Mar 23, 2015 / Community Pool

Community Pool

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

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.
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Photo by Brian Cantoni.

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  1. Hello everyone, I wrote a blogpost a little while ago called, “Graham Moore and Making Assumptions” and I’d love if you would take a look! Also if you have any feedback or criticism of my blog in general, I’ll take what I can get 🙂
    Throw a link on my comment and I’ll make time to read yours as well!

    -Mykul Mitch

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I like your style, Mykul. Your blog has a definite theme and also feels very personal. I support what you’re trying to do!

        I don’t have much concrit except for perhaps a color change? Unless they’re your school colors the burnt orange and yellow doesn’t quite match with the emotional thrust of your posts.

        I’d love some feedback on my about page – someone once said it was confusing and not clear. Thanks! — https://truefandom.wordpress.com/about/

        Like

      2. Thank you very much for your input. You are the second person to say a color change, so I will try that! I have enough trouble matching clothes so this will be a project (:

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    2. I like your site title

      Your blog really does appeal to the reader in, I would say less formal in a good way…there’s a word for that… Friendly, yeah that’s it.

      The site is easy to navigate through as well.

      The colors are definitely very bold, maybe try darker reds? I’m not an amazing colour expert either, so just going out on a limb here.

      The post you’ve written is very true, face value is often taken over actual character. It’s pretty sad because the norm is usually not the individual and it’s time we began to realize that.

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  2. Hey! I have started my blog a few months back. I am a teen and will really appreciate any kind of constructive criticism and feedback! Feel free to do so! I will look forward to it 🙂
    rameeesha.wordpress.com

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Rameesha. It looks like you’re off to a good start. You have good graphics to go with your posts and your writing sounds like it comes from the heart. If your objective is to share the wisdom you’ve learned then I’d say you’re right on target

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Hello lovelies!

    I’d love it so much if any of you wanted to have a quick look at my blog! 🙂

    I’m a Christian Teenage girl, writing about anything and everything! Please have a look and give me some feedback, I will be sure to return the favour xxx

    Like

    1. Hello! Looked through your blog! I love the diversity of your posts. My blog has a lot of diversity like that as well. I’m not the type of person who can write about one thing. I really like how positive and uplifting your blog is. It’s wonderful. I like the layout! Great blog. Now following! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you so much for taking the time to look at my blog! 🙂 that’s really kind of you, thank you so much for the lovely feedback 🙂 I’ve had a read of your blog too and I love it lots! Followed you too! Xxx

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  5. Hey! I started my blog about two months ago and began really strong. Now I’ve become otherwise busy but I still publish poems every few days. I’m mainly looking for feedback and criticism, really, for I seek to grow as a writer as much as I possibly can.
    Cheers now, I look forward to reading your thoughts (:

    PS. I write in both English and Spanish, for those of you who would be interested in reading something in the latter.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I really like that you can read a TON of poetry in a simple manner on your blog. The Spanish/ English is also very easy to navigate. I enjoyed the three poems I read a great deal. I think the length was really nice! lily

        Liked by 1 person

    1. The tag must be “exactly” the same as the search in your reader. There also may be a LOT of posts you need to scroll through depending on the topic. Other than that, I am stumped.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I took a look at your post & was intrigued by the subject matter. Can it be a female has swung over to our side? ☺️ It was short and sweet and practical as well. Think I’ll use it the next time my wife complains when I leave the lid up

      Liked by 1 person

      1. lol, swinging over wasn’t quite the intention when we enforced the rule but I guess it’s converted me, lol. let me know what your wife thinks, thanks for reading 🙂

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      3. great idea but our bathroom is so unusually tiny there’s no room for any extras, if you know what London houses are like well this is even smaller

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    1. Just wanted to clarify that “advertising” simply means adding your comment and blog address to our list. I think if you take a look at the post, you’ll get the idea. For those of you who want more followers, there are lots of blogs on there to get to know. Look at some of the topics and find something you like. Even try something”strange” to you. Lots of great writers in all subjects.

      Liked by 2 people

  10. Hello Aakansha. First off, I love your name because I’ve never met anyone with that name and it is a great one 🙂 But, I loved Daydreamers. I am a senior at a four-year university and Daydreaming is a daily event that I enjoy haha.
    My blog is called Empathy Deserves a Comeback and I am pretty proud of it. Take a look if you wouldn’t mind.

    -Mykul Mitch

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    1. I really like the title of your blog! I blog on mental health and that is such a true statement. If it wasn’t plagiarism, I’d use it as a post title. hugs, lily

      Like

    1. This is just my opinion, but I think you need to define your audience. I blog on mental illness. If I threw a post in there about sailboats, my audience would be confused. Does that make sense? Hugs to you regarding your fibro…very tough.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hey and thanks for taking the time to see my blog.

        Your right on the defining, but do you think that comes in time, or should it be correct right from the word go? Seeing your tags on your blog posts does seem to take into account different areas, maybe i should also generalise on that too, if only my mind could figure all the other tags too ? haha

        Thank you 🙂

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      2. Yes, I do have different tags, but they all come back to how I have handled or am handling my bipolar in my life. You seriously could also do two blogs, one on the fibro and one on the minis. Do the minis people want to know about the fibro?

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Ah i see (re: bipolar) Luckily my MINI side is already established via a stand alone website incorporating a wordpress theme that seems to do quite well. maybe i should direct the blog, like you say, to the fibro, as it is quite a large part of my life recently.

        I do appreciate the kind comment s:)

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    1. Honestly, the first post sort of left me hanging. What sort of topics are you thinking of? Have professors suggested anything? Is there any area you feel passionate about? I would flesh that post out a little more. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. You might consider posting a little schedule for your followers:beauty tips on Monday, gaming info on Thursday. This way you keep it separate and they know what to expect when.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. The masks! Your post on masks was really helpful. I’ve read so much about people using them but it’s hard to find write-ups that break them down like you did. Loved it!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I rarely use an outline for fiction and find it limiting, but many people swear by them. Try it both ways for a chapter or two and see what you come up with.

      Liked by 1 person

  20. Hey everyone. Thanks DP team to give us the opportunity of asking our questions. I started my blog a few days ago only and thought it would stay on a French level. But thanks to this blog I have reached out to a whole other community. I wasn’t actually aiming for writing so much but the visits and feedback I have recieved makes me want to continue.
    My question : should I translate to English all of my articles ? People who followed my blog thanks to the daily wirting prompts or the weekly photo challenge are maybe interested in the rest… But it has nothing to do with the postadays.
    I guess I’m asking more for your opinion than for you to go on my blog, but if you are curious here’s the link : https://notepourmoimeme.wordpress.com/

    thanks to those of you who’ll answer. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think YOU are the only one who can answer whether you want to write in French or English. I am guessing English has a wider audience, but French speakers may be your focus. Blogs usually grow and change a bit, so don’t be afraid to do what makes sense now, rather than what you started with. http://lilypupslife.wordpress.com/

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks for your reply. I have another blog where I’d put both French and English in my article. I think I’ll translate my articles because that’s actually who I am. An americano-French woman who likes to write. I’m trying to do things differently, I am not familiar enough with wordpress to get a “French” or “English” button that will allow the blog to be either language. So I’ll stick in links in my articles towards an English or French translation, hoping readers will be okay to follow links towards translations.

        Like

  21. Hey you guys! I’ve been putting up posts for quite a while now and I keep sharing on twitter everytime and it still has not gotten to the point where I can just publish a post and have instant feedback. It can get very stressful to have to do the social media sharing every single time so I would appreciate it if anyone can checkout my blog posts and tell me what they think. dreams4breakfast.wordpress.com

    Do I have good content? Is something wrong with my blog design? Do you have any pointers on how to get traffic? It would be wonderful to get comprehensive critique. If you me to comment on your blog posts, no problem. I’ll do that 🙂

    Like

    1. I didn’t go over to read but everyone has days and posts that don’t turn out like they thought they would. I would not put six linked posts up at once. Dole them out to your readers. If you have only been going for three weeks, be glad you have some readers at all! It can be really tough unless you are using FB and having friends and relatives read. Hang in there!

      Like

    2. Part of the problem may be the nature of the post itself. This is the internet, and sadly, earnest, well stated complaints don’t do very well, not nearly so well as snark, over the top declarations, or gallows humor. Your post might be putting off your regulars readers who come to your page for the recipes you’ve declared yourself sick of writing. They may feel that if you aren’t enthusiastic about your own content than why should they be? I realize you shift tones about half way through, but by then you may have already alienated your readers.

      Another suggestion is to break up the page. Most online readers shy away from large blocks of text, and I’ve read repeatedly that the average attention span is about 750 words. Any post longer than that must be broken up and provide a great deal of visual distraction to keep a reader from clicking away.

      I hope this helps. Good luck, happy cooking, and happy writing.

      Liked by 2 people

  23. Hello everyone. I recently started a blog about film and I’m having trouble getting anyone to read it. I wasn’t expecting to be an overnight sensation, but I’m wondering if you could offer any advice. Specifically I was wondering if my posts strike the right balance between using the knowledge I have from my degree in film studies and the kind of writing on film people actually want to read. I would really appreciate any feedback you can offer since so far I’ve pretty much had comments only from family and friends. Thanks.

    https://24frameworkspersecond.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 1 person

    2. I looked at your blog and found your writing to be very insightful and intelligent. If you’re having trouble drawing a following (same boat) make sure you tag your posts effectively so those with like interests can find you. Also be sure to check out others’ blogs and comment there as well. It’s amazing what spreading a little love can do when you offer support without the stipulation of reciprocity. Wish you the best

      Like

      1. Thanks Ben. I really appreciate the response. I’ve tried commenting on other blogs a bit before. Sometimes I find it hard to find something that I can make a substantive comment on, since I don’t like to comment just for commenting’s sake.

        I really enjoyed your piece on travel locations overshadowed by nearby attractions. Great idea. Best of luck with your book.

        Like

  24. Hello everyone. I changed my header for the first time and was wanting opinions on it. I use a certain photo all over my blog. Unfortunately, as a new blogger I chose an image that’s a 640 X 480 jpg (my header is designed for 3000 X 200 pixels).

    Does the new header look bad because it is so pixilated? I wish I could at least get the words to be clearer. I haven’t found a program that lets me keep the chosen font in italics, outline the words, and also have the shadow behind them.

    Any opinions or ideas? Thanks!

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    1. Hi Merry Hearts. Yes your header looks a little pixilated. If finding a program that gets you the font styles you want is the problem, I don’t think you really need them. Also you’ve got a great mix of colours on your blog (green, pink, blue, coral) and I think it would harmonize your look a bit if you worked them into your header.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks for the input. Origianally, I had the smaller photo as my header with no words, but didn’t like how it didn’t cover the top of the screen on my computer (according to the customizer, it looked good on tablets and phones, though).

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      1. Thanks for the idea. I recently discovered PicMonkey and love it! In PicMonkey I can get the font in italics, but cant get it to be outlined in the second color or to have the shadow I want.

        Maybe I’m just being too picky. I was trying to match the font I put on all my photos and widgets, so I’d have a cohesive look to my blog.

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    3. The header does look pixilated but I would not say that it looks “bad.” So did you resize the photo before or after you added the text? I was also thinking PicMonkey might help though I’m not sure that they have the font that you desire. Could you maybe try resizing the photo and then adding the text? That way the text may not appear as pixilated? I am definitely not a graphics expert though so…

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks for the ideas. I tried several things like that with PicMonkey but can’t figure out how to outline the words or add the shadow to them.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Okay, this has nothing to do with you personally but I cannot stand that theme! Every time I open it up, I feel as though I am being attacked! Would you consider something a bit smaller? I really liked your writing, don’t be afraid to offer more. And please don’t take the criticism personally, that theme just drives me crazy! lily

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      2. It’s just so super giant. I can barely read the title of the blog (and this is not just you, but everyone with this theme). And I think it takes up way too much room. I don’t like having to scroll down to get past the header, etc. If you are interested in what I am saying, go back and try some other themes that appeal to you. You can try them out easily and flip them around without losing the original one. See if there is something that speaks to you.

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      3. Thanks for the feedback! I will check it out, maybe make the white part more colourful so it doesn’t seem so big and plain. I liked it for the simplicity, but I also want to try and make it more appealing. I’ll update it soon and check it out after and let me know what you think. Thanks for all the comments

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      5. I did a little update, check it out, let me know what you think. I don’t like how the blog page part looks, but I can’t change that (I’ve tried many times).

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    2. First, kudos to you for rescuing an animal. Second it looks like you’re doing some good things like tagging your posts and devising clever titles. Try to network with those of similar interests and you should have success. Welcome to the blogosphere

      Liked by 1 person