May 16, 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? Are you redesigning 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).

Looking for free, self-guided courses to help you get started with your blog (or revive a dormant one)? Check out our current offerings at Blogging U.

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!
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  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
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Are you a new blogger looking to share your very first post? We have a special forum for bloggers just like you in our weekly First Friday posts.

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    1. I really enjoyed your post about various festivals. I didn’t know about half of them and was enchanted by the descriptions. I also liked your artwork very much. you asked for our address if we responded. Mine is http://www.suziland.net I am self hosted so you can not simply click my name and go there.

      Liked by 2 people

  2. Hey guys!

    How are you ?😚

    My name is Davide and this is my Italian blog ➡️ http://www.theguywhosaidalwaysno.wordpress.com

    I’m trying to create my world, just by myself and this blog is the first step of my long long stair: I hope for a better future.

    I love to talk about my activities and my passions: plants, food, trips and much more ✈️✈️✈️✈️

    If you want, take a look and give me some advices!! 🌷🌷🌷🌷

    P.s Leave me your blog link in the comment, I love to read other ones!!!

    Have and amazing day and good luck with your goals! ❤️❤️❤️

    Liked by 3 people

  5. Hi guys! I’d love a bit of feedback on my blog, anything at all from post ideas to improvements, I’d love to make a few blogging buddies too!! I’ll like and comment in return! xx

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Not boring at all. Does your theme allow you to put the text next to the photos rather than above and below? I think it would read better that way.

      Liked by 2 people

    1. We all ask that question when one of our posts doesn’t get the usual amount of traffic. There are so many factors. As you said, it could be bad timing or your audience may not be interested in book reviews. Next time, you might return to what you usually post. Then, try a book review several posts from now and see if the same decline in views happens. https://gracelead.co

      Liked by 2 people

    1. I think we are using the same template and I like every piece of design on your blog. I like the recipes, the lentil soup sausage in Bosnia we make with beans. I believe you may look into the camera you use to produce images since some of the images are high quality and some seem to be of less than high quality. Good job!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You are absolutely right about my pictures. Sometimes I use the DSL and other times I’ll just snap a picture with my phone! I should be consistent. Thank you for checking out my blog!

        Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you. I had no idea the button was there. I probably didn’t see it working in the admin view all the time. I just browsed through your blog and it is very well organized and set and having the clear mission. Fine work. I like the steps you talk about. I am being challenged from all sides working on the Bosnian Bible translation. Can you look at my blog and tell me what “Demonstrate core values” mean since I have PR issues all over me – public just doesn’t get it – why Contemporary Bible Translation.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Demonstrate Core Values = the set of values we expect our leaders to demonstrate including: allowing leaders to take risks, showing numerous life changes consistent with God’s Word, leading together as a team, intentionally developing other leaders, focusing on reaching people for Christ, personally keeping a close relationship with Christ.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. I am fairly new to blogging. I have noticed that I get views, but very few likes and no comments. I would love to learn how to get more interactions within my blog. Lately, I have had zero views to my site.
    TJ

    Liked by 4 people

    1. I like your poetry. I have the same issue with my own blog – I would like more livelihood on it. Did you consider using different design template and high quality photographs ?

      Liked by 1 person

    3. The posts on your page that I found most appealing were the ones in which you are not promoting your book. At least as far as I am concerned, I look to authors’ blogs to learn more about the author, and less about where to buy books. Sharing insight into what makes you tick will invite more interaction, as will visiting others’ blogs to comment

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you. That is the kind of feedback I am looking to see. I just published my book, so I am trying to promote it, but I am trying to add other blog topics in among my book promotions. I will work on adding even more things aside from my book.
        TJ

        Liked by 1 person

  13. Hi! I’m a two day old new blog and honestly I have no idea what I am doing but would love to get involved with other people! I blog about daily things, and things I care about (mostly circling mommy territory lol) Thanks!!

    Liked by 5 people

    2. For a new blog yours is really arranged well! It’s really inviting in its appearance and the layout is a breeze. As you continue blogging, I would recommend adding categories to your posts to make them easier to search later on… when you’ve got pages upon pages of written material to peruse

      Liked by 1 person

      2. Okay so I categorized my posts.. But I’ve seen other pages where the categories show up on the page in a side bar.. I tried to change themes but still can’t get them to show on my blog. Help?? Anyone?? Lol

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I’m not too familiar with the theme you’re using, but when you go to edit it there should be an option to add or modify widgets. Under the widgets should be “categories,” as well as some other stuff. If you select “categories,” or any of the other widgets, they should show up wherever your menu bar is located and readers on your site will be able to browse through your categories that way

        Liked by 2 people

  17. Hi everyone!! Please check out my fashion blog Eloise! Eloise is your go-to site for anything fashion. We show you creative ways to wear your wardrobe, fashion trends to keep you in style, as well as fashion tips and how to make fashion sketches. If you love our articles, don’t hesitate to like, comment, and share with your friends. Enjoy and don’t forget to subscribe! It would mean so much to me if you would check it out!

    Home

    This is my latest post:

    Drawing Fashion Sketches: Drawing the Model/Croquis

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I don’t know how the admins feel about it, but I say “why not?” I have a self hosted site, which I assume could be considered a sister-blog of WP……..and I get all kinds of feedback here.

      Liked by 2 people

    2. I’m not an admin, but I have seen a few people here with non-Wordpress blogs. It’s not forbidden to my knowledge, but it’s just not as common, and if you have technical questions or anything relating to you specific platform, you may not be able to get the help you need. Also, I’m not 100% sure how easy it is for a WP user to follow a non-WP blog, so just be aware. 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    3. We welcome bloggers of all stripes here! We’d like to think that the great community vibe here will sway more than a few bloggers out there to just join us here permanently. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  23. Hi guys, I recently just broke up with my boyfriend. I devoted all my energy and creativity into our relationship when we were together. Now I channel my energy on writing. I write mostly about love, heartbreak, being human, etc. ….all true stories.
    It would mean a lot to me if you guys take some times to read my blog. Thanks so much!
    Loveopenly.wordpress.com/blog

    Liked by 3 people

  24. Hello! I’m currently really satisfied with the type of audience my blog is attracting and the conversations I’ve been able to start through my blog posts. However I would like to expand further, inspire and challenge those of differing views on education on childhood, and grow a larger audience. Presently my blog gets the most interaction from those who simply agree with my values. Which is great! But is also not why I started my blog in the first place. I’d love some generalized or specific feedback…and some followers if you like my content! Thanks. http://Www.therisingaction.me

    Liked by 2 people

    1. left a comment for you. Not sure I “approve” for lack of a better word for the lack of rules…but then I have seen the consequences of children without rules once they hit their teens. I applaud your work in helping these children see they have a voice, but how do the kids deal with situations in classes different from yours once they go to different classrooms with more structure?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hey Suze, I responded to your comment on Control is Control, thanks for sharing your thoughts with me! I work really hard to emphasize that I am not here to prepare children for a broken system. The current public educational system is broken and needs to be entirely reworked. I will not treat my children in a disrespectful manner, simply because other people will treat them that way one day. If you know a famine is coming in a few years, do you starve your children now?

        Also, I think there needs to be clarification. There is still structure, it is not a free for all. Children still listen to adults and understand that we have more knowledge and experience than they do therefore they should trust our advice and sometimes what we say trumps what they think. The difference is it a conversation. We discuss, reason, and talk through those moments, rather than just saying, “I’m bigger and have more power than you do so you must adhere to what I say.” Children learn that their voice matters, but so does everybody else. They learn that they can’t control other people, only themselves. They learn that they have to be able to reason and argue their point, that they can’t just do something because they want to. They learn actual skills, not just blind obedience.

        I hope that makes sense. I know it isn’t the norm, and I can see why you may be hesitant to understand it especially if you taught in an authoritative environment previously (I have, and my approach currently would have sounded insane to me then, so I get it!)

        I will say, I have had many families come back to us to talk about how incredibly their children deal with the transition to public school, that because they already had well developed critical thinking skills they were able to deal with social difficulties with must more grace and easy than most other children their age. I have also had children in my class have ballet, gymnastic, or sport coaches who were much more authoritative but because the children had a firm understanding of themselves and others, they were able to question it respectfully.

        The truth is, I would be more than happy if my children grow up to question and argue with authoritative teachers who enforce arbitrary rules. And not just teachers, but anyone who attempts to force them to do something, anyone who they deem to have more power like police officers, who may use their power to take advantage of others.

        Nobody, children or adults, should feel like they have to listen to an authority figure blindly. And that is a message I am happy to ingrain in my children.

        Liked by 2 people

  26. Hi all, I am sort of new to this whole blogging thing and would really love some feedback or suggestions. Thanks!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. “3 Thing Thursday” fits right in, especially because many of these “things” are culturally Japanese.
      Starting a weekly post feature is great and I think the only way to really make it more “concrete” is to keep posting it every week. You could also add a link to the feature in your sidebar. A colorful graphic of some sort will definitely grab people’s attention.

      Liked by 2 people

    1. I like the look of your site. Things to consider include removing the post at the bottom of your Home page. It appears to be a place holder. Also, it would be nice to add a few words to your About page to tell us the purpose of your site. Another possibility is to change Settings so that only a few lines of each post shows on the Home page with a continued option. BTW, I like your list idea in your most recent post. https://gracelead.co

      Liked by 1 person

      2. To change so just a few lines display, you insert a More Tag into your post. The More Tag is on the editing menu of posts. If you need instructions, do an internet search “WordPress More Tag” and you should get a choice of several documents that explain it.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Loved your post!
      A few things that could be worked on are some editing. It just felt a little like a rough draft. Also “justifying” the words (it’s a button that looks like a three lined paragraph). This helps everything look a little more even. (excluding the bullet points of course.)
      Over all I enjoyed the list and the benefits awareness.

      Liked by 2 people

  29. Getting better at my new blog that I started a week and half ago. Please.. Any advice is nice and just check it out! Have fun! 🙂
    ~Fashionliah ^ _ ^

    Liked by 1 person