Aug 3, 2015 / Community Pool

Community Pool

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!
  • 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!
  • 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 Everyone,
    I’m currently thinking about diving back into a old project called Headquarters. What I need help with is deciding if I should take down the old stuff and repost the story from the start or just pick up where I left off. Feel free to comment on here or on the site, I’ll return the favour of course, just let me know what you’d like me to read in return.
    https://caroljforrester.wordpress.com/category/headquarters-online-fiction/

    Like

    1. Hey Dan! Really, really like your blog. The layout is striking but very simple. I especially liked your ‘Maltese Falcon’ review. Short but so well spoken – it’s perfect.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Even I do this to pass my time and recently movie reviews have been taking more and more space on my blog.
      So I’m naturally interested in your blog. Hope you keep blogging.
      You have one new follower, ☺

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I’ve just started my very first blog and feedback is exactly what I need! I posted help on a forum and they suggested me to come to the community pool! I want to know your tips to getting traffic to your blogs.

    Thank you so much everyone I’m starting to really love the blogging community!

    Stronggirlbeginning

    Liked by 2 people

    1. There’s no link in your comment so I’m afraid I can’t check out your blog, but I’ve found the best way to gain followers is to be consistent about posting, interact with other bloggers and just to make sure you comment and read as much as you can.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Oh I didn’t thank you for letting me know!

        Stronggirlbeginning.WordPress.com

        Thank you so much for your suggestion I will make sure to work on it!

        Like

      1. Thank you so much debooWORKS, that’s really great advice! Thank you for taking the time to look at my work and give me great input!

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Best of luck girls, I would suggest trying to add a little more content however. You’re more likely to get someone to follow you if they can read the sort of posts you’re going to be putting up. 🙂

      Like

    2. Hi ladies! Great first post – the Press!verse looks forward to hearing more from you both!

      Like

  7. Hi I changed the theme of my blog and I can’t find the like button. My Friend told me he wants to like my post but he can’t find the button. Can I insert one?

    Like

    1. I’m in love with Human. It’s such a tight, little poem. Very impressive. I thought Formative Years was also really good, you manage to talk about teenage life without falling into the trap of writing teenager angst poetry. [If that makes sense.]

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hi there! I really, really enjoyed some of your recent poems – especially “Inside”, “Wasting the Moment”, and “Modern Romance”.

      Your site is very simple, but your words convey a lot in as simple a format – I wouldn’t change much.

      The only thing I can see is that the page automatically loads posts from further back as you scroll, with no categorization or search function. If it’s not too difficult to categorize or order your work by themes or date groupings, I think that would help a lot in people discovering your amazing work!

      Like

      1. Thank you for your feedback! I’m definitely going to look into some better organization today

        Like

  10. Hi there, I am very new to blogging, having started only a couple of months ago to help me come to terms with my chronic pain and disability https://seachysuffers.wordpress.com/ everything on my page is self taught and I’d love some comments good, bad (although constructive preferred) about content and lay out – appreciate this is all a bit general but having a crisis in confidence about my writing style and blog – probably due to yet another change of opiate meds but feedback would be welcome.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I don’t think you need much help with the photography. Your instincts about what makes a good photograph are solid. As to the Iphone, though I do use mine for photography (and I have seen some amazing ones) your photos would really pop with even a basic SLR camera. If not, get some of the photo apps. Not the editing ones, but ones for aperture and shutter adjustments. When you get those, practice them at home in different scenarios, different lighting so you really get a feel for them. Looking back to my first serious photos I can count a number of mistakes. But photography is one of those things where you really improve as you go along. Don’t like the result when you get home and upload the image on the computer? Think about what you did and did not do wrong and learn from it. Nobody picks up any type of camera and doesn’t make mistakes. Trust your instinct, use your tools, and never stop taking photos! Keep it up!!!

      Liked by 1 person

      2. My pleasure. Two freebies worth getting are Synthcam and Pocket Light Meter. Two paid apps are The Great Photo App which will teach you steps, and what better way to do it than on an app on your phone. Also, Slow Shutter Cam. I meant to say that tools like that are great and you can experiment while you are at home and get comfortable with them, so that when you are in the field, you know what you are doing.

        Liked by 2 people

    1. I see a like button, but only when I click through to a post. I don’t see one on the homepage. On the individual post’s page, it’s at the bottom of the post, above the “related” section.

      Like

  16. Hello,

    I’m looking for a bit of design related advice here. I love the Spun theme I’m currently using yet I wonder it is clear enough for readers (especially new ones). I’ve got two options: 1- keeping it as it is which means the main page displaying pictures (as when you scroll onto each picture the title of the post appears, yet not instantly)
    2- putting pictures displaying the titles (thus making it more obvious), just like I’ve done for my “A Lesson on Life and Honesty” post.

    What do you think?

    Will drop by your blog for feedback in return, as always!

    welcome

    Thank you!
    Giulia

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s definitely a great theme, but I’d agree that it’s perhaps a little unclear to new readers. My advice would be to play around with themes for a while. I know how hard it can be to let go when you find one that you love, but if it’s not working for you quite how you need it to it is probably better to go and explore than to doggedly stick with it.

      Liked by 1 person

      6. You’re too kind. 😀 Is there any particular post on your site you’d like feedback on? I’d like to repay the favour and I know it can sometimes be difficult to get people to comment on the posts you want to hear a response on.

        Like

    1. I really like some of your wording, but I think it might have worked better as a spoken word piece with a video of recording of how you wanted it delivered. Reading it off the page is a little jarring for me at times.I also couldn’t tell if you were trying to reflect a deceptive simplicity in the piece. I thought you could have perhaps dug a bit deeper with it. I might just be picky. Feel free to ignore me.

      http://caroljforrester.wordpress.com

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hi Carol, Thank you very much for your critique, I really appreciate you taking time to give me your opinion about it. Much appreciated . I’m on to check out your blog now 🙂

        Like

      3. Ah well I’m the last person one should ask for critique since I’m no expert at this. I just like to write from the heart and read whatever fellow bloggers write too. So I can’t give you any critique but I really enjoyed your blog. I will definitely visit more 🙂

        Like

      6. If you’ve got time, I’ve been trying to get some opinions on an on-line series I was writing called Headquarters. I’m hoping to sort of ‘re-launch’ it in September/October and I’m trying to get people’s opinions about the stuff already there.

        Like

      1. Hi Maggy, Thanks a lot for your point of view on my post. I will keep that in mind for my next post. I really appreciate you taking time to read my post and leave this comment. I’ll be right over there to your blog now ! 🙂

        Like

    2. Very nice words. I like the simplicity of the theme too. But you could add a picture or two to your post, I think it would make your posts more beautiful!

      Like

    1. I really enjoyed this post. It comes across as well written, and absolutely hilarious. I liked how you put such a light spin one something that you could have easily turned into an utter rant.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you. Read your piece: Oh Look. I’ve run out of rope.
        Liked it very much. Yes, I’ve thought I knew where I was going but somehow take a different fork in the road. Seems to work out though. 🙂

        Like

  21. I would like anyone to view my site it has mostly stories and a couple poems but I’m switching to just a blog I would LOVE feedback!!!!
    Alisa Mae

    livingmyownfairytale.wordpress.com

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Just a few things from a quick glance. Demanding readers comment to prove their presence in the top post might put some people’s backs up. I’d also suggest add a link if you want people to read a different post first. If you embed the link into the text so that clicking on the title ‘A Tale of Two Schools’ takes you right there, you’re more likely to get people actually going to the story. I love your little bead things though, didn’t know there was a specific name for them. I just always thought of them as that fun melty thing that you always manage to loose in the carpet.

      Like

  22. Hi all,

    I’m in the process of editing my first novel and am posting excerpts and thoughts on my blog. I’m keeping it as simple as possible to let the words create serve as the art. Boring to see, but hopefully interesting to read.

    jeffrenoe.wordpress.com

    Thanks all!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. As a first time visitor, if I hadn’t come from the pool, I would be very confused as to what your blog is about. An about page or blurb and maybe some Categories or tags would help me make sense of it all. Remember when people come to it for the first time, they want to know what’s going on and be able to go back in the past sometimes. At the moment, I feel like I’m just coming into a conversation that’s already been started and I don’t want to interrupt.

      Liked by 1 person

      4. Thanks again for the feedback. I always just planned it to be read by close friends first but it’s about time I start looking at least a little bit at the bigger picture. Super appreciated, and glad you enjoyed the posts.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Very cool gallery. The black background makes the images pop. I also use my blog to showcase my images. Good job and look forward to you post as I just started following!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I love your photography!

      I’m going to follow you because you have good content and because my camera has been gathering dust for far too long and hopefully seeing your content in my newsfeed will guilt trip me into picking it up again 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hey! Thank you so much for your comment, it really gave me a boost! I would definitely recommend getting back on that horse, its the best decision I’ve made for ages. Thanks again Maggy!

        Like

  27. Hi guys,
    So I have been blogging for a couple of months now and I am still having a hard time getting traffic. I would really appreciate some feedback and I would be happy to reciprocate the favor. bardofbeatsandbeasts.com. Thanks!!!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. You’re doing completely fine
      Just keep on interacting with other bloggers and just keep on blogging.
      PS. Just wanted to point out that we’ve got the exact same theme!

      Like

  29. Hi everyone.

    I’ve just started out on WordPress, with a sports based blog, mainly on football and Motorsports. If you’re interested in sports with a bit of humour added, please feel free to have a look around! I post daily, and expect posts to rack up throughout the next months. I also want to listen to you, the readers and would love to know what you think and what you want to see.

    https://eagleeyedview.wordpress.com/

    I’d love some early feedback.

    Thanks.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I am not so much into sports but I visited anyway! I like the initial page of your blog with the picture tiles. Good luck and keep on posting!!

      Like

  30. Trying to get The3123.com taking off outside of my community. My blog is 2 years old and has scores of content, but like “Field of Dreams,” it needs a consistent audience. Suggestions welcome.

    Liked by 1 person