Apr 4, 2015 / 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?

The Community Pool is for peer feedback and advice. Looking for more specific information? Check out some of these resources:

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:

  • 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.
  • We discourage leaving links without a more substantive message or question. These are often overlooked by other bloggers, and we frequently remove them to make the comment reading experience smoother.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. The idea is to have fun — it’s a pool, after all!
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  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • No running on the deck.
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    1. Hi, this was a pretty good blog!
      i will need time, but i’ll be going through it.
      I am just inquisitive as to how youve roamed so much already!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Hello all, I recently posted a (somewhat dark) piece called ‘Fire in the Eyes of our Neighbours’ which is about Western society and it’s harsh/hidden reality, it hasn’t gotten as many views as I would have liked, and I would really appreciate some feedback on it. Thank you in advance.
    Matt.x

    Liked by 4 people

  4. Hi
    I started a new blog in which I aim to write about what I thought of books, movies, anime and all the little things that matter!
    I also tried writing a sci-fi short stoy and it would be a pleasure if I could know how it was!
    Also it would be awesome to tell what all you like about my site and what you dont!
    Thank you
    url : https://piezoradeon.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I visited your blog and (as you probably know by the comment I left) really enjoyed your story, but also wanted to say that you have a really nice format for your site. I love how the pictures change as you scroll, should be proud with what you’ve made 🙂
      Matt.x

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Hello! I just started blogging. Although I only have a few posts, please feel free to give some feedback or comment on my latest recipe post! Totally in dream mode, but I’d love to stay at home with my precious babe and pursue this on a more full time basis. Starting is HARD!

    Thanks for the support. Have a great week.

    Missy
    http://mygrandmasheritage.com/

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Lovely posts, what a wonderful description about your Grandma. The blog is clear and easy to navigate, with contents I am sure all mothers could identify with.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Your wacky cake post was a mouth-watering experience. I especially loved the home spun feel.

      I didn’t read all posts, but did view all snaps. You seem to have a creative gene. Grandma would be proud.

      Keep going. It appears you like running a happy and fun home.

      You just may get your wish of staying home with your baby.

      Highest and Best!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. one thing I noticed immediately. the pictures on your sales site load extremely slowly. Most people are so rushed now that they won’t wait to see what loads up. I know I didn’t. Use WP Smush on all your pictures that you upload. it makes them so much faster to load.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Nice info, but I would suggest a couple of things. 1) Include at least one picture per post, as I would imagine most people who want to travel to the places would want to see some photos first. The travel blogs I have visited include many photos. And 2) Create an ‘About’ page that tells readers who you two are, why you are traveling, why you want to share with readers, etc. Well, it can be about anything really, but most readers are curious to know who is writing. Happy journeys!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you for taking out time and reading our blog and giving us this constructive feedback… Hope this post made you want to visit Khajuraho..
        Do you suppose we could put in a link to our pictures considering the 3 GB limit on a WordPress free account?

        Like

      2. Hmm. I’m not sure about the GB limit. I too have a free account and some of my posts have four or five pictures and it hasn’t seemed to be a problem. Just try it and see what happens:) As for traveling, I wish I could think of it, but with little babies and a dog now, it might be several years before we can even consider it. We do know a family in Rajasthan that want us to come visit, so maybe one day…

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Nice first couple posts. Khajuraho looks like an amazing place, would love to visit one day.

      Just read your other comment – we’ve got a free account as well and use heaps of pictures, and haven’t run into the limit yet. I guess it will be a problem one day, but cross that bridge when you get there. Pictures are the best in travel blogs (I think, at least)

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Hi all, still trying to figure out how this all works but here’s my latest post from an anthology of memoirs on the halcyon days of yore with a school friend who lost a battle with prostate cancer a few years back. I’m trying to pull out the happy times and stop dwelling on the bad ones. A hard journey but I hope I’ve done this one justice. It’s a follow on from Ghost Carp which also resides in the memoir category if anyone feels like checking that out too.

    Thank you everybody for making me feel welcome so far. Feedback, views, like or running away, if you so choose, are all appreciated 😇

    https://fictionisfood.wordpress.com/2016/04/02/of-wind-nature-and-elegies-in-oak/

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Hey ya’ll!!

    I just posted an amazing recipe that you HAVE TO go check out! While you’re there, please let me know how my site is doing in your opinion and I will return the favor! 🙂

    Ex’s and Oh’s,

    Nicole

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Anna – I’m not surprised that this post is very popular with your readers. I think what is most appealing in it is that you have a strong voice. This is clearly a subject you’re…well, if not comfortable with, then at least knowledgeable about! As a reader, It’s easy to connect with your anxiety about how your reader will interpret what you write. Great elements of humor as well. But I would reiterate that your writing has a strong voice in this piece, and that makes it enjoyable to read. Keep writing!

      Liked by 1 person

  15. I guess what I’m curious about is the inconsistency of my readers. Some days I’ll manage a lot of views, other days barely any. I can’t tell if the individual post isn’t catching anyone’s attention, or if people are unsure how to sign up to get in blog via email.

    In essence, I’m looking for User Experience-type advice. Is it easy to figure out how to follow my blog (via email, not W.P.), and are you put off by my menu tabs “store” and “buy me beer”)? So far, no one has bought anything from me or bought me a beer.

    http://progchik.com/

    Liked by 2 people

    2. I found your follow-me-by-email link but I had to click the ‘…’ thing and then scroll down. I’d try and get it at the top/side of each page. I think ‘buy me a beer’ would be off-putting for some people… if nobody has donated, I’d err on the side of caution and take it off.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. I didn’t see the follow-by-email tab, so I don’t know if your theme allows, but maybe you can adjust your widgets to make it more visible. I don’t necessarily think the ‘Store’ tab in your menu is off-putting, but I also wouldn’t count on much business since most people are here for reading. The ‘Buy Me a Beer’ is a cute idea, but I don’t know how many of your readers will have a paypal account and don’t know that many would sign up for one to donate $3. You have some good, collective content on the blog but I would recommend formatting the pictures so they are not so stretched out. Could you adjust the picture size when creating a new post? Best wishes.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks, good advice. You know, I was adjusting my feature images to that size for my previous theme and just kept doing it. I suppose I should look up the proper size for my current theme.

        Would you be more likely to click on “Upcycling,” “Upcycled art,” “Crafts for sale,” or “Shop”?

        Like

    4. i’m sorry but the buy me a beer is just odd. I have seen a few blog sites that also sell things, but the vast majority of them are not here..they are on etsy or some other site. Since this is primarily a blog writers site it is just confusing to me that people try to sell things. I LIKED the things created from recyclables, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t think this is a good venue for sales. IMO.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I appreciate the feedback! I actually saw “buy me a coffee” (same as “buy me a beer”) on someone else’s site as a way to donate to bloggers via PayPal and apparently it used to be really common. Then it got less common, but I decided to see how it sent anyway.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Your blog is right up my street. I love all things sciency. Followed!

      I suppose my only comment would be to make more of a case for your opinion. It was written neutrally and I think it would be more engaging if readers had something to agree/disagree with.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. I read the posts on gardening and Mormons, oh and your About page, and all three made me laugh. You have a great tone and seem to be able to see humor in just about anything. (The 40 yr old in the basement was hilarious.) Keep it up and let us know how those veggies turn out this year!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Well, so far so good… I’ve just popped over and you’ve gained a new follower. I love the outdoors and have worked extensively in the relatively pathetic UK wilderness so I’ve quickly compared & contrasted and deduced you are waaaaaay braver than I am so I’m looking forward to reading what you get up to next!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. This has inspired a new post…for sometime in the future on the subject of bravery. I’m still learning what bravery is; but I think it has to do with accepting that you feel afraid without reacting to it. Thanks for following!

        Like

    1. I love the header and your blog reads much like a diary post. If you are more interested in keeping a record of your journey I think this is well done but if you are hoping to attract more readers, I think you need to add some more descriptive words to tell people about your thoughts and feelings. Like how yummy was that cake? Or switching to brown bread was like chewing on cardboard at first (or adversely the depth of the flavor made you realize you had missing out all these years, etc.) But I think you are brave and kind to share your journey. Good luck in all respects!!

      Liked by 2 people

  23. Hey there,
    I have recently started writing my blog and would love to hear feedback from you people.
    Do swim in and check out my blog..
    Kahlo

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Buono Sera friends!

    My name is the 6 million p man, I have a lot of metal in my jaw and like the 6 million dollar man I was rebuilt (though not at quite the expense). I ahve a photography blog, I shoot both digital and film, street and landscape, I often put up a few link’s on here as I like to hear the views of new faces and get a few fresh pairs of eyes looking over my stuff.

    Below is a couple of link’s to some recent post’s, the first is a long running film photography series taken with medium format film;

    Medium Format : Nineteen

    The second is a long running photography series taken on digital of stret photography;

    Street Photography – Olympus OM-D EM-5; 29

    Would love to hear your views on what you like, what you don’t like, what you think is terrible etc etc. And if you by chance want someone to check out your blog then hook me up with a link and I’ll return the favour.

    Thanks in advance

    Liked by 5 people

    1. On your street photography series, I agree with you that the last photo is the best. What I like about it is the mood and overall feel of it. For some reason, I sense a gentle breeze, smell the water, and hear the movement of the water. Nice. The chopped off bench didn’t bother me. My only suggestion would be to have the man moved to the left a little so he hits a focal point a little easier. http://gracelead.co

      Liked by 1 person

    3. I enjoyed viewing your images. I really like the black and white, but surprising me, the visitor with color every now and then might keep your blog fresh.

      You seem rather critical of your work. I suppose being too satisfied isn’t that positive either.

      Face it, you’re a budding talent. Keep going!!!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. I certainly agree, being human is interesting. Your post overflows with reality and frankness. I liked it so much, I also read your post “340” and found it enjoyable as well. It would be nice to have something on your About page that tells the new viewer the purpose of your blog site. http://gracelead.co

      Liked by 1 person

    3. I believe I caught the gist of your post. I applaud your bravery in writing it, and hope you will continue to allow honesty to ease your path forward in life.

      I feel you have an earnest writing style. That goes a long way in giving your prose believability.

      Highest and Best

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I clicked on the ‘Small Town Library’ post because, living in towns with less than a thousand people for the past several years, I can relate! Especially liked the last line about not judging a book by its cover or a library by its size.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hey Bailey! I checked out your blog – great photos! I clicked on a couple of articles: First I looked at both posts that had photos of Jason Isaacs because: Jason Isaacs is hot! I am not into -con so it is hard for me to say much about the content but Jason Isaacs worked. I clicked on Why I hope my kids love Elsa and Anna because I love them (and so do my girls.) I thought you did a good job of pointing out the elements of Frozen. I also clicked on Oscars and Artichokes because I was curious about what they had in common. I also am not that into the Oscars (I sound so boring) but the Artichoke Dip recipe is a keeper.

      Overall, I liked how fun your posts are. Your posts seem to reflect your About page and I like that it looks a bit like a quilt with little pieces of this and that that when put together are a bit about you! Hope that helps!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you so much for your feedback, Delta. It was super insightful! I hope the artichoke dip turns out for you because it’s a favorite around here! I’ll be sure to check out your blog!

        Liked by 1 person

    3. I clicked on your article about hardcopy vs. ebooks because the issues matters to me. Though many of my companions prefer ebooks for the convenience of carrying them, so far, I have refused to go that route. For me, curling up with a book is friendlier than curling up with an electronic device. http://gracelead.co

      Liked by 1 person

    4. When I entered your site, I saw lots of variety. Although I love variety, I felt it best for me to read your About first.

      Then I was ready to dive into (tee hee) another something or other. I chose your Reading Books post. I am an avid reader myself so I had a feeling I’d enjoy snooping through your list.

      I was not disappointed!

      Your set up is good. Organizing all of the images and such much keep you busy. Looks really nice. Well, maybe a little busy for a highly visual person like myself.

      No worries though. That’s mine to sort.

      Keep geeking and have fun!!!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you for the feedback! I love the duality of my post alongside yours! What is so classically girl versus boy and then the struggle with labeling in all areas. Nicely done!

        Like

    2. Strange feedback, but I just love the font you’ve used on your blog. I think because it’s the same as the one used in my favourite copy of Jane Eyre 😛

      Like

      1. Do you know which font it is? I had the same thought and it won’t leave me alone! Especially the use of oldstyle numerals, they look much more beautiful than the newer ones that are all lined up.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Thanks! And ANYTHING that makes you think of Jane Eyre when reading something I have written, well, I am not going to call strange at all! Theme is a WordPress one, Book Lite and it is the default font. I like it but I can’t tell you what it exactly is.

        Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you Ed! It is a wordpress theme and when choosing it I did not like the empty sidebars but have really spent more focus on the content. I will have to remedy that. I really appreciate your thoughtful feedback.

        Like

    5. I’m cool with your site. It looks great on my laptop. I can’t speak for an iPad or a phone. In my opinion, having a responsive site is best these days. We never know what screen our visitors will be using, so plan for all.

      It goes the same for browsers. Check as many as you can download. I have Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and one more I can’t think of right now.

      I left a comment and one Like on your site. I loved your most current post. It’s got the reason you should go at this 100% written all up in it.

      It appears you write shorter posts, so plan ahead. Keep a small notebook everywhere. WordPress is nice because if you have an idea, you can quickly start working it, then save the draft. The idea never escapes you, and you may be able to add as more words come.

      Just a mention!!!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Great feedback! Thank you so much! I plan to spend some time this weekend working on the layout and your recommendations are excellent. I do sometimes struggle with ideas and I love your idea about the notebook. Thank you again!

        Like

  29. So Twitter-based journal Nanoism published my twitter fiction the other day 🙂 Twitter fiction is like flash fiction: short, sweet, and must tell a whole story within the space of a tweet.

    I’m REALLY excited, everyone!! Check out my post!! 😀

    Twitter Fiction Publication!

    (If you follow me on Twitter/WP, I’ll follow back!)

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Hey friends! I’m back for more feedbacks/reviews and would love to hear from everyone as well as assist y’all!

    Not everyone is free to do this so if you do assist me, first I want you to know that I really appreciate it and as always, if you review my site, I will review yours as well 😉

    Cheers for awesome WordPress community!

    Your friend,
    Benjamin

    Liked by 2 people