Oct 10, 2016 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The place for advice, feedback, 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 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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    1. Just commented. Nice content, good use of images. Do you use tags? If not, consider it 🙂 You can use up to 15 tags and categories total, and they help new readers find your posts. I couldn’t see any tags listed on your fall bucket list post, but you could use things like “fall”, “autumn”, “Adirondacks”, “bucket list”, etc.

      Would you look at one of my posts? Click my name and choose whichever one appeals to you most 🙂

      Liked by 6 people

      1. Thanks so much for checking it out and sharing your feedback, Natalie. I do use tags – they’re just not visible on the page. But there are definitely a few other relevant ones I could have included. Heading over to your blog now!

        Liked by 1 person

    4. I love the look of your blog, and how vibrant your photos are. The content seems to really flow and give an interesting look into your life. I don’t think I would like fall/winter if I lived up north either. I can barely handle the cold in NC. I love that you created a bucket list and I hope you enjoy it!

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Hi Brielle, Thank you so much for all your great feedback. And yeah, the cold is a challenge, especially since I was born in Jamaica so I still haven’t gotten used to it after all these years.
        I also really like the look and feel of your blog, so I followed and look forward to keeping up with your adventures!

        Liked by 1 person

    5. I enjoyed reading your fall bucket list. This is one of my favorite times of the year. I love Thanksgiving and eating traditional foods like turkey and all the fixings that go with it.

      Liked by 2 people

    1. Hi Steve, just took a look at your blog. Congrats on the redesign! I think you did a good job using the main menu at the top of your page to guide readers through the different categories of content on your site. And I like that you’ve highlighted some posts at the top. The only bit of constructive critique I have is that the page feels a bit busy. I’d personally change up the section that says “More Articles” so it’s not just a block of text.

      Liked by 3 people

    2. I like the content of the blog and the menu makes it easy to navigate the background is very busy and so much on each page can it feel some what nauseating. I think that you should move your content at the bottom like your best of content to its on tab on the menu but other than that everything is good

      Liked by 2 people

  3. Hello! I posted on CP last week, looking for people to join a fortnightly 300 word story group I’m starting. We could still do with a few more members, so if you are interested please get in touch via my contact page. If you’d like to subscribe to the stories and keep your options open regarding contributing then you can do that too! The first deadline is Sunday 16th October and every second Sunday thereafter, so still time to contribute to the first collection!
    If you aren’t interested then please take a look at my blog anyway, if you’d like to! (It’s mainly stories that take just one or two minutes to read)
    https://simonjwood.wordpress.com/2016/10/06/violets-are-violet-letters-are-read/

    Liked by 6 people

      1. Hello Makayla, please drop me a line via the contact form on my blog (accessible from any page) and I’ll send you the details (the rules are quite simple).
        I ran a 200 word story group for a year and wrote 58 stories (all on my blog). It’s a great discipline and really helps develop your writing and editing skills! Thanks for following me too!


        Liked by 1 person

    1. Just commented! Nice content, lovely images 🙂 My suggestion: consider adding a few more tags. You can use up to 15 tags/categories total, and a few more may help new readers find your posts. For example, on this post, maybe add “decisions” or “self-awareness” or something in that vein 🙂

      Would you look at one of my posts? Click my name and choose whichever one appeals to you most 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Hey Michelle! I love that this post is so simple and straight to the point. I’ve actually never thought to really think about what my true values are making sure that majority of them align with key life decisions. It’s a nice methodology to get into to bring you back to step 1 and really gain some perspective on a situation. Thank you for sharing this!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. If you like abandoned towns this place is pretty cool! There was so much that went on here and I loved learning about it and seeing all the cool places! It was fun for sure!

        Liked by 2 people

    4. Lovely to read about your experience. Commented.
      Feel free to browse through my page though and share your thoughts on anything that interests you.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Food is Always on my mind…… 🙂 Love your cauliflower! If u r interested, check out mine.. 😉 Haha
      Anyways, like the content but I would change the layout to something more user friendly. I would love categories to choose from, archives, social media… It would make me stay longer on your site 😉

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Just commented. Nice content! You’ve got some awesome lines 🙂 Good use of tags, too! As for feedback, I like how you bolded some text so that we could see which parts you wanted us to focus on — do you need to change the text size as well? I wonder if the larger font makes us focus too much on the big words, and not enough on the regular ones? Might just be me, though 😉

      Would you check out one of my posts? I recently wrote one on a similiar topic: https://natalieschriefer.wordpress.com/2016/06/27/lessons-hiatus/

      Liked by 2 people

    2. I like the content. I think you are on the right track by filling the rest of your day with things that replenish you. On the format, the larger font size is a bit distracting for me since my brain thinks the larger size means it’s a heading or sub-heading. Overall though, I enjoyed reading the post. https://gracelead.co

      Like

  9. Hello, fellow swimmers 🙂 Just published a new post today — it’s a big longer than previous ones (about 800 words vs. my usual 500). Are there enough images? Is the content interesting?

    Comfort Zones

    Drop me a comment and I’ll return the favor. Swim on!

    Liked by 8 people

    2. Awesome read as always Natalie. Commented.
      Images blend in perfectly.
      Feel free to browse through my page though and share your thoughts on anything that interests you.

      Liked by 1 person

      5. Strange. I just see that you have liked the post. But no comment awaiting moderation. May be it’ll show up a little later.
        Thanks Natalie.

        Like

    3. I thought there were enough photos! You’re writing style kept me reading till the end regardless of the post size! I think it’s great you stepped out of your comfort zone and enjoyed your day regardless of worries! Have a great day! 😀

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Just commented. Great content! My suggestion: use fewer tags and categories. When you use more than 15 total, WordPress blocks your post from Reader — the post I read had 16 😦

        Liked by 1 person

    4. Hi! I stopped by your blog and enjoyed reading your post on comfort zones. I left you a lengthier comment on there!

      Like

    5. I really enjoyed reading your post! I would’t worry a second longer about the length — it went quick, was interesting, and flowed seamlessly. My one question as I read was, “How does this fit in to the big picture?” I guess I couldn’t tell what the main goal of your blog was from reading the post. You had mentioned writing goals, which I thought sounded awesome, but I wasn’t sure other than that. I would love to learn more!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Just commented! Nice content, good use of tags. My suggestion: have you considered adding images? Blogging is a very visual medium, and images will draw the reader’s eye in. For the rebuking post, one image will suffice — you don’t need a lot! 🙂

        Would you look at one of my posts? Click my name and choose whichever one appeals to you most 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Liked and commented. Why hasn’t this been settled already? How hard can it be to NOT do this, geez.

      About the post – thought-provoking for sure, but it may turn into an exercise of learning how to moderate comments. Not just disapproving/approving comments, but the less tangible qualities of moderation, especially ‘should I or shouldn’t I allow this comment’?

      https://scicasual.wordpress.com

      Liked by 4 people

      2. I thought about this before even posting, and I’ve decided as long as it contributes to the conversation, a negative comment will be allowed. Although no swearing will be tolerated. Now, actually putting this to practice may be more difficult. It will definitely be a challenge.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Just commented. Nice content, good use of tags, good use of images. All good stuff! Question: I noticed that some of your paragraphs are indented, and others are not. My suggestion — pick one way and stick with it. Try not to indent some but not others because the formatting change can be a bit distracting 🙂

      Would you look at one of my posts? Click my name and choose whichever one appeals to you most🙂

      Liked by 3 people

    4. Could not agree more with all the comments you made! Breaking up your points made it really easy to follow throughout! ‘Don’t be a Trump’ really stood out too for some reason! I look forward to reading more of your posts! Have a great day! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Just commented. I LOVE YOUR NEW POST. Great content, good use of images. My suggestion: consider adding a few more tags, maybe things like “gender” or “gender stereotypes” or “feminism” to draw in more readers. You can use up to 15 tags/categories total 🙂

      Would you look at one of my posts? Click my name and choose whichever one appeals to you most🙂

      Liked by 3 people

    6. Well written. Good use of tags too. Commented.
      Feel free to browse through my page too and share your thoughts on anything that interests you.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Lovely about page. Nice and easy on the eyes layout. Liked your post on mindfulness and meditation. Commented within.
      Feel free to browse through my page and share your thoughts on anything that interests you.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. I don’t find the leaves in the background distracting. With the white block for the words, I find it easy to read. Your post on your favorite color was interesting. I also find it a challenge to explain why I prefer a color. For me, it’s dark purple. https://gracelead.co

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Hey everyone!
    I recently joined a Dungeons and Dragons campaign so I’m writing down the scenarios my party and I have through the eyes of my character Flora. Feel free to check it out and any of my other works. I’ve started a personal reflection series as well that will be on going for the next couple of weeks.

    Tales of Flora-1

    Let me know what you all think!

    Liked by 7 people

    1. I’ve tried writing with this kind of a prompt and using d20 Modern and Shadowrun guides to no avail. Looking at your blog makes me feel like it can be done, but I’m really going to have to be more creative at it.

      I hope Flora’s journey keeps going. May your rolls be critical, and your DM’s be not.

      Liked by 4 people

      2. I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the series so far! I really hope our DM’s don’t like they did on the very first day! (I say plural because in this campaign we have the regular DM and then two rivaling kingdoms that offer our party deals and such things. Anyway all three of them controled different packs of wolves and they kept gettings crits! So we TKP within 20 minutes of the session. DX Hence why there are two dream sequenses. lol) I really hope that Flora gets to live, but if she ends up dying I’m still going to continue the series. I hope this gives you more inspiration to write about other campaigns as well! It would be really cool to read some others!

        Liked by 1 person

    2. What a cool idea 🙂 I’ll definitely be following to see what happens next! Nice content, good use of tags. Maybe add more pictures?? I know that’s hard to do, but a map or something might be nice as the readers get to know the world a little bit more 🙂

      Would you look at one of my posts? Click my name and choose whichever one appeals to you most🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      1. I’m really glad that you’re enjoying the series so far! I can try and add some pictures of my characters and I can see if I can get a hold of the maps our DM uses, though they are usually very bland and not pleasing to look at all. I’ll be posting this series every Friday regardless if Flora lives or dies.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s difficult! It’s easier to detach from a stranger’s opinion but it seems like a vulnerable position to be in! But your friends can be the harshest critics sometimes and may not realise the effect their words have as you value their opinion!

      I enjoyed your post, it raises an interesting choice! Have a great day 😀

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Hi everyone, happy Monday! My blog is about names, so if you’re an expectant parent or writer trying to name a character, I hope I can serve as a reference. 🙂

    I just finished reading Jane Austen’s Emma and because the character first names were pretty standard, I instead decided to write about the characters’ last names and how often they were used as baby names last year. Please check it out! Link: https://wellinformednamer.wordpress.com/2016/10/09/emma-character-surnames/

    Liked by 4 people

    1. I’m already following you, but here’s a suggestion — use fewer tags 🙂 More than 15 tags and categories means that WordPress blocks your post from Reader, making it harder for new people to find your blog. You’ve got 16 on that post!

      Would you look at one of my posts? Click my name and choose whichever one appeals to you most🙂

      Like

    2. Just went through a few pages 🙂 I love the “think about it” section!! Good content, good use of images. I like the header image and the color scheme. My only suggestion: maybe get rid of one menu bar choices? Or the categories sidebar? They basically cover the same info, and I’m not sure you need it twice, but that’s just me. If you like it, keep it!

      Would you look at one of my posts? Click my name and choose whichever one appeals to you most🙂

      Like

      1. Thank you so much! I just removed my side menu (which was redundant) and added a few social media widgets at the footer. I think your content is great and your usage of relevant tags is something I should apply to my own site. I think that your header is nice, but a tad generic considering that your content is so creative, perceptive, and unique! But that’s just my two cents.

        Like

      2. I like the changes. It looks great! 🙂

        And thank you! I’ve been thinking about rearranging some of it — perhaps your comment is just the push I needed 😉

        Like

      1. Thank you so much Charlotte, you are the absolute sweetest! I love how bright and colorful your site is, and how quirky and unique your content is! It’s definitely possible to be girly and geeky and you seamlessly merge both aspects into your blog. Love it!

        Liked by 2 people

  26. Hi,

    I would love some insight on my work. I really appreciate any input that can be shared regarding my blog. I am still pondering a rework of the name but for now I am just trying to stay actively writing and have the rest fall into place at some point.

    All comments are welcomed, following my blog is a bonus…Thanks

    http://www.darealash.com

    Liked by 4 people

    2. Just read through a couple of your posts, I really like your writing style, it’s really easy to follow! Also your theme made it really easy to read on my phone and I liked the blue background mixed with the white writing!

      Keep at it! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

  27. I have recently started a regular Monday post; The Monday Minstrel at https:horseaddict.net. I always try to incorporate something about horses. This week horses in Cambodian i’d love to hear ypur thoughts!

    Liked by 4 people