May 30, 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!
  • 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!
  • 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.
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • No running on the deck.

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 understand how you feel and it’s good that you’re conscious of who may read your blog! Ultimately though it is your space to write what you like, as long as you write posts that don’t directly target someone and are geared towards a positive outlook I’m sure people will be fine!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Probably, but I do occasionally try to show a little tact. This would kill that. But I think I know how to deal with it. Thank you!

        Liked by 2 people

    2. My opinion is thus: If you feel it strongly enough, you will write it. It may stay in your Drafts for a time, but so be it. When you can’t resist putting it out here, you will. Otherwise, Peace Be Still. This is not a worry really. It’s just a minor set back. I suspect you’ll “snap out of it” (as Cher said in the movie Moonstruck), when the time comes. Bravo on what you’ve already written. Take pride in that, and the “voice” you’ve developed doing so. Then move into position for another round. Highest and Best!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you, I think that is a good plan. I also have another outlet now, so it isn’t quire as awful as it was a few days ago.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Hi everyone! I have started a new page for WordPress Everyday inspiration course that I am doing now, but it seems I am doing something wrong. I am not able to assign my first assignment “I write because… to the new page I created http://wp.me/p3RDfa-ty. Help please 🙂

    Thank you.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. It appears you have since been successful in assigning your first assignment. If not, I’m certain, WordPress techies will be happy to assist. What I saw looked and read very nice. It appears you are on the journey you have chosen. I wish you the very highest and best!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Hi Fellow Bloggers-
    I recently took some time off from blogging and am wanting to get started up again. In the meantime, my husband wrote a couple of pieces about parenthood from the father’s perspective and IMO, they’re quite funny! Please read and enjoy!

    I’ll be sure to return the favor!

    http://www.threemeangreens.com

    Liked by 4 people

    1. You’re right, they were funny! I really like your style of writing and how you don’t glamourise having children and are honest with how stressful it can be! Of the few parent blogs I have seen, they sometimes come off a little contrived and like it is all a fairytale but i found yours honest and funny! Have a good day 😄

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hey there, you layout is perfect for what you are writing about. It is very minimalistic, and showcases your great photos. I particiularly enjoy your two posts on productivity, “How I Plan My Days” and “9 Ways to Truly Focus”. They are truly informative, yet personal. Keep up the great work! I also followed. Check out my blog at: https://wondersinthewind.wordpress.com/

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Super Fantastic! Your blog post titles draw a reader in. For me, it’s your age. I’m very impressed by your wisdom. Some posts sound a tad bit sad, but I’m hopeful you’re working through this. You have a talent…let it flow from you as it will. Not everyone is going to jump through hoops as a result. It’s the one you may think got away that has taken to shining more because of your words. Readers may not always say, but they appreciate it when you care about them. Highest and Best!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Hey! Thanks for the comment. Yes, blogging has been a very great experience for me so far. Thanks again for your kind words! I just followed you!

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Cynical or not, you do make some fair points. I’ve finally gotten to the point where only God holds my chains. I often choose to do things for others expecting nothing in return. I don’t do things because someone expects or demands it from me. As I tell those around me,”You can ask me anything. I may say, ‘Yes.’ I may say, ‘No.’ Respect my boundaries and I’ll respect yours.” https://gracelead.co

      Liked by 2 people

    3. Hello! You have a great diversity of posts, but from what I can tell they all have your personal touch. Perhaps you should think about adding some more color to your site, like a nice background image that relates to who you are. Right now your blog seems kind of plain, though that may be by design. Keep writing!

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Hey Everyone!
    I would like some feedback/advice on improving my blog, so if you have any tips don’t hesitate to tell me them.

    fantaricasblogposts.wordpress.com

    Hope you are having a good day! bye!

    Liked by 3 people

      1. In my 60 year old opinion, your blog is well appointed for your age. I like the way you phrase your words, and think it’s quite lovely the way you show your maturity without foregoing the fact that you are a budding teenager. It’s proud and strong. We must always remember to take the words of others with a grain of salt. I learned this when I was still young myself, and I’m glad I did. No waylaying for me! Keep posting the way you feel it best to present yourself. If it suits your personality, then only change when you have a mind to. Original images are swell, and from what I’ve heard much preferred by readers. Maybe you will find another that you deem more suitable for your header image, or even a nice design in nature. Highest and Best!

        Like

    2. Hi there! I have a couple suggestions. First, get rid of that “in my opinion” stuff. For instance, you gave Matched a 3.5/5 and then said, “My opinion.” Well, you’re the one writing the review, so us viewers already know everything you say is your own opinion. If you stand firmly behind your beliefs, there’s no need to remind people that your beliefs are just your opinions. Be bold! Similarly, it feels a bit weird to see people sign off their posts with their usernames. It feels a little… impersonal? I’d drop the “Fantarica xxx” and just let your posts end organically.

      All in all, you’ve got a great start here. Best of luck!

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Hello there,
      Your design is great! We both have the same theme. I really really like pattern on the sides of your blog. It is fun and creative. It also invites the reader without distracting them. I would agree that the pattern does not quite go with your new header image, which is very nice. I might suggest moving it around so the text in the header can be seen clearly. Your posts cover a wide variety of topics, but they all seem connected to your main idea of positivity. Keep on blogging!

      Like

  8. Hey guys, I would really appreciate it if you could check out https//www.inspiredlives.co and provide some feedback. I’ll surely return the favour.
    Thanks.

    Liked by 3 people

    3. Hey,
      I am very impressed by your layout. It is very full and engaging for the reader. One bit of constructive criticism: Something about the two fonts (the headers and body text) seems off. At first I thought it was the header, but after looking more I think it’s the body text. This can be easily fixed. I think your header text (and website layout) looks so professional and put together that the body text doesn’t fit. Perhaps a thinner font might work. That being said, your blog is so full and seems very engaging. You seem to know what you are doing; your blog is set on inspiring others and it does that with a good mix of posts. I encourage you to keep writing about what inspires you! Check out my blog at: https://wondersinthewind.wordpress.com/

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Really enjoyed this post, I think you’re right, sometimes we should invest more in ourselves to benefit us in the future 🙂

      Like

    1. Hello, first off I am impressed that you have been blogging for two years. Congratulations. I have been blogging for about 5 months, and I really enjoy it. Now, your post. I really liked it. Way to bring in some different perspectives. Your conclusion is great! I agree that it is important to be inspired by things and to foucs on that work, rather than the idea of being an artist. Because, after all, it is the work and not the title that exhilarates! Keep on writing!
      Check out my blog at: https://wondersinthewind.wordpress.com/

      Liked by 2 people

  15. Hi everyone , I’m new to WordPress and I’m already obsessed with it !!! I’d love to get followers and follow some interesting bloggers. I like to give feedback and really interact here. Btw I really do read every blog . Hope everyone’s having a nice Monday off !!!😊😊😊💞💞

    Liked by 7 people

    1. Hi!
      I just stopped by your blog, and wow…your design is wonderful. I really like that you have so many posts, and that they are easily accessible to your readers. Your site is very full and detailed, and contains lots of great poems. I also enjoy that you added an image with the poem on it to make the posts super sharable! Keep up the great work, and check out my blog about authentic living and thankfulness at: https://wondersinthewind.wordpress.com/

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Hey all 🙂 I am new to WordPress ! I love it. Its giving me a platform of my own to release my thoughts and perspective about things & life. I am a work in progress but I do enjoy sharing my work with others. I am all about improving myself so feedback good/ or bad is important to me. I write from my heart and base things off from my own experiences; I am thrilled to share with you all and cannot wait to read all of your fellow blogs too .

    Liked by 6 people

    2. There are some things that could help your site’s organization. If you plan to leave the “Live a Little” on your Home page, it can serve as your About page. That means you can delete your currently blank About page. Or, you could move the content from Live a Little to your About page and let your blog posts go on your Home page. You might want to remove those two place-holder items on your Home page. https://gracelead.co

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Hey,
      I am glad you are enjoying your time with WordPress. Though you’ve only just started, I see a lot of truth in your posts, and I hope that you continue blogging. Your layout looks alright, though as you have more posts you can put up category widgets or add some categories to your menu. I encourage you to write a nice ‘about me’ page and put that on your main menu. I just followed you and I look forward to what you post in the future!
      Check out my blog about authentic living and thankfulness at: https://wondersinthewind.wordpress.com/

      Like

    1. Hello there! Just visited your blog. I feel you can add few more widgets on the left pane and have justified alignment for your posts. It would make it look more sophisticated. Thanks

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Your writing is evocative. You could improve readability with some proofreading. If you have someone who can check your posts for typos and grammar that could be helpful. If not, you might try what I do. I create a draft, let it sit for a day, and then proofread it myself before publishing. https://gracelead.co

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Hello everyone! 😀 I’ve just started my blog a few days ago. The reason I started it was because I’ve been through some really crappy stuff and I know pretty much everyone has, and I really wanted to create a positive space. It would mean the world to me if you could check it out and tell me what you think of it? Thank youu xoxox
    Here’s the link : https://havealemonadeday.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 8 people

  22. Hey friends, it’s time to say you all a very happy blogging, for a fulfilling experience. A look at my new poem ” what it meant” , may go a long way in knowing what your thoughts on this.Good wishes ahead all of you.Thank you for your time.

    Liked by 4 people

    2. I find that cooking blogs are often dry, but this is fantastic!! You have really grabbed my attention, it’s got personality and oomph behind it! (Maybe the foodies are taking themselves too seriously haha) Cheers 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    3. Hey there, to begin the theme/layout of your blog is perfect for a food blog. Nice choice! This specific post looks good, but the main problem that I see is the text. The paragraphs are very big and are offputting to read. Try breaking up the paragraphs and adding headings/more bullet points. Your images, writing, and layout are so great, I just think spacing the text out would make it all even more inviting. I look forward to what you do next! Check out my blog about authentic living at: https://wondersinthewind.wordpress.com/

      Like

      1. Hello! Thank you for your honest feedback. I actually agree with you entirely. For some reason when I’m writing WordPress won’t allow me to put spaces between my bullet points. I will look into it further as I think you’re right!

        Liked by 1 person

  26. Hi ya. I’ve just been doing this writing blogs only new. But feels it has improved what I wrote a few times. Also it has boosted my confidence as well. I do horse racing my blog site is brownlowjblog.WordPress.com

    Liked by 2 people

  27. Hi, wonderful Bloggers!
    I just did a post, book review, on Sarah Crossan’s YA book, ‘Apple and Rain’
    I also have updated my theme and blog in general.
    Please check out my blog and leave any feedback or thoughts!
    I’ll see you there!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hello Adam, I share the same theme with you. I would advise to ‘feature’ few posts (you can have six of them) on the home page of your blog. Also, I would advice to add pictures to your every blog post to beautify it. You may get some cue from my blog. Here’s the link to it:
      https://straightthroughheart.wordpress.com/
      You may drop your questions (if any) in reply to this comment. I would be glad to answer them Thanks

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hello there!

      I just spent some time looking through your blog. I really like what I see. I think the layout is nice and I really enjoy your background image and that it is repeated. For some constructive criticism, I would like to point out a few things. Think about getting rid of the Akismet spam blocker widget on the sidebar. As a reader, I have little interest in how much spam has been blocked. Next, I stopped by your About Me page and saw that it hadn’t really been filled out. I recommend that you add some info quick to personalize the section as well as to get rid of the tackiness of what is there currently. Next, the header/title of your blog is tough to read. A color change (if possible) could help that, perhaps a light blue. All of that being said, your writing is great and your posts work together well! I really liked your most recent post, “Circus”! Best of luck as you continue blogging! 🙂 I just followed. Check out my blog at: https://wondersinthewind.wordpress.com/

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you so much for your advice.I did try to change the colour of the title of my blog but everytime the background colour changes. I would like to keep the blog anonymous. And you just got a new follower

        Liked by 1 person