May 11, 2015 / Community Pool

Community Pool

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

Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/63057306@N04/5734415538">Beachfront Solutions</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(CC BY-SA 2.0)</a>

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! We tend to delete duplicate comments asking for feedback on the same post.
  • 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!
  • When leaving comments, please remember not to add your blog’s url as your signature. It’s kinda spammy: after all, your handle links directly to your blog.
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
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      1. Awesome. I’m glad you liked it. And don’t worry, it’s not a manga, but the characters behave kind of like characters from a manga.
        And sure I’ll check your blog out!
        Aul

        Liked by 2 people

  2. Hey everyone,
    Today I would like to share my most recent article on “TIME MANAGEMENT”. Here is the link:
    https://effectivethoughts.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/time-management-and-role-of-time-management-tools
    Plus, do you guys have any thoughts on “Team & Leadership”? Well…now, share them over here:
    https://effectivethoughts.wordpress.com/2015/05/10/team-and-leadership
    It is only a one line post. Just comment your views on “Team & Leadership”. It can be anything; facts, information or pure opinions. So, I’ll be waiting to hear out you thoughts.
    Thank You & Happy Blogging!

    Liked by 6 people

    1. I really like how you give people an opportunity to share their thoughts! It might be interesting for you to take some of the comments you get on a certain topic and then make that into it’s own post on the subject? Just a thought!

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Actually, I have aleady written the article on Leadership. Now I am just proofreading it myself. While the days I am proofreading, I post that heading and ask other to comment just to know there ideas. But let me make this clear; I DONT PLAGIARIZE & I HATE THIS CRIME.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Hello fellow bloggers!
    So, I am Jerrod and I blog about my thoughts and my likes to share my knowledge and inform people. In the past days, I have been editing my homepage and I am dying for some feedbacks on it and I doubt that maybe the theme of my blog doesn’t fit on my homepage and writing style but I just got the attachment into the theme so I really need some help and feedbacks! 
    Here is the link of my blog: http://jerrodanielleblog.wordpress.com/
    Happy blogging and may the odds be ever with your favor!

    Liked by 6 people

    4. I really like your blog. I’m a fan of clean lines, bright colors and “breathing space”. I don’t like clutter, especially when I’m trying to read. I’ve always gravitated towards the theme you use, but couldn’t seem to make it work for me. Glad to see someone else use it in a clever way!

      Liked by 2 people

    5. Hi Jarrod- great job- I love your theme and blocked categories. I also tend to blog about my thoughts so I loved this. Check out my blog and let me know what you think: lovefromwhit.com

      Liked by 2 people

    7. I really liked your blog and the variety of posts. I think you should link as much of your posts to Pinterest if you don’t already. I also think if you could get guest bloggers occasionally for crafts, that would be awesome. I think they might invite you to their blog as well which could widen your audience. Great job!

      Liked by 1 person

    8. Hi Jerrrod, I really liked the layout of your blog with the first page clearly indicating the categories, blogposts etc which really helps the visitor to navigate and get a bird’s view of what your blog is about and choose what he or she wants to read.So, that is the feedback. Now, can you please help me in redesigning the layout of my blog. I use Twenty fifteen theme and with my present layout, the latest post appears on the first page and the full post appears followed by the earlier posts, all in full.

      Like

      1. ooh, i like the layout of the twenty fifteen theme but maybe you can try Writr theme. It is like Twenty Fifteen.. but if you wish to still have the Twenty Fifteen theme, just change the color and if you wish to have a homepage, make an welcome message into it or put your about page as a front page and made page for your post. 🙂

        Like

    1. When I visit, I was shock…. in a good way! I love your blog just by looking it. Love the theme and I love the photos!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Even though I’m not a rock fan, I really liked your blog. I think the design compliments the content really well. And I found something interesting to comment on over on your blog within a couple minutes on the site. Fantastic job!

      Liked by 2 people

    5. Yes, your blog is very well done! Love the layout, and the pictures, and most especially the content. love it. Made me laugh too. Ill be following you for sure 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    6. Langen, it feels very rock-ish. The way you’ve arranged your posts in that grid format feels like you’re entering a concert, if that makes sense. It has the dark concert feel, but your words bring it alive the same way the music brings alive a dark stage.

      Liked by 1 person

    4. Bianca, I like the poem. The words are simple, but the imagery they create is powerful. I also like the title of your blog: Stumbling for Balance. Why don’t you change the url to that? I find it to be very intriguing and inviting. Isn’t that what we’re all doing in life? Stumbling for balance? Love it! (Sorry I posted this twice. It somehow got posted under the wrong person).

      Like

    6. Visually, your blog is really pretty – I feel like the aesthetics match what I’ve read of your writing. This poem evoked memories of feelings I had in my twenties, before I was married, but reminded me that those fears and feelings can continue throughout life. It made me sad, but in a reflective way and also made me wonder what a similar poem would look like through a man’s eyes. Great job. If you have time, would love feedback on my most recent post. Thank you for sharing your work!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hi glitterychicken! (Never thought I’d ever say that in my life lol) I tried to look at your blog but it kept saying nothing was found when I clicked on your name!

        Like

    7. Bianca, I thoroughly enjoyed your blog and I think you’re very brave to have put your creative writing out there (something I must admit that I’ve been tentative of doing thus far). Keep on writing!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Hey Amigos,

    I’m in the middle of a series on how I became a Real Life Superhero, but it’s difficult to write in the right tone. Below is the first piece. I’m trying to explain the quirkiness and uniqueness of the community without being condescending. If you read the article and let me know what you think of the tone, I’ll be forever in your debt.

    http://www.neitherwanderingnorlost.wordpress.com/2015/05/07/throwback-thursday-i-used-to-be-a-real-life-superhero-part-one/

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Hey everyone!! I am Chirag and i just started blogging…..it’s my new experience and so would like some review. First of all visit — https://makeitabtme.wordpress.com ….. then check my posts…..and plzz comment….i won’t care if it’s against my blog…still….i want to face the truth!! Please spread if u liked it!! And also don’t forget to follow!!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I wish tat your tagline is not a message. Taglines are short and are simple description of your blog… Just that but totally loving your blog! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      2. your tagline is a short description of your blog… it is not a message… it seems like your tagline is a message…

        Liked by 2 people

    2. I agree with the previous poster, the tag line should be a short description of your blog, maybe what to expect? I wasn’t entirely sure how to navigate you blog, I realised to click the squares, do you have an introduction? A more indepth description of yourself and what content you’re likely to post? I don’t see one. With regards to content, do you proof read? I noticed on your Mother’s Day one that you described your friend as ‘eventually a girl’ I don’t know why, is English not your first language or was it just a spelling error? Hope I don’t sound horrible, better to be honest though, right? 😊
      Faye ~ http://www.kaboodlemum.wordpress.com
      http://Www.introvertedfangirl.wordpress.com

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks a lot!! I’ll improve them!! And please be sure to check every now and then. Btw, English isn’t my first language still i consider it just like my first language.

        Liked by 2 people

    3. Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging! 🙂 I really like your blog header and the upbeat tone of your writing. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions about blogging!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Hello fellow bloggers!

    I’d love some feedback on my latest post; my view of the British monarchy from a Brit living in the US who is always being asked about the royals. Is it funny enough? Would you like more facts or some illustrations? Thank you!

    God Save the Queen?

    Liked by 4 people

    1. I just notice that you have not categorize it and you don’t use tags.. better to categorize or use tags.. it is the ways to find your blog… 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thanks for checking out my blog! I do use tags, they are visible under the post. I will look at using categories as I agree they might make the blog more visible. Thanks for your feedback 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Your blog has really evolved, yes? It seems you started with observations back in March and now you have pulled out some oddities and expanded upon them in May….Funny commentary. Sure pictures would be great; gifs of the prince swearing better, might also want to link back to your original introduction in some way…a quick link so people know you, your origins, your face since you are making yourself the resident wordpress expat with an opinion! Snarky humor. I enjoyed the read. Carry On!

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Yeah you’ve summed it up pretty well. I try to post about the funny and interesting things I see as a Brit in the US. I’m glad you enjoyed the read, thank you for the feedback, its really helpful! I just checked out your blog and it’s great, you write beautifully 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    3. Your blog is hilarious! Love the unique perspective and I think some illustrations might help drive the point home 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    4. I left a comment on your blog – great read! I’m looking forward to reading more. I think a picture of some sort is always a nice addition to a blog. Breaks up the text and adds some visual interest. Just my opinion.

      In the Blogging U course, they mention that the “About” page is the most read page in one’s blog. I was interested to know more about you so my only suggestion would be to perhaps provide a bit more information on the “about” page.

      Like

      1. Thank you 😀 My old theme was penscratch. I wanted to change it, so I chose this one, It seemed so colorful compared to Penscratch !

        Like

    3. My only critique would be to make sure there is space between paragraphs. I looked at your blog via my mobile device and there was no spacing, which detracted from your elegant prose.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Ohh, I will try and fix this as soon as possible, because I don’t really know how this blog looks on the mobile device :p Never really opened it on my mobile :3

        Like

    6. Hi, I liked your posts but wasn’t fond of the theme… just having the articlr titles without an excerpt or photo doesn’t make it easy to choose what to read.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Poetry is such a personal art that I won’t even try to critique it. What I can say is that your enthusiasm for blogging is evident on your blog and that’s a message we can all get behind

      Liked by 1 person

    1. It is okay to have a long post because it is a book review… just pour all your thoughts there but try to simplify it and love the background… the black and white books is sophisticated!

      Liked by 2 people

    2. I am always appreciative of book reviews and reviewers. I don’t think there’s necessarily a proper length for a review so what you wrote in my opinion is fine. Incidentally, if you ever begin reviewing travel books, my travel/humor guide You Can Keep Your Adventure, Just Leave Me the Toilet Paper is available. Regardless, thanks for sharing this and keep up the good work

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Hey everyone. Feel free to visit my blog: rachsthoughts.wordpress.com
    I’ve been away for a while and just got the time to post some thoughts this morning. 🙂 Thanks in advance!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Hey Rach…i just skimmed the most recent posts…you seem to write a lot about faith/spirituality though your blog title, background pic, theme in general doesn’t reflect that is your driving purpose for writing the blog. Might want to invest some time analyzing if this is the message you want to promote? Then change the tag line (minimally) to define the intent of your blog and draw in like-minded thinkers…I like the short posts…blog readers tend to prefer that….and I like the catchy visuals, the clean look of the featured images.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you for your honest feedback! 🙂 I’ll look into modifying my tag line (when I find the time… *sigh*)
        Have a great day, and I encourage you to keep coming back to my blog. 🙂

        Like

  15. Hi all, I’m looking for some layout help. I like my theme, but I think I would prefer if only the first part of each post showed…so it has the little “read more” link. I’m a bit of newbie when it comes to layout and design, can anyone help me on this? I don’t know if it’s even possible with my theme. Take a look here: https://mamabrarian.wordpress.com

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Looks like your about page matches what you write about. You can change the amount of post that shows by going to your wordpress dashboard and choosing “show only first part of posts” Consider when you are drafting a post to go into advanced settings on the left side before you publish and choose SET A FEATURED image for each post. It lets you choose from your media file and then when it runs in the feeder there’s always a picture to draw people into the post. I like the colorful bookshelf pic. Looks like you have a great start!

      Liked by 2 people

      6. the twilight’s story is amazing and the battles is really epic! i also wacth The Originals which are way more better than The Vampire Diaries…

        Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you for taking out the time to comment. It really helps. How did you find the layout? Which posts do you think are better than the rest? Let me know.

        -Leela.

        Like

      2. ooohh, i started here in april too… but I can’t believe it that you’re new here… but anyways, love your blog!

        Like

    2. Hi!
      I’ve just read your latest interview…interesting! Your blog is very well built, I think as you go along and add posts it will be more and more a reflection of you:) Well done and keep going:)

      Liked by 1 person

      1. hello julia, you seem to change your blog’s theme because the past time you are having trouble with your theme and now, I love it!

        Liked by 2 people

  20. Hey there, hope you’re all having a great Monday! We are The Fab Letters, a blog featuring letters written by two Canadian students, Sherina and Ceanray. We appreciate any feedback you may have and we’d love to take a look at your blogs and return the favor 🙂
    https://thefabletters.wordpress.com

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Who am I talking to, Sherina or Ceanray? I love the letters and the theme fits in your blog!
      Message to Sherina: I am missing you post at your blog…

      Liked by 2 people

    2. Hi, there! Really enjoyed your blog, keep it up! The Invisible Burdens was heartbreaking (those poor little hearts)

      Liked by 1 person

    3. A nice and unique blog you have created.
      Just 1 suggestion: all your posts are appearing on main page, try to limit them to newest posts only. To do so:
      Go to WP Admin->Settings->Reading->Blog pages show at most (here choose the number of posts you want on your main page)
      Don’t forget to Save Changes at the bottom

      Like

    1. Hi, welcome to WordPress…just a note, the link you’ve left doesn’t actually open your blog, but don’t worry I’ve clicked on the icon/name and it worked:))
      Generally it’s like that…we have too much time on our hands and don’t really know what we should do:)
      Use this free time and build the blog you’ve imagined, decide what you want to write about and get on it:)
      Good luck:)

      Liked by 2 people

    3. Previous commenter mentioned the link issue. I also came through via your name.
      Couple of things. Just the one post?
      Maybe exploring the navigation o your theme would make it overall a better experience, perhaps some widgets? All of those things can be changed/added via your customiser. It’s takes a while to learn it all and set it all up but you’ll get there.
      As for your writing, with only the one post it’s hard to say for sure but I’m gonna hit that follow button abate at because I think you wrote well and I’d like to see how you grow as a blogger 🙂
      Faye ~ http://www.kaboodlemum.wordpress.com
      http://Www.introvertedfangirl.wordpress.com

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you for your comment and for the follow. I will take what you wrote on board. I cannot wait to learn how to personalize my blog to my needs and how to add colour.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Pop to your dash, on the left hand side, find WP admin, go to that, when it loads, on the left hand side, find APPEARANCE, hover over that and select customise from the selections.
        That takes you to your customiser where you can change colours/add logos/ add widgets/ reorganise.

        Another goo place to visit under appearance is ‘menus’ you can build a menu in there and it will appear in your blog.

        A
        Other good things to consider are ‘pages’ – you can add an about/introduction and if you click on Settings, there’s bits and bobs to explore there too, from writing to reading and so on 🙂 x

        Liked by 2 people

  23. Hi, looking for some feedback regarding what sort of length everyone tends to do for their posts on average. Mine seem to be overly long from the feedback I have received from friends previously.

    https://ramblingatthebridgehead.wordpress.com/

    Also I try to generate original content but it seems the food information ones, where there is very little, tend to get the most views. Thanks in advance 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Hello. You totally chenged the Twnety Fifteen white theme into a new theme… love it… and, it depends on how long your post are…

      Liked by 2 people

  24. Hiyaa there! Hope everyone is having an awesome start to their week.
    I would love some type of feedback about my blog. Especially the attributes that you like which can stay and attributes that can change for the better. Much appreciated 🙂

    http://eat8travel.com/

    Liked by 3 people

      3. Hi there, Faye! Great to see you back as always — we’d prefer that you didn’t leave links to your blogs as part of your comment signature, since your handle links to your blog. Thanks!

        Liked by 1 person

    3. Great blog and lovely posts
      Just 1 suggestion: all your posts are appearing on main page, try to limit them to newest posts only. To do so:
      Go to WP Admin->Settings->Reading->Blog pages show at most (here choose the number of posts you want on your main page)
      Don’t forget to Save Changes at the bottom

      Liked by 1 person

    4. I liked it also, especially the layout and color. I could not find anywhere to leave a comment on your blog. You might want to make this easier to find. lily 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    2. Really a wonderful blog and post. Very gracious. I posted a little something to this effect, but yours was much more eloquent. Great job.

      Like

    3. Like the rest of the blog- very brave and honest. My most recent post was about my husband who died, but this is a big deviation from most of my blog. I was thinking about his mom this week- during mother’s day and others who have experienced such loss. Whole blog- very touching

      Like

    1. Welcome to WordPress:) I love healthy living so I will be one of your readers:)
      As feedback, add pictures to your posts, where relevant, categorise your posts so it’s easy to find them on your blog:)
      Always be you and share with the world what you enjoy:)

      Liked by 3 people

    2. Great!
      I recently posted about my weight loss and told everybody how much I loved MyFitnessPal, really cannot do without it huh? I relied on it so much!
      I’ve got follow because I’ve given myself a deadline to get back into the weight loss thang, I recently had an PPP so I’ve been having a break from it, so far, 3lb gain! Whoops.
      Anyway, I followed you because I’m pretty confident your content will interest me 🙂 the only downside I would say is that you have a non-responsive theme, it didn’t change to a mobile-friendly version when I popped over, it’s no bother but I just thought I’d point that out 🙂
      Keep up the good work ~ Faye
      http://Www.kaboodlemum.wordpress.com
      http://Www.introvertedfangirl.wordpress.com

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you so much for your feedback – really helpful! I hadn’t realised the theme was unresponsive, do you think it’s worth switching to a different one?
        Good luck on your fitness journey, hopefully my posts will help you along the way.
        Ed

        Liked by 2 people

      2. I think that’s up to you really. It doesn’t effect the way people can use your site. A follower is likely To read your posts through their reader. I thinks it’s about considering weather you think more people visit via computers or phones/tablets. Personally, I use a response site, mostly for my own benefit because I blog/view via my phone 🙂

        Like

    4. Hi Ed!

      First of all, love the blog title. I would recommend putting the info from your first post into your about page. Most people, myself included, go to the About Page first, and I think your first post gives a good overview without going off for too long.

      I agree with previous comments on adding photos to go along with your posts. People love things to look at.

      Best of luck with your blog!

      Liked by 3 people

  29. There are so many things I want to improve on with my blog! For one, I’ve decided that since we are an artsy family, I want to take on a new facet and add knitting to it. So far I have posts scheduled for later this week that tie to a Ravelry account I started. Meantime, Categories have me all up in arms. Are my categories clear-cut enough and easy enough to navigate? Any recommendations for the layout of my blog? And am I being informative enough or am I disclosing too much information (being too wordy perhaps)? One more thing- I have gotten zero comments on Name my dog, what could I have done differently to get more interaction?

    Liked by 4 people

    2. I looked at your blog and was confused about the comment on categories – I looked at the blog roll, and couldn’t see any – then I noticed that you had them on the top!

      You need to add your category list to the blog roll with a widget – I see you have already used some of these, so you should be able to work out how to add them, and when you are writing posts on things like knitting, you just add another category subject while you are writing in the editing page.

      Like

    1. The link you’ve posted doesn’t work:(
      But I’ve clicked on your name and paged through your blog, love it, as I am a fashionista myself:)
      I like the layout of it and it seems to have your personality all over it, which makes it unique!
      Well done!

      Liked by 1 person