Feb 1, 2016 / 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.
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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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    1. Comments show up when you click the title of the post (this opens the actual post, not just the ‘view’ of the post on the main page) or when you click the “Comments” link in the post header. If you want to encourage readers to open the actual post consider inserting a “More” link after a a few paragraphs (it’s on the toolbar in the editor).

      A more link displays everything above it on the main page but hides the rest until readers click the more link. Added benefit is that more posts fit on the main page, since they are just the first paragraph or two.

      Liked by 3 people

  3. Hi everyone! I like to take a lot of pictures of the products I write about, and I end up with lots of options when it comes to photos I can put in my articles and where I can place them. I like to put a really nice looking photo in the “Featured Image” slot, because when I share on social media I want an attractive image attached.

    But, for my most recent article ( https://ethanol.wordpress.com/2016/02/02/sauza-silver/ ) I picked an unusual photo of the back of a bottle, showing a molded engraving. I really like the engraving in person, but I’m not sure it comes through well in a photo. Looking at the picture, I realize that I know the detail of what it looks like in real life, so I can interpret just what I’m seeing, but that other people may find the picture a little confounding; I don’t want the image I’ve chose to put people off, so I was hoping to get some feedback here.

    Thanks in advance to anyone that responds; I do make an effort to check out the blogs of everyone who give me feedback.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I think you are right to be a little concerned.

      I would have gone with rooster.png instead of img_0538.jpg – because the blue rooster motif on 0538 just looks like a smudge – whereas rooster sets the scene, then having established the rooster motif, people then interpret 0538 …

      Having said that, I like the blogpost itself: despite having what might be termed a ‘learned aversion’ to tequila 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

  4. Check out the latest movie news and trailers with my most recent blog post
    https://musingsofafilmfanblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/06/this-weeks-movie-news-3/
    Look for other articles by clicking the ‘Home’ tab on the menu. Recent articles include an interview with Deadpool, reviews of Creed and modern classic Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and a look at the famous sound effect The Wilhelm Scream. Let me know what you think.
    Thanks

    Liked by 3 people

  5. Hi, fellow ‘pressers.

    I’ve recently revamped the blog cairnscommunications.wordpress.com and am after some feedback.

    I do a daily themed travel pic, and also a daily blog entry (monday media, tuesday cruiseday, wednesday workshop, thursday thoughts, friday travel, saturday arts and sunday podcast)

    At the moment, the daily pics are featured, and hence the five most recent stay at the top – relegating my daily posts ‘below the fold’.

    I’ve though about dropping the pics down (since they are less ‘weighty’ than the posts) .. but am afraid that they will simply ‘disappear’ into the general blog if I do that.

    I’m using the Expound theme, because I like its light, clear layout – but if anyone has any other suggestions, I’m all ears.

    Can you take a look and tell me what you think?

    Cheers

    Graham C

    Liked by 3 people

  7. Hi everyone! I want to try to add a short video I created in Movie Maker to my next blog post, but am wondering what type of file it should be. Right now it’s saved as an MP4 file, but it won’t save to my gallery. Any and all advice and recommendations are appreciated!

    Liked by 3 people

    2. Hello, you can read about the accepted types of video files here:
      https://wordpress.com/support/accepted-filetypes/#video

      That said, in order to be able to upload videos to your site’s media library you have to use VideoPress, which comes with the WordPress.com Premium or WordPress.com Business plans. You can still show videos on your site without one of these paid plans — but they’ll have to be embedded files from elsewhere, not files you upload directly to your own site. You can read more about the services from which you can embed videos here:
      https://wordpress.com/support/videos/

      Liked by 2 people

  9. I was thinking as to what shall happen to our blogs when we Die.
    Some of the blogs that I have come across are just worth.
    Shall they be kept in the Archives of Word Press, for future generations to see when required.
    I had put this opinion in the WordPress Daily Post for bloggers to write on that topic, its yet to be selected I think by the Word Press team.
    What do you all say about this.
    Shiva

    Liked by 2 people

  10. Hii everyone,
    I am very new to blogging and started my own blog a couple of months ago…I managed to write a very few posts in the middle of my hectic schedule everyday…and I have very few bloggers who follow my site. obviously if we are writing something and posting it on a public platform, we would definately want it to be popular. So how to make it popular? can anyone out here give a look at my site and lemme know?

    http://www.shirsha91stories.wordpress.com

    luv ya
    Shirsha

    Liked by 3 people

  13. I just got the upgrade on my blog: http://heathernotes.com/. I was wondering if anyone had some good advice on how to make the blog better in terms of writing, customization, themes, etc.

    What can I do to improve the blog? What do you want to read/see more of? What kind of blog do you think it is?

    Liked by 3 people

  14. Does anyone have any tips for the overall structure of a blog’s About Page?

    I currently have two that I am rather focused on and want to make sure that I am maintaining the proper focal points.

    This one I am working on Promoting my Personal JIC Business – https://jewelryincandlessite.wordpress.com/about/

    This one I am focusing on my Bible Study blog that is all about studying God’s Word – https://seekinggoddailyblog.wordpress.com/about/

    Are they spot on? Or are there areas I could work on improvement?

    Liked by 3 people

  15. Hi all,

    I’ve tweaked my blogs look. Could you take a peek and let me know what you think? Is it still readable, or is it too cluttered and/or distracting? Any feedback and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

    Liked by 3 people

  16. Hi! Just made a new post on a fresh, healthy dish. Includes cod, salsa, cauliflower, and a step-by-step of cooking the fish. I’m a blogger that’s allergic to wheat, rice, and oats, sharing my creative foodie mind with the world😃 Please visit my post
    http://fondufondue.com
    Open to feedback and followers😉

    Liked by 4 people

  17. Hello to Anyone reading my comment 🙂 Was hoping to get some feedback about my blog page 🙂 🙂 🙂 Would make me so happy if a more experienced blogger were able to give me a (tick of approval) as so far I am having trouble getting any feedback. I am very new to blogging and i am aware it will take sometime to get better at it. 🙂 🙂 🙂 THANKS 🙂

    Liked by 5 people

  18. Hey everyone,

    This year I started a book challenge on Goodreads for 2016. My goal is to read 20 books this year. I’m currently working on book number 5.

    I never really talked about the books I read, and I never been one to review art. But I sometimes finish a book and end up having so many emotions that I just want to talk about them with somebody.

    I just posted something trying to do that. I never written about books before and I can only hope to get better at it.

    Well here it is, It’s personal view on the book Midnight in Mexico, and the struggle I face as I desperately try to find hope in a country I want to love. (https://thenovembersun.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/outlook-midnight-in-mexico/)

    Liked by 3 people

  19. Hello everyone and thanks for the help in remedying my issues with photos disappearing.

    The other thing that’s bugging me at the moment is that when I reply to a comment that anyone has left my writing is in thick bold type – I thought it should be easily remedied by deselecting the bold on the editing bar when I write the comment – but no such luck – that just seems to add strong to the comment.

    There must be an easy way – would anyone be kind enough to help me out please?

    General comments very welcome too – thanks to those who replied last time I’ve put an image behind the header which makes it much more distinctive – I hope!

    https://hannahkenwayblog.wordpress.com

    The latest post is a few practical ideas on surviving and thriving through difficult times…..

    Thanks

    Liked by 5 people