your color choice is so strong that it creates an ambiance for your content. I like the analogies you use, since I think they make your blog really special, as I’ve found from other bloggers, they have their own style to draw the reader.

      Hope this helps.

      About

      Like

      2. Checked out your blog. I’ve read just one chapter as yet but it seems really good, looking forward to reading more. 🙂

        Like

      3. Good luck on figuring the sidebars out. I could only change the color on mines, as opposed to uploading an image and putting it there.

        Thanks! If you find that it’s good, but think it’s dull or the story is slow, I was recently informed that “nothing really happens until chapter 10.” So if you lose interest, please return for the 10th chapter released in a couple of weeks.

        Liked by 1 person

  18. Hello!
    A few weeks ago I started a culture blog, from fashion to travel, there’s a little bit of everything there to entertain everyone. I am very excited about my blog although rarely ever get any feedback on my posts so am unsure if I am writing interesting things or blogging about things that people enjoy to read so ANY feedback would really be appreciated!

    https://dinosaursandwoodlice.wordpress.com/

    Many thanks 🙂

    Like

    1. I quite like your style of writing, and your unfussy page setup. I viewed your blog on my phone, and couldn’t see a menu, or anywhere to comment…this could simply be my rubbish cellphone service, or it could be an issue that needs addressing. Good luck. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you for your kind feedback. When I view my blog on my phone the menu appears at the top of the screen but I will be sure to attempt to address this issue (especially with the commenting) if any further problems are experienced 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    1. I think your writing style could be more personalized/opinionated. To be honest, there are alot of blogs and blog post out there just like yours. For example, the blog post “Basic B*&^!” I saw one similar to this on Thought Catalog over the weekend. It is a very good start, though.

      Like

    1. i love your layout! on the post…books i wish to read in 2015…i wanted to comment but didnt find a comment button! i think you should add that…. and emmm just so you know…its a great list, ive read five of your selection already… 🙂

      Like

      1. I think there is a comment button. Maybe if you click on the post itself? I will look into it on my laptop shortly! Thank you for your feedback, very much appreciated!!

        Liked by 1 person

      1. I am not actually a vegetarian but it is true that I have not yet posted any recipes containing meat… I have mainly been focussed on baked goods so far but have a few savoury vegetarian dishes you might like to try! 🙂 Have been blogging for just over a year now so have quite a few posts for people to look at… Thanks for having a browse! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  23. Hi everyone,
    I’ve recently wrote a blog post called ‘expectations: limitless or limiting?’ and would really appreciate some feedback on it as well as any constructive criticism on my blog in general. I would love to know what you think about expectations as well. I understand that may seem vague but hopefully my blog post will make it clearer.

    http://infinitedaydreamer.wordpress.com/

    Thanks 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It doesn’t seem vague. It is vague. It would have been nice if the reader knew what these “expectations” were at the beginning. This would keep the reader engaged enough to continue reading. Your writing seems very thoughtful, as if this your personality.

      Like

      1. I think at the time I wanted to make it vague so everyone could relate but now I know I should have added more detail. Thank you, I would like to think my writing does reflect my personality.

        Like

    1. I just read “Bring Back Our Girls”. There is something about the blog layout that does your writing injustice. Maybe the greeting post? Keep up the good work.

      Liked by 1 person

  25. Hello guys, I started my blog ages ago as a sort of personal diary. I’m interested in art, film and design and my thoughts are always fairly interpersonal. In truth my style is a little convoluted. I love picking apart dense philosophical texts and my own style is quite like this but it doesn’t make for very engaging or easy reading. I really need to branch out and start writing for an audience to develop. Any thoughts on my subjects, styles or anything else would be great, and I would love to read some more blogs too. Thanks – Katie.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. First of all, don’t change your subject matter just to attract readers. Write what you want to write; this is a hobby, not a job.

      Next, a question: who do you want your audience to be? You already understand that a more complicated writing style will limit your audience to people who are able and willing to write that. If that’s who you want to interact with, focus more on outreach (finding similar bloggers, social media, etc.) than on changing your style.

      If you want to simplify, your best bet is to read your posts aloud before you publish. If they don’t feel like something that would come out of your mouth, revise them to make them literally match your voice.

      Liked by 1 person

      2. Hi bumblepuppies, thanks for the detailed reply. What you’re saying makes total sense and in fact I agree with you.

        I suppose it never occurred to me to reach a ‘wide’ audience per se, just find people with the interests I have. I love poetic language in cinema, philosophy and intermediality. They are quite abstract subjects to find in your everyday blogger who isn’t hip deep in academia!

        I’m definitely going to take your advice and scout out some more blogs similar to my own.

        In the mean time, if anyone else wants to critique the overall layout or individual posts here, feel free http://katiemcneice.wordpress.com

        Like

      3. Overall layout:
        1. Alternating bold paragraphs are interesting. I haven’t seen one that does that yet, but incongruent for both the Kyle McCulloch post and the site itself. Are you trying to make each post an additional form of art?
        2. B&W is classic, elegant, etc. but don’t overdue it. I (oddly) like colors, which I see more of for pictures you inserted.

        Individual Posts:
        1. “Seamus Heaney” post needs to be written in the past-tense (IMO) in the opening paragraph (a) because this was a past event, and (b) your subsequent paragraphs are written in past-tense
        2. “Nuit Blance” video doesn’t work

        Question:
        How did you get what you write to wrap around the pictures? I’ve been trying that on my contact page without success. Maybe it only works in certain themes. Maybe it only works in blog posts.

        Contact

        While you’re there, you can check out my online book!

        Like

      4. Hi Leanne, thanks for the feedback.

        The Kyle McCulloch post is actually an interview, so the bold text is there to represent the voice of the interviewer rather than Kyle himself. I suppose different colours would be a better idea here, but I wanted to keep it as close as possible to the original interview on the Film Ireland site.

        Yes I love black and white as well. Oddly enough I didn’t notice that some of my pictures are very black and white as well. This is a great point to keep in mind and I’ll be aware of it moving forward.

        I fixed the Nuit Blanche video. Its so odd that the link didn’t work because it was perfect when I first wrote the post. I’ve copied the link under here for you. If you’re into quirky little films I recommend it 🙂 http://katiemcneice.wordpress.com/2014/10/18/nuit-blanche-a-gorgeous-little-animated-film/

        As regards getting the text to wrap around the pictures, I just align the images either left or right. If you’re interested in putting a little more effort into your images like aligning them, linking to other sites or working on your Alt text I definitely recommend some basic HTML tutorials.

        This will make your blog more searchable so people outside of your subscribers or even wordpress can find your posts more easily.

        Try a few of the tutorials below and see how you get on!

        http://htmldog.com/guides/html/beginner/

        Like

      5. Hi Katie,

        My mistake on the McCulloch interview. I didn’t read it. Now that I know it’s an interview, I think it’s unique and should keep it the way it is, and scratch the incongruent stuff I wrote.

        Glad to know you updated.

        I aligned my image to the left and it wrapped while I was in “Edit” but when I went to “Preview,” it didn’t take. I also tried reducing the size but that didn’t work also.

        I’m scared of those HTML stuff. My relationship with electronic technology and everything it relates to is this: “I don’t understand you.” “Why don’t you understand me?”

        Good luck.

        Like

      6. Hi Leanne

        Sometimes it does take a few minutes for the image to render in preview when you’ve made a change like aligning it or even resizing it.

        Don’t worry about HTML, really. I was exactly the same up until a couple of months ago when I started working in a design studio. One of the guys there (bless him) gave me a 2.5 minute tutorial on how to align things, link URLs to images and so on.

        Its actually quite simple. Do you see when you’re writing a post there are two tabs on the top right hand side of the text box? One is labelled ‘Visual’ and one is labelled ‘Text’? The visual is literally what you see when you read the post. The text is actually the HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) behind everything you see.

        If you explore that a little you’ll see what a new paragraph looks like, it looks like this or what images look like when they are centred and so on.

        Don’t be afraid of it, its all in a good day’s blogging 🙂

        Like

      7. Hi Katie,

        Thanks for the tip. I just tried it, and discovered that it wasn’t me. Some things work in posts and don’t work in pages. I tried it on an existing page with “Visual” and then preview but it didn’t work. When I did something similar in a post, and previewed it, it worked. Just a heads-up, the “Read More” tag works in posts but not pages.

        Happy blogging.

        Like

  26. Hello everyone, I’ve posted a a piece that has meant a lot to me recently, and while some of you may have read it already, I would love some feed back as I’ve also listened to past advice and tried to make my layout more user friendly and appealing; thoughts on that as well would be great. Thank you in advance

    Moments

    Liked by 2 people

    1. First let me say that I feel that was well written and so easy to identify with! The only thing that I may change (and not sure if you can) is to start the writing to the side of the picture or make the picture bigger so that it feels like it is part of the writing.

      Liked by 2 people

  27. Hello. I’m looking for some general pointers on colour and visual style of my travel and humour blog, as well as any feedback on the tone of writing – funny vs serious, edgy or easygoing, etc. I’m considering more meaningful posts like my Dachau concentration camp visit, as opposed to my more relaxed pieces. Thanks!
    https://catbucket.wordpress.com

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Ok, jjwilkins, Catbucket. I can’t find your post, but somehow this telling me that I am leaving a reply to you, so i hope I am. I have to admit, I didn’t dig deeply into you blog, but read the first one about Amsterdam. I think you tone is funny–as in successfully comedic. There were a few grammatical errors that I can point out to you if you want (I’m an English teacher–sorry!). I was struck by the possible offensiveness of “sweating like a jew on the wrong side of the Gaza border.” Not sure and you might want to get feedback from others, but it struck me as at least close to offensive if not really so, I guess just because of the long history of Anti-semitism in the world. But I definitely liked the tone and enjoyed the post. Keep it up!

      Like

    2. Hi – I was so impressed by your post on Dachau that I’m following you now. I’ll put a proper comment underneath the post itself.

      When you ask about ‘colour’ are you asking about the look of your blog? If so – I like it. It’s clear and uncluttered. I like the cat too.

      Good luck with university and good luck with your writing.

      Like

    4. For color, I think you should choose color(s) of a cat’s pattern, since you write about cats and everything else.

      Personally, I think this is your blog, so you can put whatever you like on it, but I would suggest that you categorize. If you have readers that come back because they like your travel and humor, I think it would be considerate to give them their own space. If your readers like your more serious posts, they’ll know where to find it.

      Like

    1. This is my favorite sentence in your blog post: “I am close to surpassing my sell by date and destined to a life of putrefaction.” I think it hits the exact tone of sarcasm, erudition and humor that you are going for. There were other places where i felt that you were reaching a bit hard for erudition–a fancy word slightly misused (paraphernalia, for instance), a complex sentence structure not quite punctuated correctly (I am an English teacher–sorry–but if you want very specific niggling comments, I am happy to provide that too, or not, as you wish). You have good ideas and a good sense of rhythm in your speech. I think if you first tried a little less hard for smart and a little more for direct, and then edited a teeny bit closer, you’d achieve you potential more fully.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you so much for taking the time to read it. I really appreciate your comments and feeback and i will take them into consideration. Given the time i also welcome specific niggling comments too 😄 thank you again for your honest feedback.

        Like

  29. I had posted my site previously and had some great feedback. I had changed my theme and my tagline. But after several days my theme just didn’t seem like me. I have been learning how to add menus, etc…and I really felt like the theme that I had chosen just wasn’t me. I changed it today. Feedback is most welcome and needed! Thank you in advance https://crisisalive.wordpress.com

    Liked by 1 person

    1. This may just be me, but I wouldn’t include the word blog in the title of your blog, you know what I mean? It’s like titling the Mona Lisa “The Mona Lisa Painting.” A bit redundant. And Crisis Alive is a really strong name–good mouth feel and strong image.

      I love your photos. I too am not sure how I feel about the theme. I think having the photos touching like that makes it feel a little less professional. if there were space to frame the pictures, I think that would be cool. I do like the way they are grouped, though. Do i have any idea how you would make that change? Uh, no. Not at all. 😦

      I also dislike black background with white print–with the photos it looks neat, but with print it is hard for older people like me (damn cheater glasses–never thought I’d need them!) to read.

      But I think you have a good thing going–keep working it til you are happy. You’ve got great content.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks! I wasn’t sure about the black background either…my eyes aren’t what they used to be either but I can’t shell out for a premium site around the holidays. I will have to see what is available for background colors. Not sure about the space between pictures. Normally I do a slide show and these were done as mosaics I believe. But I do understand what you mean, too busy! I appreciate your ideas!! Thank you!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I do like this better. It’s easier to read the text, and the mosaic photos have just a bit of white frame around them, which i like much better than the totally touching look. And i hear you about time! I have so much planned for my own blog, but…. 😉 Good work!

        Liked by 1 person

  30. Hi All, please check out my relatively new blog.
    I’d like to know if its any good, interesting to people.
    https://butismileanyway.wordpress.com/
    I haven’t had any feedback on individual posts, a few likes, and some follows. If you take the time to like and comment, I’d be more than happy to come read yours, (maybe a follow or two would be nice too!) That would be much appreciated.

    Am I writing the right stuff, is it compelling? Do you want to know more about me and my random thoughts?

    Thank you in advance.

    Ritu

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Ritu, I read through a couple of your posts. I really like how you did the one with the kitten. Lots of pics and relevant comments. Not too much writing is always good with that type of post imho. Please continue “boring” us with the kitten pics.

      I like the chocolate cake post too. Very clever.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Thank you!
        I’ve been a ‘writer’ in my head for a long time… Now through blogging, i hope to catch that bug again… (Not the sneezing kind though!) And, God willing, others will like it too!

        Liked by 2 people

      2. I’ve been writing in my head for years. I have about an album worth of songs. And some stories. I’m not sure what has taken me so long to go for it, besides that it just wasn’t my time yet. But now it is. And it really feels good to do it.

        Like

    2. There are a lot of things I like about your blog. I like your content. And content is the most important thing, so good job there. The ‘but you’re OK’ post was both thoughtful and thought-provoking and I wanted to comment on it. I still do.

      However, I couldn’t figure out how to comment on the post, or even find any comments, for that post or any of the others posts.

      It may just be me, in that I don’t know how to navigate your theme (that happens to me frequently.) If other people are leaving comments, that’s probably the case, just explain it to me, please, and I’ll leave a comment. But if they aren’t commenting, it may be because they can’t easily (and quickly) figure out how to leave a comment in the first place.

      Also, I didn’t see a follow button widget. You might want to think of adding one. Though I did not scroll all the way down on the home page to see if you had one at the bottom. I tried to; however, because there is so much material (i.e. so many complete posts) on the home page, it would only load part way on my monitor. Then I’d scroll down to what I thought was the bottom and the page would reload, and I’d have to scroll again …and again. If other people have this problem, you might want to consider decreasing the number of posts that show on the home page, or by using the ‘read more’ link, only show the first segment of each post on the home page.

      As a caveat I will add that I am not a fan of themes that are not overtly navigable, and yours is one of those themes, though many other bloggers seem to love them. But I think your content is solid.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you! That is so useful! I think I need to find a simpler theme… It confuses the heck outta me! And suggestions as to a decent simplle theme to try? Xxx

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Sure! This is the place for opinion, after all 🙂

        I contribute to a blog that uses Coraline, a theme that has very straightforward reader navigation, in my opinion. If you’d like to see it in action, the address is

        http://writeowls.com/

        The twenty themes (both twenty 15 and twenty 10) also look very reader friendly, and I think either would work well for your blog.

        Also, when you follow links from the community pool to other people’s sites, the name of the theme they are using will often be printed at the bottom. So if you visit a site and really like the look, as well as how you, as a reader, navigate through it, make note of the theme’s name and check through the dashboard on your site to see if there is a free version of that theme available on WordPress.com. If there is, try the theme out and see how your content appears in it.

        My recommendation would be to switch to a basic theme (any of the ones I mentioned would be good to start with) then look around and try out different themes until you find something that really fits you.

        Please keep in mind that I am by no means a theme expert, so this is all just my opinion, based on very limited knowledge 🙂

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      3. Hi!
        Ok so I’ve changed a few things around, theme, and I think you should be able to comment now!
        Is there a setting where comments are automatically enabled? I had to go to each post and enable them! Let me know what you think!

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Yes! That theme works great. And the follow button is right there in plain sight! It’s easy to navigate and it was easy to leave a comment–which I did 🙂

        To change the comment settings, go into your dashboard, click on ‘settings’, then click on ‘discussion’. You’ll see a whole host of possibilities.

        Just read through all the check boxes and decide which things you want. My personal preference is to allow pretty much all comments. You can edit or delete any comment that is a problem and tighten up your settings later if you start having trouble. But personally, I think that is rare, particularly in a new blog.

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      5. And sorry about the typos in that comment. I was going fast and didn’t see them until after I hit that post button. If you feel the urge to edit them out–I won’t be offended 😀

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    3. I read your post on racism. I want to understand what your point is. At first you wrote about people making negative comments, though not directly at you. Then you had negative comments, though coated with “good Indian girl” thrown at you and being friends with tolerant (normal) Muslim. Then you talked about you dad and his skirmishes. Then you talked about your brother and his “Asian lads.” Finally, you ask, “have I experienced racism? I’m not sure…Ignorance definitely, but with a smile…” I see your prompt for others to comment and say something like what I’m going to write, “Yes, you’ve been victimized by racism. Ignorant statements with negative intentions count in my book. You also experienced it indirectly through your dad. If my family members have skirmishes because of wearing a turban or religious intolerance, I count that as a skirmish against me, too.”

      To answer your question about it being compelling, I would say, no. If something is compelling, it’s clear. You might be asking your readers to think a little too far.

      I want to rid the world of ignorant people, too. Chinese people were, let’s just be nice and say “harassed,” during the recent recession. It’s not as bad now since the economy is better. Trying to educate people from the difference between Chinese and Japanese, and then trying to educate people about capitalism is a double-whammy not a lot of people want to take in the grocery store.

      I may be in the minority here, but these are my thoughts and suggestions. Take whatever you like and discard whatever you don’t. Not trying to be mean, by the way. Sometimes I get all worked up about these things, and it’s transparent through my writing.

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      1. Thanks for your reply Leanne. My blog is just a place for me to vent my own thoughts, be it about someone, a humorous event or an issue I may have been thinking about. Its good to know something I wrote, made someone think.
        I understand you have also experienced issues too so its good to get feedback on what you think too.
        I’m not intending to necessarily ‘put a point across’ I guess its more like verbsl diahorrea

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      2. Verbal diarrhea is gold! Hahaha!

        Yeah, we both faced some issues, though you go about your response in a safe way. If my mom wasn’t there to pull me back…you don’t want to know. Those Americans don’t like to be educated in capitalism. Though, that cannot compare to anything that you or your family must face around the time of the attacks. I saw a couple of documentaries about what a day in the shoes of a Muslim girl (wearing a hijab and long skirt – basically the traditional attire for a girl) was like. No fun at all. Do Sikhs wear scarves like Muslims in the Middle East or like Indians in India?

        Good luck on your novel! I edit other people’s works on the side if you need someone to take a look. It’s much more difficult to edit my own work.

        BTW, thanks for the following!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Thanks for the edit offer! I may well take you up on it!
        We as Sikhs, don’t wear hijabs, but yes, the more traditional, baptised Sikh ladies wear a scarf to cover their heads, and some ladies even wear turbans. But a Sikh turban and an Arabic Islamic turban are different! Still, the uneducated only see the cloth on the head…’ragheads’ … And flip over that. It’s like the attack on the Sikh temple in Wisconsin a couple of years ago. It ended up being an uneducated ex military guy who thought it was a mosque, didn’t realise he was in a Sikh Tempe, and caused death and commotion and upset due to his ignorance…
        What can you do though eh? I guess, if I can talk to a few, that’s a few less ignorant people out there… Well. That’s how I see it!

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      4. Yay! I like reading and I like working!

        I didn’t know Sikhs can get baptized. Why? What does it entail?

        I understand that a Sikh turban and an Arabic Islamic turban are different, but don’t know why, would you care to enlighten me? I took a politics in MENA a couple of years ago and the prof. showed us a video, where the turban was originally a symbol of dislike of Muslims (Christians would wear it).

        Wisconsin attack on Sikh Temple – definitely ignorance in the works.

        Good. You try to educate people and it’s up to those individuals to accept it or not. That’s how I look at it.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Thanks for showing interest!
        A Sikh turban is worn as an identity. I found this online to explain…

        The turban is our Guru’s gift to us. It is how we crown ourselves as the Singhs and Kaurs who sit on the throne of commitment to our own higher consciousness. For men and women alike, this projective identity conveys royalty, grace, and uniqueness. It is a signal to others that we live in the image of Infinity and are dedicated to serving all. The turban doesn’t represent anything except complete commitment. When you choose to stand out by tying your turban, you stand fearlessly as one single person standing out from six billion people. It is a most outstanding act.

        The Muslims, if they wear one, use it to keep,their hair away from the face when praying, and more often than not it won’t co Dr the hair fully as a Sikh one would.

        And here is a link to our baptism ceremony!
        http://sikhism.about.com/od/initiation/a/Amrit.htm
        As a fully baptised Sikh, you celebrate what God has given you, you wear the 5 K’s, (bangle kara, unshorn hair kesh, comb to be presentable at all times kanga, a set of undergarments to always preserve modesty, kashera or kasha, and a sword Kirpan, for protection) you serve God, and the community. We are asked to do seva, which means charitable work, have enough for yourself to exist, and give what you can to others more needy than yourself. (Vandh Shak)
        There is so much more, but I couldn’t write it all! Have to go work now!! X

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      9. Just looked at your blog too by the way. I was thinking of doing something similar with a novel I’m writing, so I’d love to see how yours comes out.
        Good luck!

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