Jul 24, 2017 / Community Pool

Community Pool

Where bloggers come together to give each other feedback and advice.

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. If you’re new, I suggest you tell a bit about your blog if you’re commenting about it. That draws more traffic. People who’re interested in the stuff you have to offer are more likely to check out your website. I myself usually visit blogs whose writers have described them a bit. It’s also a chance to let people know about your writing skills.
      Hope this helps! 🙂
      Anisha

      Liked by 4 people

    2. Other than some grammar mistakes, your post was good. I agree with Anisha that you should let people know what they’re in for with your blog site. Along with organizing your site, making it visually attractive in a way that you like, you should be good to go.

      Liked by 2 people

    2. Beautifully done! Starting out in black-and-white piqued my interest and added a feeling of intelligence and dignity to the video. I also loved how you used the scene with the boy on a boat to change from black-and-white to color. Best of all, I loved the scenes of the different kinds of people. If I could describe how I felt in one word, it would be “connected,” because the way you switch between scenes of nature and people really stresses the idea of every living thing being connected through a loving Creator even though we are all very different. Stunning resolution and beautiful camera work.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I love the idea of your blog! I really think the message of having confidence through God and not relying on ourselves definitely needs to be spread, especially among women, but to everyone. As far as constructive criticism, you could go through and edit some more for grammar, although most of the grammar was good 🙂 Editing for grammar would bring it up a notch and help add to the dignity that this topic deserves. I think you had a strong, warm voice in your writing and your tone was friendly while not being distractingly casual. Reading your article made me feel better about myself! So, thank you! Best of luck with your new blog–always write consistently and keep spreading the Good News!

      Liked by 2 people

      2. Absolutely! Editing is a natural and necessary part of writing, so just because you have to edit does not mean you aren’t a good writer–on the contrary, it means you’re doing your job exactly the right way!

        Liked by 2 people

    2. I’m not into religion, but the message you’re spreading is influential in a way. It can help uplift people to heights they may never have imagined. I agree with what @thehitchingtiller said below, too. Great post nonetheless.

      Liked by 3 people

    2. Now that was hilarious, especially the part with your son and ballet. This was how middle school was for me, and of course, the random penises…..It was funny back then 😀 . Whenever I come across blogs that seem funny without even trying, I have to follow. I can’t think of funny things like that, but I can sure laugh at them.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Nice! Although I would go through and edit for grammar (some minor errors, mostly leaving out commas or adding unnecessary apostrophes, but generally still very understandable), I really like how you added lots of pictures, and the photography was excellent! The food looks delicious.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Re-posting/re-sharing this blog I posted 2 years ago. I now dedicate this blog entry to the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. I was really devastated when I found out that the news about his death is true. At first I thought it was only one of those fake/hoax news spreading in the social media nowadays.

    Depression is a serious illness that our society needs to look deeper into to understand it even more so that we can prevent deaths due to suicide and find more ways to help people over come it.

    https://misscharmingwanderer.wordpress.com/2015/07/21/how-to-deal-with-depression-and-anxiety/

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Your voice was warm and enthusiastic, which was great! I think that people will talk your writing more seriously and pay more attention to your blog if you edit for grammar. Additionally, though using emojis is fun, you might want to decide whether or not you want to use them in your blog as they’re never used in more formal writing–that’s really just a personal preference thing, though, and it just depends on how casual you’re wanting to be and the tone you want your writing to have.
      Those are just my thoughts–good luck on your blog!

      Liked by 2 people

    2. To add onto what @thehitchingtiller said, maybe you can think of what audience you want to attract. That can help you figure out if you still want to use emojis and be more slang-style or formal. I like your character though. Your personality shows in your writing.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Hey! I’d love to receive some feedback on my most recent post on Virgil’s Aeneid, one of the most foundational works of literature to Western Civilization, which is (tragically) scarcely talked about these days. This post is specifically about the brilliant Latin literary devices that Virgil uses! I’m very passionate about this work and I did a lot of research to put this post together, and though I’m generally pleased with it, I would love some feedback on the ending (specifically, whether the last sentence is too detached from the penultimate paragraph) as well as general feedback on whether or not each of the points were clearly articulated. I understand each of them, but I’m not sure how clear they are to someone who has not taken 3 years of Latin! 😛
    Comments can be left either at my blog or in this article. Thank you very much!
    Here’s the link: https://thehitchingtiller.wordpress.com/blog/

    Liked by 4 people

  10. Loved it! This is great info to all bloggers. Especially newer bloggers and individuals who hit a blog plateau. Keep up the great work in teaching humanity. I love it. 😁

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Hello! Adding a badge is usually done through an Image Widget or a Text Widget. This older post about blogging awards also mentions how you can add them to your site — if you want to, you can jump ahead to the section with the heading “How do I add an award badge to my blog?”

      Like

    1. Oh this sounds like something I would be thinking if I ever went camping. I have never been in my life and have no interest to but your post was written well enough that I felt like I was actually there during the camping trip. I enjoyed the pictures as well. Thank you so much for sharing!

      Liked by 2 people

    1. I like the homepage layout, the pictures are very attractive. The posts are short and simple, but convey powerful ideas that more people should consider. I like the emphasis on keywords, as well as the breakup of paragraphs. The language is very accessible in conveying these ideas. I can notice that you care for proper grammar as well as readability. I wish I was as consistent in posting as you are. Good job!

      Liked by 3 people

      2. Your welcome. The only thing that comes to mind is the layout of the menu (the one that shows archives and categories) – it’s a bit jarring to me. Otherwise, I very much like your About page!

        Liked by 2 people

    3. great reads! I will have to return to read more! the theme of your blog is welcoming, makes the readers relate, the tone is on point! keep it going!!

      and feel free to check out my site when you can Cmoas.org !

      Liked by 2 people

      2. I really like how easy it is to find different pages on your blog, it’s user-friendly and easy to navigate to find what you’re looking for, Your posts are wonderfully written, good job!!

        Liked by 1 person

  19. The purpose of my blog is rather unclear, which is why I’m having a hard time with it. I usually write about anything that attracts my attention, but I would say it is oriented towards wellbeing.
    I’ve been following the Community Pool for a while, but I have not been able to post consistently. I am attracted to the idea of writing constantly, but I am always unsure in front of the blinking cursor. I usually have phases where I post, followed by long pauses. I have to say that I love the feeling after I complete a post!
    Any ideas towards finding the courage to just write and not discard a post when facing the blank canvas are appreciated. In addition, I would like to hear opinions about the content – good and bad!

    https://soulprobe.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 4 people

    2. If you don’t have a particular topic to explore you could try some of the prompts or challenges that WordPress provides. Another idea is to set one day a week to write. On that day, look back over the previous week and pick something to serve as a subject for a post. It could be an act of kindness that you observed, something odd that happened to you, something you regret that you did or did not do, something you learned, your thoughts about a movie or television program you watched, or an odd dream that you had. You could even call these posts a series, “This Week with Alex.” https://gracelead.co

      Liked by 2 people

    3. I was exactly like this for almost a year, which of course didn’t make anything easier. Some months I posted a few times a week and others around twice a month. My ideas were sporadic and would only come to me when I was feeling inspired and this came in little random bursts throughout the months.

      To help with this I sat down and looked at my blog carefully and seriously. I felt like before I wasn’t at all disciplined and so I didn’t get the results that I wanted.

      I decided on what types of blog posts I’d like to write and had a look at some prompts and categories the majority of my posts fitted into.
      I’d recommend that whenever you have an idea, you make note of it, even if it’s not the best, you can always develop and change it into something else.
      After a while writing becomes a habit and the style of your writing will become clear to you.
      Finally, I cleared out two days in my schedule every week to publish posts and spent a few hours here and the editing them.

      Hopefully, this has been useful!!

      Liked by 1 person

  27. Hello all!

    I write a blog where I answer science based problems and everyday questions like my last post on why fingerprints are unique:

    Why your fingerprints are unique

    I am currently looking for new topics to write about so I am open to suggestions!

    Just to give you an idea, I have previously written about: The Science of luck, The history of the lab coat, And why you fall asleep after Christmas dinner. I have also done more lighthearted stuff like a science themed horoscope.

    Any and all ideas are welcome!

    Liked by 5 people

    1. An interesting blog you have there. You got yourself a follower.
      May be you can write about the science of dreams, I think it’s an interesting topic.

      Liked by 3 people

    2. I’m only 19 now, so I think I have some leverage with this post 😀 . I would say to use all your resources. Only thing I ever regret not doing in life. So crucial for people to use what or who is around them.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you!!
        First of all, congratulations on your first post. It’s well written and has a very positive tone to it. I love the part about you staying up at nights because you love nights. Beautiful!

        I wish you all the best for your blog! keep writing, I will be reading.

        Love,
        N

        Liked by 1 person

  30. Morning all! I’m trying out a new article series and would truly appreciate your thoughts (positive or negative). It’s called: A Fresh Look at Real Love. (4 min read time)

    http://wp.me/p876wZ-Ao

    Excerpt:
    Suffering tends to make us humans rather selfish. We see our  pain, be it physical or emotional. We complain about how she said that to me and rarely even acknowledge the fact that literally all 7 + billion people on this planet have things that they struggle with as well.

    But love flips that concept on its head. 

    Liked by 4 people

      1. Appreciate it! I took a look at your article and I think that you have a good message. I do have two suggestions:
        1.) Make sure that you include articles when needed. For example: THE doctor had to remove them..
        2.) It might be easier for readers if you had less spaces between your paragraphs. One is normally more than enough.

        I hope all goes well with your teeth! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    2. I’m not into religion, but I can see and understand your message. People who read your article might just take a look at themselves and realize a thing or two. That’s powerful.

      Liked by 2 people