Nov 16, 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?

Did you just start blogging and you’re not sure how to get going? Has your blog been dormant for a while but you’d like to give it a jolt of life? Join our free Blogging 101 course (or any of our other offerings at Blogging U.).

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.
Show Comments

937 Comments

Comments are closed.

Close Comments

Comments

    2. Your blog looks great! I get a very clean and elegant vibe from your layout. I love the visuals and the alignment of everything. Great job. The reviews themselves are engaging and informative. I think you’re doing great đŸ™‚
      Personally, why not do more of both? In my opinion, either or, your content will still be great. Goodluck!

      Like

  3. Just a quick question about photo sizes. I’ve had a few glitches on image sizes in gallery formats. In this post –

    Friday Fictioneers – My Daddy helped Your Daddy

    I was trying to have 2 photos of my Dad and Father-in-law side by side but in a smaller size. I couldn’t get them to comform to the sizes I had converted the photos to. Any hints???

    I’d love feedback on my story, too, if anyone has extra time.

    Thank You,
    Isadora

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Isadora, that was definitely an interesting post from a tough perspective to write from! Unfortunately, I don’t know much about resizing images but I can give you some feedback on the writing itself.

      I would suggest proofreading your posts first, since there are a few mistakes such as “daddy’s” instead of “daddys” and the punctuation being outside of the quotation marks. Hope this helps you out!

      -Josh

      Liked by 2 people

    1. Hello There, I believe you have changed the site’s feature page, and I guess the change of picture maybe kind of reduced the readability of the tagline. But that’s my observation, if it is your personal choice then you could ignore it. đŸ™‚ Otherwise, your posts are pretty humorous.

      Liked by 1 person

      3. Your website is gorgeous love the theme you have chosen. The images and the font is sophisticated yet simple. You write about things which a lot of us feel at some point remain strong and I will enjoy reading your content.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. On layout: I like your header set up a lot, and the way it’s set up makes it really easy to read through them. If I were to give recommendations it would be to look through your sidebar widgets and make sure that your choosing widgets that visitors may want to see, in particular I’m not really understanding the “Home” section in your sidebar that has a drop down of categories that only shows “uncategorized”. I would also recommend adding a subscribe button. đŸ™‚

      Liked by 1 person

    3. I would definitely think about adding tags and categories. Don’t go fire sale crazy with too many, but I’ve found good, appropriate tags lead to pieces being read by more than just my followers. Categories also give people another way to navigate once you have more content. Good luck!

      Like

  7. Hello, Due to taking part in a blogging u Course on themes I have changed a few things around with my blog. I am not sure if I like the changes or not, would love input. I am one of those weird people that don’t like change. lol I am thrilled I figured out how to use menu’s so hopefully that helps with the navigation problems. Here’s the link: http://practicalbydefault.wordpress.com Thank you for taking the time to check it out, and any input/advice you offer is appreciated.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Hi,
      I think your blog looks great. Definitely looks clean and easy to navigate through đŸ™‚ I don’t know what your blog was like before, but I’m finding no problem browsing around haha. Great job! I wish you the best of luck!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. New to wordpress as of early September, Modern Voids aims to bring a fresh voice to comics by illustrating the daily struggles of this blogger’s customer service experience. We also make social commentary through the exaggerated political perspective of “Corporate Cthulhu”. We recently did a site redesign at the beginning of this month. Check it out, share some feedback about the comics, thanks!

    http://modernvoids.com/

    Corporate Cthulhu: http://modernvoids.com/category/recurring-characters/corporate-cthulhu/

    Liked by 3 people

  11. Hello everybody. I’m a short story fiction author who would like feedback on some of my work. Particularly about grammer or the ideas in my posts. My latest story can be found here: http://wp.me/p6PNct-1r

    Comment in the post would be preferred than in the community pool comments. Enjoy your day!

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Hey all,
    I’m currently writing a piece on violence and Islam, based on my time living in Jordan. I already wrote a piece about my (positive) experience with Islam while there and would like feedback on the tone and timing of the writing in order to better write the new piece. I don’t want it to be condescending or sensationalist. If you could look at this and tell me what you think of it, I will be forever in your debt.
    http://intothemild.co/2015/04/22/living-in-the-heart-of-islam/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You mention DNA several times, but the premise of your blog is unclear. You might want to refine your posts so that they better reflect your topic. Your blog is a bit messy at the moment.

      I would suggest you look at some other science blogs and websites, paying attention specifically to format and presentation.

      Good luck.

      Like

    2. I love your layout, and really enjoyed the posts I read while checking it out.

      My one piece of advice would be to really take time with your photos. Many of the ones I saw are slightly out of focus. Photos are a HUGE point of focus on a travel blog. I’m not saying you need to go out and buy a fancy camera, but taking a moment to make sure they shot is focused will make a lot of difference. I also recommend taking the same shot several times to give you options. When I am shooting while on the go, photos may appear in focus at first glance, but aren’t once you get them transferred on to your computer/tablet.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Thank you for taking the time to look. On my trip to Bangkok, my camera was in manual focus and I didn’t know it for a whole day! Most of the time they aren’t like that. Is part of the reason there aren’t as many photos in the two Bangkok posts. I started using a DSLR late last year so the photos from before that are not that great. Thanks again!

        Liked by 1 person

  15. Hey guys! If you have a moment check out my pop culture blog ( https://popculturalstudies.wordpress.com/ )

    I had two posts this week, the first (https://popculturalstudies.wordpress.com/2015/11/16/the-adventure-of-linkle-nintendo-and-feminism/ ) about Nintendo’s new female link and its relationship to the feminism that Nintendo has practiced so far. The other post ( https://popculturalstudies.wordpress.com/2015/11/12/intertextuality-star-wars-and-avatar-the-last-airbender/ ) I did after I finished watching Avatar: The Last Airbender, listing ways its similar to Star Wars (which I really did just to gratify my love for TLA and thirst for Star Wars). Anyhow, take a look! Feedback is always appreciated đŸ™‚

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I love old gaming, I am a collector of it I have abut over 100 games in my collection, keep up the good work, loving your blogs

      Like

  16. Hey guys, its been a tough Monday and I’m feelin’ for some positivity so if you could come by my blog and spread some love, opinions, and feed back it’d be much appreciated and thanked. I’d love to check out other blogs too so if you’d like me to read over yours just comment below and I’ll make sure to check yours out too.

    Liked by 3 people

    3. I enjoyed going through your blog đŸ™‚ Your layout is clean and crisp. I found your writing very captivating and entertaining. I liked the most recent post about the “S” word haha. Great job đŸ™‚ Keep up the great work and I wish you the best of luck!

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Hello every one,
    The Gift of Gab is back with more information to broaden your freelancing horizons. Creating an Email list is something very few writers think to do and because WordPress and social media forums do it for us we don’t see the need in waisting time. But what if your account was deleted tomorrow… or even hacked? What if your self hosted domain was down and readers couldn’t access your website? What about monetizing your site and selling your email list? Everyone knows the money is in the list! Don’t negotiate sales until you’ve established an Email list (which increases your worth nearly three times)!

    A Freelance Writers Little Black Book || Building an E-Mail list – http://wp.me/p4xePh-58

    Once you’re done reading… use the contact form in my let’s talk section. I can’t wait to hear from you!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I have never got into comics, I prefer old stories liked dr jekyl and mr hyde (and I am only in secondary school year 8)

      Like

    1. Great to see you here again! I can’t wait to see what you’ve done. Remember to keep me in mind if you need any freelance writing advice! Check out my latest post A Freelance Writers Little Black Book || Building an E-Mail list – http://wp.me/p4xePh-58
      Hopefully you are already establishing your email list!

      Liked by 2 people

    3. Looks great! The site is clean and concise. I had no trouble navigating around. Your posts itself are great as well! I really enjoyed reading your content. The way you write is engaging and sublime. Keep it up! The only thing I’d suggest is if you could elaborate your About page. Just because it’d be awesome to know more of the writer behind such a beautiful blog đŸ™‚ Anyways, I wish you the best of luck!

      Liked by 1 person

  24. Hello everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. So, I just started a new blog focusing on young adults who are struggling with anxiety and how to cope. However, I don’t want this blog just to be me rambling on about my experience with anxiety. I want to hear from other young adults about their struggles and their favorite ways to remedy symptoms of anxiety. So with that being said, if you’re someone experiencing anxiety, what do you want to hear about? What aspects of anxiety should I cover? Most importantly, is there something that YOU want to share on my blog? Please let me know! I want all the feed back I can get. I’ve posted a link to my blog below; there isn’t much on there yet, but I promise to add more as I get more ideas. Thanks so much for your help in advance. Happy blogging (: https://anxieteas.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 5 people

    1. I love your word play on anxiety. As writers we all suffer from anxiety. As a ‘youngish’ mother of 3, I can definitely did anxiety is a big part of my life. I can’t wait to see where this blog goes and how far you’re willing to dive into the topic.

      If you ever need a guest or even ghost writer, please keep me in mind. Check out my latest post:

      A Freelance Writers Little Black Book || Building an E-Mail list – http://wp.me/p4xePh-58

      And feel free to contact me for free consultations!

      Liked by 3 people

    2. I suffered from anxiety most of life and never knew what it was until I was about 25. I am not 38 and am happy to say that I rarely suffer from them anymore. I had done everything from medication to herbal teas, herbs, mental exercises, but in the end it was God’s Word that truly set me free from the torture that I was suffering from. It got so bad that I couldn’t even leave my house and I had four kids. I will be looking forward to your blog and with any help, if it is needed.

      Liked by 3 people

      3. I began experiencing symptoms of anxiety in high school, yet I wasn’t diagnosed until a few months ago. I’m now a senior in college and can definitely say that my faith has helped remedy the negative thoughts and physical ailments anxiety causes. Thank you so much for providing your feedback Chessa!

        Like

    3. Because I am new… I am trying my best to figure out how to navigate to your blog. I followed the “link” and it’s just a picture. Gonna still try to figure it out.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks for stopping by my blog! As I noted earlier, I don’t have much posted yet, but am in the process of finding topics to write on. I should have some text-based content within the next week. Thanks again for visiting my page (:

        Like

    4. This is exactly what I was hoping for. Unfortunately, I can’t figure out how to use this sight yet. (Which is why I clicked on this page to begin with) I am human. I just want to blog. Talk. Be human with other humans. At the same time for about 8 months now I have undergone some serious anxiety. I have lived with it all my life but I did have a good break for about the last 6 years. It’s back with a vengeance. I would love for your site to be something where we can all just compare stories and help each other.

      Liked by 1 person

    5. Beautiful. I like your concept. You’re not just a typical “anxiety blogger” like most people would categorize. Your efforts to involve the community and share their stories as well is awesome. I really liked your header image and title. Your blog looks like it’ll be amazing đŸ™‚ I wish you the best of luck!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I love horror, you should soon talk about the deep web or sad satan (you don’t have to and I don’t recommend you go on the deep web you should watch someordinarygamers go on the deep web, he is a professional)

      Like

    2. I really like this. Even though I have a more biblical perspective on why hauntings happen and the reasoning behind where they happen, I thoroughly enjoy the history behind this blog. Very well written.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. The spell check feature wasn’t included in the new editor, but we’re definitely considering how best to return it in future updates. Thank you for your patience in the meantime — and I hope your browser’s spell check is a solid-enough standby, at least for now.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Megan,
      So glad to hear you’re back đŸ™‚ I enjoyed looking through your blog. It’s very clean and elegant. I had no trouble browsing around. Your posts are great as well and I loved all the visuals you used. I wish you the best of luck as you get back into your groove đŸ™‚ Cheers!

      Like

    3. Great concept, but I would strongly advise adding images to your blog and reading over your content once or twice before posting. I’ve noticed several spelling/grammar/capitalization errors. That kind of thing drives me wild. I’d also recommend breaking your text blocks up into smaller, easier to read paragraphs. Good luck.

      Like

      1. I do want to add pictures in.. but I cant find many to use with that are not copyrighted. and don’t have any sort of way to take a pic of the game on the tv, unless I had used a a camera to take a quick picture

        Like

    4. I loved the concept of your blog. I can see it going somewhere. You have much potential. I’m a huge anime fan haha. I really liked your 5 worst studio ghibli films. The only thing I’d suggest though that could bring depth into your blog and some more color is if you put up visuals as well. For each post, you can show a picture of whatever it is you’re talking about. So that way, it looks more professional. It would also help if you updated your About page so that viewers can better understand what your blog is about and also connect with you more personally. I hope this helped. Good luck!

      Like

      1. thanks for the ideas, I like anime too, but I don’t really like the ones for kids. I prefer ones like black butler, noragami and death note

        Liked by 1 person

      2. You’re welcome! And cool. I like those ones too haha. I think you’ll also like Tokyo ghoul and Parasite. Those two recently came out and became huge hits.

        Like

      3. one of my friends has told me to see Tokyo ghoul, I will buy eventually and I hope fully will like, sadly though I have to save to buy maid sama it is such a boring show that you have to go buy it đŸ˜¦

        Liked by 1 person