Feb 23, 2015 / 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. This is a good opportunity to get your blog noticed and reviewed by your fellow bloggers ! I have posted a few articles recently, mostly funny, and based on some random thoughts over a wide range of subjects like life, philosophy, culture etc. I invite you all to check out my posts and would really appreciate if you leave your comments regarding the writing style, content etc. at the blog itself.

    Here is my latest post – https://idlesunday.wordpress.com/2015/02/17/degrees-of-variation-in-various-degrees/

    Like

  4. Hey guys.. I have just published a new post called The ‘Chaos’ called Life! I would love to get some feedback about my writing, thought process or just a shout out incase you too relate to what I have written. It will surely encourage me to write more.

    The ShortLink to my blogpost : http://wp.me/p35IYp-em

    Liked by 1 person

  5. hey there friends,

    thankx for all the visitations – discovering some cool blogs and having some rad new people follow mine.

    a powerful piece i want to share just for your enjoyment more than anything is this piece which is an extract from Antjie Krog’s ‘Begging to be Black’ and a hugely powerful piece on forgiveness – check it out:

    Begging to be Black: Bonus Part – The Power of Forgiveness

    Will come browse a few of yours – thanks for the likes, comments and follows.
    Keep it up
    love brett fish

    Like

    1. I like this design. Neutral but bold in font and typeface. Nice and fresh, easy to navigate and I think it “matches” the personality of content very well, especially with your poetry (which is lovely, by the way!) interspersed with bright pops of imagery, like Wonderwoman.

      Liked by 2 people

    3. I like your layout. If I had any suggestion, it would be to change up your header a bit. The slightly faded (and mismatching) fonts that overlap the main subject in the image is slightly distracting when compared with your minimalistic and clean site layout. I would try to match your header with the clean design that you chose as your layout!

      Like

    4. Hi Ally! Fellow comic nerd here 🙂
      -Design is clean and simple which works well here to compliment the comic book pics etc: good choice.
      -Posts seem well written but so short! The one about shows you aren’t into was a bit rubbish – if you’re going to critique something I think you need to write more than just ‘eh didn’t like it’
      -I really liked your post about Wonder Woman, I share your opinion about her and it was great to see some interesting looking links (I’ll definitely listen to the podcast) and recommendations from you. If you did more of this, and made your blog a hub for superhero discussion and a good place to find cool articles I would be all over that!
      -Can’t comment on your poems as I know nothing about poetry! Keep up the good work!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. My blog started off the back of me being widowed at the age of 27. I read lots of depressing widow chat in blogs and wanted to do something different because I’m not really compelled to write letters to a dead person. I am 28, a lesbian and lost my wife to suicide. Rubbish, eh?

    I’m getting lots of traffic from the widowed online community which is lovely. But, I would be interested in the opinions from those of you are aren’t widowed (well done!) because part of my objective is to change perceptions of widows, educate about how life does go on after death, and make people laugh regardless of marital status.

    My questions:

    A) is it too personal?
    B) does this change your perception of widows?
    C) what would it take for you to keep reading – what themes? Do you want more widow dating gossip? Is it too much to read about losing someone to suicide?

    http://Www.eerilycheerily.com

    Thank you!

    Like

    1. It is personal, but not too personal. I always feel reluctant to simply press ‘like’ on a post about loss – it seems too superficial. My mother was widowed at a young age so perhaps I don’t have preconceptions about widows. I just see them as people.

      We don’t deal well with uncomfortable subjects as a society. You may not always have evidence of the good you’re doing, but by writing with honesty and humour about your experience you’ll be helping others.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks for taking the time to have a look. Interesting point on being reluctant to press “like” on posts about loss.

        How do others feel about that?

        And what preconceptions about widows do you have that I can debunk? Might be fun to write about that.

        Like

    2. Hi – Your post is exactly the right amount of personal. True without getting lost in your own pain. I think people would keep reading to follow your own odyssey through the new world that you’ve been thrown into. They’ll follow to learn something for themselves and to see how you’re getting on. Your personality warms the post and your readers will care about you and will want the best for you.

      I agree with susurrus – clicking on ‘like’ sometimes feels wrong. There’s no alternative is there – other than commenting, which is what I do when I want to say ‘I was here, I read this and thanks for writing it’.

      All good wishes
      Elaine

      Like

      1. Thanks very much for this feedback, Elaine.

        One quick question – are the posts of images of grief related quotes or jokes a turn off to the non-widowed? I personally find those quote things amusing or inspiring, but I wonder about everyone else and whether this makes you think the blog is overly widow focused in its audience. I won’t be offended if you guys comment that I shouldn’t bother with them. I’ve kind of been using them as stop gaps for when I don’t have a lot of time to post.

        Like

      2. I think most adults have been touched by death in one way or another. So everyone can reach the jokes, images etc. They’ll be enjoyed by some, they won’t be enjoyed by others.

        It’s like anything – if you please yourself, then at least you know for sure that one person is pleased. I don’t think you can second guess what people in general want to read. You can only know what you want to write.

        All good luck with your blog
        Elaine

        Like

    3. had a quick look – not my subject – but you seem to be doing well – checked your stats – they are impressive – so I would say – stay with it for now and your focus will change and you get used to your loss and that will bring in other readers anyway = goodluck

      Like

  10. I like this design – neutral but bold in font and typeface. Nice and fresh, easy to navigate and I think it “matches” the personality of content very well, especially with your poetry ( which is lovely, by the way!), interspersed with bright pops of imagery, like Wonderwoman.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Emily,
      I personally would like to see an About Me section, or what your blog is about. It just gives me a bit of guidance about whether to follow you or not instead of a wall of blog posts. Just a suggestion! 🙂
      Aidan

      Like

    2. Hi there!
      I think you need to make your pictures smaller…my screen can’t even fit the whole photo in at once, and all the impact of a picture is lost if you can’t see the whole thing at once. I would say they should be half this size if you also want them to feel linked into the text.
      (this could just be my computer, of course, but my monitor is a pretty average size and I haven’t had this issue with any other blogs I read)
      I am going to make your paleo pancakes as soon as I get home. Sound delicious.
      I like that your posts are short and sweet

      Like

    3. Good start, very relatable.
      I like everything except your recipe post – the pictures are very distorted and out of focus and not appetizing at all. It’s always good to include a picture in a post, but no picture is better than a bad one.
      Keep up the good work with the blog and the health kick!

      Like

  16. Hey guys!

    I put up a “Best of” Page in my blog. you can check it here:

    http://www.berryduchess.com

    If you can suggest how I can improve the layout of the “Best of” page, your suggestions are appreciated!

    Looking forward to hear from you!

    xoxo,
    berryduchess

    Like

    2. Hi Berry,

      I like the theme you’re using and the content is very engaging. I think the header section could be a little simpler – at the moment you have two lines of options with the Best Of on the 2nd line. If this is all on one line and cleaned up, it would look a little neater. As for your Best Of, I personally would guide people through to a separate page where they can click on a thumbnail image to drill into each post – the drop down menu, I’m not a massive fan of.

      Just a suggestion, though good work!

      Aidan

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hey Aidan! thank you so much for your insights. I will work on them. So for the “Best of” Page, it will be like an image icon in my widgets bar and then when you click it, you will be directed to the page where the list of posts will be? am i getting that right? please enlighten me 😀 I understand that the drop down menu is not very attractive for the readers and I want to change that. thank you so much for your help! ❤

        xo,
        berry

        Like

      2. Aidan, I think I get what you mean. I was thinking a rather complicated thing, so I checked your page 🙂 and now it’s clearer. I cannot wait to read about your scary experience. 😉

        thanks a bunch!

        Like

    1. You wrote great. Like I mentioned in the post itself, adding photos would be so much better. Tag your posts and most important: read other people’s posts. Comment on them as no one pays attention to likes anymore.

      Like

    2. There are so many resources and power bloggers on this forum who are only too happy to help out. Engage with them, contribute and you’ll get sage advice that will save you a lot of pain in the long term!

      Like

    1. Nice look and feel of the blog. I would however encourage you to write in more details, like the Mumbai train post you wrote. Like giving an example of something happened in a train like a fight(happens everyday.
      BTW I’m from Mumbai too! Central or western?)

      Like

      1. Thanks a lot fpr the feedback:) Actually there were too many incidents that came to mind and it was difficult to write one down. I know it seems like an incomplete post. I will try to improve in my further ones. I am from Central Bombay!

        Liked by 1 person

  21. Hey Everyone!!

    i am fairly new to fashion blogging. I would love ways to generate more traffic. I am open to all advice and any areas you guys see that may need work or could help me gain more feedback on my post.

    Thanks I appeciate the help!

    Like

  24. I have been writing blogs here on WordPress.com for six months now. At first, I only blogged on weekends … and now I’m blogging on a regular basis. The blogs talk about things that interest me the most … and they also talk about some exciting and not-so-exciting events that are going on in my life.

    This is an example of one of my blog posts. I would like to get your opinions on it, if possible. Here’s a link to it … https://pghjoseph.wordpress.com/2015/02/12/our-little-snow-covered-mountains/

    Like

  25. Howdy Strangers,

    I don’t need anyone to look over my blog, I just want to ask what everyone is most interested in. I write about my experiences traveling and it is often a mix of adventures/misadventures, observations, photo collections, or just about writing the blog itself. I ask because stories of exorcisms and getting stuck in a public dance contest are much more interesting than a poor picture of a mountain in Bolivia, yet photos and observation posts get much more traffic and feedback than the others.

    Beyond writer skill and experience, is there any reason you wouldn’t read a weird or adventurous travel story?

    Like

    1. I’m jealous of your travelling adventures and the spectacular scenery from your photos.
      Your posts are quirky and amusing, especially getting bitten by a parrot who gets his own karma back. Couch-surfing rocks. Hitch-hiking hassles..I’m still laughing. I look forward to your future (mis)adventures, the more unusual the better.
      Perhaps you could add a simple map of where you are, maybe as a widget?
      Cheers.

      Like

    2. I wanted to comment and commend you for asking a genuine question instead of desperately seeking publicity through this forum, which many of the same people do on an oh-so frustratingly consistent basis.

      I love reading about peoples travel adventures. Anything off the beaten track which is why your blog and comment vibed with me. There are too many stories out there of someones ‘unique’ take on the Inca Trail, but it’s the odd little stories that don’t get attention that I find most endearing. Keen to hear of your own adventures in that respect! Keep up the good work!

      Like