Oct 3, 2016 / Community Pool

Community Pool

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 and guidelines 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, as well as for not starting numerous threads in a single Pool.
  • 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. Also note that including multiple links in your comment might automatically put it in the moderation queue, which will delay its publication.
  • 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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    2. Hello Namitha!!

      I LOVED your post 🙂 I especially loved the parts about learning from the tough experiences, and cherishing the moments. Your writing is very insightful and very wise. It doesn’t seem that are as many years between us as there are 🙂

      I also really enjoyed the layout of your site. The use of a colorful background is fun and inviting.

      Please continue writing!! And keep writing from the heart 🙂

      Thank you for sharing 🙂

      Liked by 4 people

  2. I’d start with a hi! but would that make me unique? As Ben kindly pointed out I am dying for some feedback, so with my last breaths I say…
    If you have a spare minute or two please check out the homepage of my short story blog and see if anything catches your fancy.
    I don’t know why but I’ve been having a slow week( there is no shrugging emoji ohh! )

    Liked by 10 people

    1. Hello confabler!

      I absolutely love how vibrant your site is 🙂 Your choice of color for the background is fabulous with the pictures you have chosen. And the pictures are incredible – interesting, creative, and full of color and energy!

      The Onion Hypothesis is really creative. I think you are a strong story teller.

      It was suggested to me to break up my longer posts. You may want to consider, for example, having the several Tiers of the story as separate posts linked together. More pictures help too.

      Please keep writing!! Slow weeks don’t necessarily mean that people aren’t interested in your writing 🙂

      Thanks for sharing!

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Thanks for visiting😃 I made those paintings myself.
        I tried the linking and series thing in the begining but I don’t think it works for me. The story was meant to be posted as a single piece otherwise it won’t make sense. The people who are interested still read.I recently read a 20,000 words long fantasy poem of someone I follow and many other people did. Post what you wish and keep it as long as you wish. That is the reason all of us started blogging, to express ourselves.
        Thanks again for reading and for the advice.
        I hope I’ll find a new friend in you🍻

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Hello Revolution of the World,

      I really loved your post ‘Baring It’. I found it to be very insightful, and to really capture some raw feelings that a lot of people have experienced.

      I know how insignificant a person can feel at times. But I truly believe that you can and you WILL create that masterpiece that you were meant to create. Just keep chipping away at it.

      It also never hurts to ask the universe for a little help once in a while. It is amazing what can surface when you do.

      Please keep writing, I would love to see more from you!

      🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    1. Hello life hostage,

      I am already following you, but haven’t seen any posts in a while. I am really glad to see you writing again 🙂

      I really hope that if someone else is telling you that you aren’t enough that perhaps you see that maybe they aren’t someone you have to be around all the time. If it is you telling you that you are not enough, then I more than understand. The truth is, you are. Just being you today is enough. I hope that you know this, or will come to know this.

      Your writing is very deep, very insightful, and really makes the reader think.

      Thank you for sharing!!! Please keep writing 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  7. i don’t tell everyone about something i wrote here very often and yet here i am: this poem (?) is definitely one of my favourites and one that i feel the need to share; i hope some of you read it and tell me what you think?

    http://wp.me/p4kkv9-BF

    (still in two minds about the title)

    Liked by 7 people

    2. Hello!!!

      Your poem is beautiful 🙂 It captures such struggle, yet resolves itself in such peace and beauty 🙂

      I love your site – it is so calming and inviting.

      You may want to make the font a tad bigger. However, the formatting was lovely. I really enjoyed how you aligned every second verse.

      Please keep writing!

      Thank you for sharing 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. this is so nice!
        i love that you take out time to appreciate my writing AND give me inputs; you’re too kind. thank you so much! 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

    3. Oooh I love your page. Following. Lovely style on the post. Love how it flows.
      Feel free to browse through my page though and share your thoughts on anything that interests you.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thanks for going through, that’s true! Sometimes we know it’s not working out, yet instead of listening to our intution we try to pull out most from the frienship, even though there isn’t anything that’s left. Just sharing a good peice of advice that made my life easier : )

        Like

    2. Hello Suvs!!!

      Really glad you are back to writing 🙂

      I completely enjoyed your post!!! It was really insightful, very well laid out. I loved the pictures you chose to deepen your points.

      What a powerful message you have shared! It is so important to find the right people to spend our energy on. You can’t feel drained from all your friendships….you need to fuel each other 🙂

      Thanks for sharing!!

      🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you so so much!
        It feels deeply satisfying to know that you liked something that I poured my heart into while making. Truth is I suffered from the same and lost a friend dear to me, I was stuck with it for a long time but the minute I let go, I found an even better friend immediately. Things always do happen for good, hence my message to all, to be yourself and to make your comfort a priority in your life.
        Also, the line you mentioned ‘You can’t feel drained from all your friendships… You need to fuel each other’ is so perfect and sends a clear message to anyone who might read it. Amazing, i do love your work too! Thanks alot for going through : )

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Hello fellow bloggers! I have been working n the design trends in Londons Design festival this month. I have visits to my site, but specific views don’t seem to be registering. Maybe the posts are not eye catching enough? Any constructive criticism happily reciprocated Thank you!

    Top Drawer

    Liked by 8 people

    1. I think your site is inviting, and your images are lovely. Maybe try a couple of posts with the photos as the main focus, with just a short caption or sentence between images. (Similar to your poppies post). Just an idea. Happy blogging!

      Liked by 3 people

    2. Hello Pink House!!

      I really enjoyed your post – and it is far from what I would normally read 🙂 The pictures are fantastic!! And your post is really informative, but definitely not too long. Your writing is really creative.

      I think the post IS eye catching.

      So, I am trying to figure out what you can do. Some of the things that helped me were adding tags to my posts, breaking my posts up (which you have done), including more pictures (which you have done), adding links within the post to other posts.

      I think your site is well laid out, well organized, very pleasing to the eye, and interesting.

      I would say just keep at it!! Spend time in the community pool here, and keep writing posts.

      You may also want to use other social media platforms to get your posts out there.

      Thank you for sharing!

      🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hello Golden Words!

      I really enjoyed your poem, thank you for sharing!

      I quite like your use of capitalization to emphasize certain words. Although, the words that resonated with me where not the ones you chose 🙂

      I don’t know a lot about poetry, thus, don’t have too much advice to offer. I would say perhaps check out other blog sites that do focus on poetry.

      🙂

      Like

    2. Nicely written. Good page layout. However I couldn’t find an about me page. That’s usually the first things look for when visiting a new blogger. Let’s you connect with the person and know them better. Consider adding one.
      Feel free to browse through my page though and share your thoughts on anything that interests you.

      Like

    1. Hello Sonal Dugar,

      Thank you for sharing your writing! I enjoyed your post. I think that you are a very creative writer.

      You may want to think about putting more thought into the layout of the writing to group a train of thought more clearly. You may also want to review the punctuation and ensure that new thoughts start on a new line. These things just might make it easier for the reader to digest all of the messages that you have conveyed in your post.

      It would be exciting to see more a of a header on your site, and perhaps some pictures that help convey your message.

      Thank you for sharing!
      🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Loved your blogs. Especially the letter to yourself.
      Feel free to browse through my page though and share your thoughts on anything that interests you.

      Like

    1. Hello Phelipe,

      Your writing is lovely!! Your post is beautiful 🙂

      When I first opened the link, I didn’t realize that there was an English version below. You could add links right at the top so that the reader knows instantly where the different versions are.

      I did find it a bit difficult to focus on the post as the background is fairly cluttered. You could consider a more focused header and background with a less images so that there is less to digest.

      Thank you for sharing your creativity.

      🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Hello all,
    I am tackling massive changes in my life following my resignation from teaching. Somewhere I did not plan to be 6 years ago when I finished my 4 years to training to follow my dream career. My blog charts my ups and downs through this new journey. I pour out my regrets, share my successes and respond to the ever present world of teaching around me from a new stand-point. Maybe you are a career changer too, or have had a bad day and are dreaming about handing in your notice.
    I’d would love feedback about the tone of my posts – have I got the balance right? Are they engaging? I would love to have followers on my journey, but so far only one person has pressed that magic button. What can I do to increase the likelihood of more people following me?
    Find my blog at: goodbyeteaching.wordpress.org

    Liked by 9 people

    2. I can relate to you, and I know so many others with similar experiences! The description you wrote above drew me in, but I noticed your about me section is blank. I think it would be great for the about me page. I look forward to reading more about your journey and wish you success!

      Liked by 2 people

    3. Good for you! It’s so refreshing and honest! I’d love feedback on my blog too! Adventure57.com it’s so fun to meet new readers and interact!! Looking forward to future posts!

      Liked by 3 people

    5. As someone currently considering to change careers, I’m intrigued. Will go check it out! 😊

      PS. I taught before too, for 2 years full-time in the uni before shifting to the corporate life.

      Like

    6. I liked the the style of your posts. Your writing style is conversational and engaging. Keep posting here and checking out others blogs and you will get your following numbers up.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hello Abhineet!

      Thank you for sharing your site 🙂

      I really think that your header image is very powerful. The links on the left kind of take away from it a little….have you tried playing around with the placement of these links lower down ?

      I think your About Me section is very well laid out and easy to follow. It is clear that the reader can find writing, art and photographs which you are passionate about. It would be really exciting to see a little bit more about you!

      Thanks for sharing 🙂

      🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hello again Talkaholic!!

      Love your new image post 🙂

      I also took a look at your travel section. You post on Lorels Holidays was really intriguing. It left me wanting more. Where did you go? What was it like ?

      🙂

      Like

      1. Hey, Lorels Holidays is a travel agency based in India. They planned my holiday in two-three cities here in 5 star hotel. They provided Me with the best guest service with pick and drop facility. And guess what they charged me really less. I am planning for another tour now. Will write in detail then. ‘By the way Where are you from?

        Liked by 1 person

    3. Hello Nerdy Wordy!

      Good for you for going back and evaluating where you are at, and being honest about it! I truly believe this is how we get better – by regularly evaluating and patting ourselves on the back, or getting back on track.

      Thanks for sharing!

      🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hello Surviving Japan!

      I really enjoyed your post 🙂

      I think that you have really clearly laid out the content, making it really easy for the reader to find things. The use of bold (e.g. Tips, Bus, etc.) makes it easy for the reader to digest the content, and to focus on what they are interested in.

      The content is really well organized. And you have provided lots of additional links which is super helpful.

      I could see this being very helpful to someone who has never been to Japan.

      Your pictures are fantastic and really add interest.

      Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you so much for a wonderful take on my post! I hope to continue this writing style. It doesn’t sound like a school report, I hope. 😅
        I understand the difficulty of being a foreigner in here, and I want to try to make a visit much more fun and easier.
        Thanks for dropping by too! I hope I can make you visit more often in the future. (●^o^●)

        Liked by 2 people

  20. Hello everyone ! It’s been so so long.I updated after quite a while and the post is about none other than,my first love.I have started incorporating more images into my writing and I wanted opinions and suggestions on whether it’s working.Could you please have a look and give me some feedback on the same.Thank you!
    https://musingsofawhimsicalsoul.wordpress.com
    I’ll also help you out with feedback if you want,you need only ask.

    Liked by 7 people

      2. Okay, so I’m sure your aware that I liked you post! I think that if you let your story speak for the picture it won’t take away from the writing. The pictures coincide great with the story but I just would let the reader flow through it and not have an explanation of the photo itself. I hope this helps and happy blogging!

        Liked by 2 people

      4. I just had a look.Your blog is greatly informative ,good job on that! The information is organised and crisp and well put forward.Maybe use more images or real life examples explaining things like SEO or social media, for instance to really interest the reader.On all other parameters,good going!

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Hello coffee drinker!!

      Thanks for sharing your post 🙂

      I loved it! I think you have some really great ideas to help others great through a challenging and stressful time.

      I loved your use of pictures. I think it would be fabulous if you spread them throughout the post and paired them with the parts of the post that they help to convey the message of.

      I also really enjoyed how you used different fonts and placed text on its own to make a point. You may want to do this more and break up some of the longer sections.

      I look forward to seeing more of your writing !

      🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Good for you! It’s so refreshing and honest! I’d love feedback on my blog too! Adventure57.com it’s so fun to meet new readers and interact!! Looking forward to future posts!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m really sorry… I know this is very out of context… BUT YOUR ICON!
      I might have had a tiny (humongous) fangirl attack. Whoops.

      Also, I will definitely send in the answer asap (even though I’m not all that qualified…?) ^-^

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you and Thank you! :). Qualified has nothing to do with it. I was thinking more in general with experience. Looking forward to hearing from you.

        Like

  27. Hello my fellow bloggers!
    Hope you all are happily blogging and having fun in your lives.
    I tried to write a super short story today, and finally I was able to write one which I can also post on the blog.
    Drop by and have a quick read.

    Happily ever after!

    Thanks lovely people😘

    Liked by 10 people

      1. Thanks a lot dear!
        This one was super short but i wrote some other short stories as well.
        Do visit and read them as well.
        Maybe you will like it as well.
        Thanks again. 😘

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Wow I really liked this and agree sometimes short is so nice and refreshing for quick reads! I’d love feedback on my blog too! Adventure57.com it’s so fun to meet new readers and interact!! Looking forward to future posts!

        Liked by 3 people

      1. Thanks dear.
        And about font, I am currently using my mobile phone to update the blog, I tried to make the story bold and italics but B.N. in italics
        I guess that didn’t happen and the font size got messed up.

        Liked by 1 person

    3. Nice idea. I’m into short story line off late too. Two line stories to be exact. I find it fun to be able to do that.
      Feel free to browse through my page though and share your thoughts on anything that interests you.

      Liked by 1 person

      2. Your blog is great!! It’s so refreshing and honest! I’d love feedback on my blog too! Adventure57.com it’s so fun to meet new readers and interact!! Looking forward to future posts! I love to meet new travel bloggers too!!

        Like

    3. Good for you! It’s so refreshing and honest! I’d love feedback on my blog too! Adventure57.com it’s so fun to meet new readers and interact!! Looking forward to future posts! I love to meet new travel bloggers too!!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog and for providing positive feed. I will certainly take a look at yours as well! nice meeting you fellow traveler!

        Liked by 1 person

  29. In another note, I’m looking for a guest post opportunity on a personal developement blog. Is there any blogs out there that would like to support each other with a guest post trade? I’m only looking to do this trade with niche relevant blogs. You can check out my site at http://www.defineyourrich.com looking forward to working with you 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Hello Zoey!

      I LOVED your 20 seconds of courage post 🙂

      I have hosted a couple of guest bloggers, and would definitely love to host you.

      If you have a few minutes, take a look at my site and see if you feel that your message would be well suited for a guest post. Let me know what you think.

      I think my readers would LOVE the 20 seconds of courage knowing the types of things they are trying to accomplish.

      Thank you so much for sharing 🙂

      Like

      1. Thank you so much for your words ❤️ it’s so nice to hear that people like my writing. I took a look at your site and I would love the opportunity to do a guest post! I think your posts are super inspiring and motivational. I don’t know much about cycling or bikes but I do know a lot about motivation haha. I would be happy to write something else for you on the theme of 20 seconds of courage or on another topic about mindfulness and motivation.

        Like

      3. Oh of course! If you would like to use my 20 seconds of courage post you are more than welcome to as long as you include a link or two back to my site. You can just copy and past or I can send a plain text version to you in a google doc or something if you prefer. Let me know 😃

        Liked by 2 people