Community Pool
The Community Pool is for those of you looking for input, whether on post ideas, writing, blog design and layout, or anything else. If you have a post, page, or idea you want to bounce off someone, leave a comment. Your fellow bloggers can then click through and offer input either on your site, or in the comments here (feel free to indicate which you’d prefer).
Read on for the ground rules and to leave a comment . . .
- You’ll get the best feedback if you can be as specific as possible about what you’d like people to respond to or where you’re struggling.
- Please keep all comments civil and constructive. We’re here to help and support one another, not to beat anyone down.
- If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
- To keep from losing your place in the comment thread, right-click on a link to open it in a new tab or window.
- No running on the deck.
And a heads-up for next week: we’ll try a focused Community Pool specifically for those of you with theme-related questions (feel free to post here, though — there’s no need to wait).
Photo by t_a_i_s.
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What an awesome idea! I think this is going to be a very useful forum to get honest, peer reviews to enhance our own blogging experiences. I would personally like some feedback on post length. I’ve been trying my best to narrow my travel blog posts down to 15-20 photos and keep it below 1500 words. I personally have a hard time doing this because I write and use images to try and place people into the scene and or story I’m describing. I’m not sure if it is such a big deal to try and keep them shorter/sweeter because my audience seems to actually read almost everything I write. My blog started as a photography/travel blog and has been a great creative outlet to foster my writing. I actually forgot how much I loved to write before I started it. Any comments/constructive criticism on how I can enhance my page and attract more followers would be awesome! Great idea from the Daily Post!
http://www.theadventuresofadr.wordpress.com
Your photos are gorgeous! Spectacular! That said, I didn’t bother trying to read what you’d written because I find it hard to see light lettering on a black background.
Hey! I’ve had that same comment before. The theme I chose and customized unfortunately does not allow me to change the color of the font. I’d love to have it in white but I guess that is not an option. I believe if I pay money for an upgrade I can get around that, but I like that it has been free up to this point. I just changed it to a white background and I am trying to see if I like it as much as the black. Thank you for the comment!
Wow! That was fast . . . and what a night and day difference. It is so much easier to read your comments on the light background.
Cheers!
Nice travel blog. I like:
The variety in style of photo. Often one sees a photographer develop a signature style and stick rigidly to it, but your portfolio retains a freshness because you don’t.
Your writing is very good. Perhaps a little more attention do grammar in order to guide the reader through the text more fluidly. Being drawn into an environment worked well, and I particularly liked the description of coconuts falling at night with a thud onto the sand.
The extracted, highlighted text. Works wells if one is skim reading.
Ideas to develop:
You say your blog has evolved, and it may be worth refining exactly what you are now trying to achieve. That said, you’re not a million miles away from being focussed on this, but what do you think should be the reason people read it? Get that nailed and you’ll have a loyal following.
Your photographs are stunning, great job!
Wow! I Love your blog! For me, whether it be long or short I’d still be hooked into your posts, great job! Just keep doing what you do, and the followers will flow! It’s perfect
If your posts are getting too long, you may want to write more than one post. You could focus one post on the food and one of the beaches etc.
Wow! I love your photographs!! I found it hard to focus on the writing with so many pictures to admire, and on the weekly photo challenges the writing was more noticeable. The pictures in all posts are magnificent though!
I found your font very small and difficult to read. Photos are lovely tho
W.O.W. You’ve blown my mind with those photographs! Amazing!
Wow your photos are AMAZING!
Your photos are amazing! I did found the font too small too and sometimes didn’t bother reading the whole content since the photos grabbed my attention unconditionally! Maybe just a summary info for each photo would be interesting, but I am no expert and that was just me. Loved the blog!
Hi Dan,
Happy February to you! Your blog clearly shows your love of travelling as well as your dedication to and delight in bringing your many journeys and experiences to your readers. Hence, SoundEagle would like to congratulate you on the consistency and quality of your blogging endeavours. That you believe that most if not all of your readers wade through most of the contents in your long posts is another cause for celebration and also a testimony to the strength of your blog. Bravo!
The only but important suggestion from SoundEagle to you here is that the size of your text be increased by at least one or two notches, as your font is quite small to read comfortably, even if/though some of your readers may know how to increase the font size in their chosen web browsers.
If you are interested in SoundEagle’s multidisciplinary blog, please kindly visit and comment on whatever strikes you as good or bad, excellent or problematic. Thank you.
All the best!
Like everyone said, the photos are wonderful. I also really like the layout of your posts – the photos and the use of large quotes within the text.
But as a rapid reader, I would appreciate breaking the paragraphs down into smaller segments. It would help to focus on the most interesting parts. For example, you write:
“We had to wait until the right moment to make a dash around the receding waves that would no doubt get us completely engulfed in salt water. Once we walked around the physical barrier the beach opened up into a wide bay of sorts. This was no doubt part of the park. It took a little over 2 hours of constant walking to find this gorgeously hidden cove, but it was worth every effort. A fisherman and his son could be seen in the near distance, throwing out a hand line into the surf. Our tired bodies retired on the sand while my eyes and mind took everything in. The universe felt in alignment and we were completely in tune with the fruits that it offered. Travel at its simplest, and it’s best.”
The most interesting part is the fisherman and his son, and your tired bodies in alignment with the universe. It gets buried in the middle of the paragraph – you should make that the start of your paragraph, or put it in its own paragraph, so it doesn’t get buried.
Wander through the site, but after you dive in ( sorry could not resist the pun), tell how the water is. My theme overall is to provide insight, common sense perspective, to the art of aging. My question is should this be more content driven information to increase readership. Or is it style worthy and need to find better marketing.
http://www.eularee.com
Hello Eularee. I do not consider myself experienced enough to advise about anything related to your blog but I think I can give you my feedback.
I think you have a lovely writing style. The theme of your blog is very simple and clean which makes you writing standout. I think for writing-related blogs, the cleaner and less distracting themes are best. I also like your selection of images related to your posts. Regarding readership, yes you might need to market it more. It would be nice to have Archive or something like that related to finding your older posts.
I hope this was helpful. Have a great day!
I just took a quick look–it’s a nice blog, looks great. I’m sure there’s an audience for the subject matter. If you’re having trouble getting hits/views you may have to reach out and find that community that would respond to your content.
I didn’t see a way to follow/subscribe to the blog on your main page (unless I missed it?) so you may want to add that.
I designed this blog more as a way to share pretty things i see and love not necessarily as a fashion blog. I also wanted to give shout outs to super nice salespeople at places i frequent because the good ones deserve our loyalty!! Here’s my question. Should i continue with the local idea of here’s where i got mine or is that obnoxious abd just posting pretty images w links is perhaps more appealing? I’d love your feedback! xo
I had a little trouble finding the blog post, perhaps a direct link would have helped. The images are a little small but still work. The “here’s where I got mine” idea is good, but be more specific. I have no idea where those places are, what country or city. If there is a site link to the shop, it might help to include it. Also, if you personalize a little by writing what you like about the item it might feel a little more cozy for the reader.
We are a renewable energy company based in the UK. We started blogging to have more of a conversation with our client base and those who share our interests. We definitely do not want our blog to be sales-focussed. We’d really appreciate feedback on on our blog http://blog.prescientpower.co.uk/
and how we might achieve our aims
http://blog.prescientpower.co.uk/why-we-blog/
in a better way.
Your blog looks very interesting. I did not think it was sales-focused. I think it is organized and easy to follow.
Many thanks NN. Feedback much appreciated.
Your website looks very clean, well-organized and professional. It does not look entirely sales-focused. The blog is even better, I like the header image a lot, I too have 2010 theme for my blog. I hope this was helpful. Have a great day!
Many thanks Ritu. Yes, it’s interesting that although we spent quite a lot of money on our website, the blog can give people a much more intuitive feel about who we are. It’s also more fun to add to! I appreciate your feedback.
I work in the digital marketing industry and write my own blog and can tell you that your blog doesn’t come across as ‘salesy’. It looks like an informative resource for your industry but you have a clear sign post to your main website, so I would say job done!
BB, that is very helpful and encouraging, thank you. That you are in digital marketing is clear from your own blog. I really like your use of pictures in the same dimensional format; it makes your home page very easy to navigate, and very pleasing on the eye. I might just adopt that trick!
CB feel free to take any inspiration and good luck with the changes.
http://thisisreallyrandom.wordpress.com/. i really do wirte on random topics and im also new to this. id like to know what people think of my posts
.. more reviews=more posts
I read several of your posts and think you have a fine sense of the ridiculous and a talent for word pictures. The only suggestions I would make would be to watch your grammar and spelling a little bit more, not in a teachery way, but to make your word pictures even more clear to the reader. Some of the images get muddled too much and the sentences get to seem like run-ons. Let someone near you read them out loud so that you can see how the fresh mind phrases things. This usually points out the places where there might be confusion.
But I love how prolific you are and how romantic and passionate your opinions are! Good luck, I am new to this too!
I skipped over the love story because I have only a little time this day. But the one about how people drove was good. Using images will break up longer posts improving appeal.
I’m fairly new to blogging as well. I feel like my posts can be about as random, but maybe not the same by any means. I found your Jan 31st post long to read, and that could be in prat because there was nothing to break it up such as a picture or two. That being said, I’ve written some pretty long posts on my blog magnuswendler.com so I’m not one to really specify on length. I think quality of what you write is excellent overall! If you have any thoughts or comments on any of my posts if you check out my blog, any criticisms, compliments or other comments are more than welcome!
I just read your “Things you see while driving” post. Hilarious. I think you have a fine writing style. I would suggest you to add your Twitter/Facebook widgets to your site or a few images to make your blog look more personalized and appealing. Another important thing would be an About page, people would like to know the person behind the blog. I hope this helpful
I agree that using pictures sparingly in your posts is a good idea. Pictures can help hook a person into reading a post or keep someone actively interested in a longer post. You have nice content. Good luck
First off, I love the Community Post. It always helps me receive the best feedback and so, I am back!
My questions:
I have recently re-designed my blog, what do you think?
Do you think that design is an important aspect of blogging?
Do titles really matter?
I’ll be browsing the comments and trying to help some people. In the meantime, this is my blog: Opinionated Duck.
Thanks!
The chipmunk is an adorable image!
I didn’t see your blog before, so I can’t comment on redesign, but I do notice that your site takes a long time to load. I’m not sure if it’s my computer, the theme, or the images, but it took more than 30 seconds to load it well enough to navigate the pages. Worth looking into, anyway. The individual posts load much faster.
Design matters to me because I don’t spend much time on blogs that look cluttered. Yours does not. It’s nice and clean.
Titles are incredibly important. I follow a lot of blogs. On a day when I am busy and my inbox is clogged, a great title can mean the difference between reading and just clicking “delete.”
If you can, you might put a widget or two on the right side as well, all that dark emptiness is a bit distracting. It also took a long time to load on my system; if I were in a rush, I would have closed it and moved on.
I, too, believe that titles are very important. Both the blog name and the titles of the posts. I have avoided some blogs because the name sounded off color. IF someone calls there blog, “This is a bad blog,” I’m not going to check it out. I also avoid posts and blogs that suggest bad language or off-color topics. Creative titles can bring readers to your blog and even keep them reading longer than they intended.
Titles are important I would say too. If I’m looking on the reader part of wordpress of my blogs I’m following, the title has to catch my interest before I consider reading on because I can just scroll down to other posts if it doesn’t catch my interest. Short and catchy titles are good, but the more important thing is creativity than length I would say. I’m not the most experienced blogger so I’m sure I could use some feedback on my own blog. However, I was also thinking the right side of your blog layout is very bare. I wouldn’t mind seeing something on that side to even things out a little bit. It is nice and clean though.
I agree that the emptiness on the right side of the blog doesn’t look right. It looks uneven or something. I like the color scheme. Also, if possible, you might want to redesign that silver button with the duck on it. The words are kind of unreadable and that takes away from the quality of the image. I really liked the content. I think as far as that goes you are golden.
What I look for in my blog page is space. I am no keen on the cramped up narrow columns to write in. I like a wide space for my writing, and also to accomodate photos at a decent size. I have found it in the theme Andrea. I had to change the background to black as the print is a sort of wishy washy blue, which I do not like. Actually I would appreciate being able to change the various widths ôn the themes yourself. Increase the writing column width. then I would be interested in perhaps using another theme.
Me too, I want to be able to adjust the width of my blog. It really seems quite narrow,but I like the general lay-out on my blog.
I agree, Pat … don’t know why they’re all narrow. I don’t like the Andrea theme, so for now, I’ll stick with the one I have. When you have a paid upgrade, you can do the CSS thing, but I don’t feel like being bothered with that nowadays .. I’ve lost the grip
I used to use the Andrea theme and moved on to Twenty Twelve. I am frustrated that all the themes seem to have a fixed width central column so you cant put in photos bigger than 640 pixels wide, and would LOVE to change that too
You can put photos up to 800 pixels wide in the Adrea theme. Another bother with this theme is that it is actually transparent. If you want to put a photo as background you cannot read the text. I still find it the best of the bunch at the moment. I would upgrade, but I am not a friend of css, prefer html which I can use more or less at the moment. I am not sure if I upgrade that I can remove the transparency, which is the only reason I would do it.
Yes I am not a fan of CSS either so havent bothered to upgrade for that exact reason too
http://0paws.wordpress.com/ here’s my blog i would like to have more hits and visitors so if
you like reading interesting facts,book reviews and music compilations give it a try:)
i think my header is too big. Is it possible to still have an image but customise the size of the header on a free theme?
I just tested it out, and it’s not possible on your theme, without paying for CSS customization. I can’t say for sure about others, though. Your header is pretty big, but if you really love the rest of the theme, I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily a deal-breaker.
I found the header to be of a good size. There are some themes that allow more tweeking, you might consider playing with other themes to get the look you want.
The header is of a decent size. It could be a bit large, but it isn’t too large for me to look beyond and read your blog!
The header is large but it is not so large it looks oversize, I would keep it myself but you might look at other themes.
I would be happy to have some people do guest blog posts for me and me do some for them in return. See the “contact” page of my blog if interested!
http://www.thelifeofathinker.wordpress.com
I, along with millions of others, write about and photograph food. While I am realistic about the reality of creating stand out at this stage I do love creating posts and am trying to hone my photography techniques, without relying too heavily on filter apps. I’ve just moved from the UK to Cape Town and have some rare time off so am using this time to inject some energy into my blog. I’m curious more than anything to know how it’s received and would welcome any comments for fellow bloggers. With thanks!
I am no pro photographer but I think your photos look great! Its a wonderful theme any layout for what you’re writing about.
Thank you for taking the time to have a look and thanks for the feedback. I like your focus on a niche subject. It’s very easy to drift off from the subject we’re focusing on.
I agree, your photos do look great! And I think you do a good job of writing with the local area in mind, which I think is always interesting for a blog focused on food!
Trying to develop setting the scene, it’s getting easier but sometimes takes a while to ‘get in the zone’. Thank you to a fellow iphone addict. I also like your commitment to the weekly photo challenge. Good practice and you’ve given me motivation to have a go.
Those photo challenges kind of give me a motivation to post something, if I can I also try to direct the subject back to the subject of the blog, and it tends to have a big audience too!
First of all let me just say that I really like the theme you’ve chosen. I think the pictures are great for an amateur photographer.
Really nice feedback, thank you!
Hi all. Goodfoot Editorial is my business blog—I’m a freelance copy editor—but I like to keep it humorous because I don’t want to appear stuffy (or boring). That ain’t my style. Many blogs I’ve seen on grammar or language are flat and visually boring. I’m curious if my sense of humor comes through, and if my photos are engaging. (I’m also interested in design, so occasionally I post about that—can’t help it!) Any other opinions are welcome & please post here…..or if it’s positive, you can post directly!
Thanks much. Lisa
http://goodfooteditorial.wordpress.com/
The humor almost flew over my head. It seemed more sarcastic than humor. I had an issue with finding a post to read, had to hit the random button a couple times. I found one that had a image and a caption but I could not find anything more of it. It was the one based on why grandpa was grumpy.
http://lifeaftrhs.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/breakfast-in-bed/ Hey everyone I’m new to blogging would really appreciate any comments or suggestions on my blog design and actual articles. I pretty much write about anything but have been posting a lot about relationships and love. Tell me what you think. Thanks
I love the layout, colours and general look of the blog! Good post length and layout with the pictures too!
Thanks so much for your input..I really appreciate it and makes me happy to blog and share my thoughts
Hello, please check out my profile and help support my film, “Edie,” based on the life of Edie Sedgwick Im trying to raise funds for! Thanks
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andywarhol/edie-sedgwick-tribute-film
SOMEONE please HELP me, i am so stuck for ideas on what to write
Have you tried doing some of our prompts or challenges? They can be a good kick-start.
yes thankyou! finally found some inspiration:)
The daily prompt is awesome for ideas I ran into the same problem with what to write. So I did some of the daily prompts. It got rid of the writers block.
Hello you water lovers! This is my first time in the pool because I wanted to have something worth coming to this esteemed gathering to share. So i have a blogging question. I have varied topics on my blog as i write about whatever interest me. Soon i intend to add several gardening blog posts. I will also continue to add fiction posts. My question is this: Is their value to having specific blogs for the major topics I blog about? Or do you like just having the one blog to visit?
Here is my blog so you can come and give me your feedback! Welcome!
http://joeowensblog.wordpress.com/
Personally, I prefer topic-focused blogs; something I have yet to achieve
. Here’s one thought: how about utilizing the option of adding additional blogs under your name and having each with its own topic. This way, viewers interested in specific categories can connect with whichever one of your blogs mirror their interests. Just a thought…best wishes!
Yeah that is definitely the way i would do it. I just wonder if people really want to follow several blogs from one blogger.
Well, you’d likely get a different audience for each blog, possibly increasing your readership. You would be able to periodically remind your followers of your other blog topics. My concern is that users seem to prefer the comfort of visiting a blog that focuses on a particular topic and get discouraged when they have to search for which topic they like within a blog and then which entry they like. I favor compartmentalizing for easier navigation…long story short
Good suggestion. Another idea would be to utilize categories (and tags, too) as best as possible, using a theme that makes categories very obvious. List them as clearly as possible.
Yes, i use the Categories on every post.
Good call PAIGEELIZABETHL. I use categories as a way to keep the focus on my main subject, but it allows me to sneak in random posts if I want to without losing the essence of what my blog is about. See how I’ve done it at http://www.barefootboho.co.uk
I’ve pondered the topic of focus of the blog. I’m not sure I want to write about one thing so I figured I’d just do a blog about whatever I felt I should write at a given time. But I ended up using the categories to enable posts that are of a certain category to be linked together. I’m not sure how efficient this tactic works, as I haven’t been blogging long but it was my thought so far.
I have the same questions. i use categories and that works okay. I din’t see an advantage yet to a subject specific blog, so I have not created any other blogs.
Hi Joe, I spent some time browsing/reading your blog. If I got it right, I think that posts about gardening fit perfectly well in your blog; I wouldn’t make another blog for those. From what I have read, I think that even if you only give practical gardening information, the essence and deeper message you want to send out there will be clear in the posts – better said: I think that gardening (the way I think you see it) has a lot to do with the other themes you’re writing about. Having said this, I might consider a different blog or a separate page for the fiction posts. Personally, I like it the way it is (it’s very good that you mention it when it is fiction!!! It makes it clear before reading) – but I think that it would be easier to follow for people who are only/mostly interested in fiction. Good luck!
It is interesting you say that. It is the only real type of writing I thought might need the seperate blog. Just on the basis of the replies from community pool I will likely begin a fiction blog.
Well, maybe I’m wrong – I don’t know how detailed/specific and how often you will be posting about gardening – but I still see a connection… I’ll visit your blog again soon, curious what you’ll decide. (I have the same dilemma with my blog, but I haven’t been blogging for a couple of months)
Hello I started blogging with the intention of having a blog focused primarily on baking and photography. Recently however,I’ve done a short series of writing challenges with the theme ‘life is short’ I’d love to know what you think. Drop by and have a look.http://angrezikabutar.wordpress.com
I read the first part of “Life is Short.” It was a good start, but I needed a little more to understand why we went from life is too short to enjoy the life you have.
Hm alright thank you for the feedback. These were 20 minute writing challenges so I wasn’t able to say everything I wanted to. Anyway thanks for taking the time to go and read.
Hi folks,
The other day I posted a poll regarding how best to present a Picture-a-Day project (on my site, through Facebook, etc.), and I thought I’d see if anyone here has their own thoughts. I know which way I’m leaning, at the moment, but I’m especially interested in hearing from anyone who’s had experience in doing this themselves. You’re welcome to vote in my poll or comment here, either way, though
.
http://markmushakian.com/2013/02/01/the-return-of-photograph-365/
Great idea here! Looking for some feedback on my blog page, I post random posts such as reviews, observations, law posts and thoughts but want more traffic – how can I achieve this? Thanks.
http://Www.onlysi91.wordpress.com
Hi…left you a reply to a post on iPads. Nice blog! Good luck with the lawyer path.
Thanks for taking the time to visit my page, I have replied to your comment too and appreciate your interest
Hi there. And here’s mine. http://au1688.wordpress.com/
Looking forward to an honest feedback!
Thanks.
The look fo the blog is light and attractive. I don’t read poetry much anymore, but I am sure there are many readers who will.
Thanks for stopping by. I plan to add more posts different from poetry in future.
I like the look of your blog, though I’m not much of a poetry reader. I think it is attractive, clean and uncluttered which will draw people into it.
Thanks for the feedback.
I am planning to blog more apart from posting poetry. Hope that will bring more readers!
I might be the one stick in the mud but I would really like your theme if it were for a food blog or something but for poetry it seems a little off. That might just be me though. I really like your blog’s niche. As a writer and poet I guess I am just a wee bit biased
Haha. What you said about my blog applies very well to me too. Looking at me, you will never think, that I could write poetry.:D Thanks for the feedback. I like the light look and though the blog is currently mostly a collection of my poetry, I would soon be posting other stuff too. I want it to be an equal proportion of articles and poetry in future. Hope the theme would feel appropriate to you then.:) Thanks again for stopping by.
My question is about views because I seem to be suffering from a problem that arises from an obsession with hits. I have been blogging for 8 months now, before August last year, my top hits for a day was 49. But I wrote this post http://balamaga.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/things-they-havent-told-you-about-studying-law/ on August 23rd and made 512 views in one day and almost ran mad.
Ever since that day it became all about the views, I did so many things that border desperation all in the name of getting more hits. I don’t have a big following on my blog, most of my views stream from facebook, and through sharing in different facebook groups, I manged to get up to 1500 views in a day.
Sometime last month, I started feeling petty. While accumulating over 300 facebook shares on certain posts gave me some twisted sense of accomplishment, it feels empty when all these shares and views are not reflected in comments and likes.
Owing to certain personal reasons, I decided to deactivate my facebook account, my views plummeted back to below 50 on a day of publication (from an average of 200 on a day I publish) but I am content with that for now, I however want to concentrate on building a bigger WordPress following. That’s where I ask then, how do you guys do it? I see posts that have over 100 likes but less than 10 facebook and twitter shares, how do these people get there? I the only one who is obsessed with views btw?
http://balamaga.wordpress.com/ is my blog. Many thanks.
You are not likely the only one for whom views or hits are important. I am no one to tell you how to get more hits as my own are but a shadow to yours. One way to generate hits is to interact with other blogers. Ask direct questions that encourage readers to comment might help with gaining comments.
I’ve been trying out the interaction thing lately. I think I should do more of that. Thanks.
I’ve never had as many hits as your record numbers in a day, so I’m not sure I can offer anything to you at all. But I found that I gained followers, views, and the occasional comment through looking at other blogs, commenting, and following them which caused some of them to do the same with me. I liked your post, and thought it was a great way to express the experience of law school. I feel that something that helps the reader feel and understand what it’s like to be in a certain situation is much better than something that is just the cold hard facts. I believe you have given insight into the feelings associated with the experience as well. Good Job!
I do not usually get a lot of views and comments. The most I go were on one day when another very popular blog put a link. Interact with other bloggers is what I suggest.
I’ve only been at this blogging stuff for a couple of months now. I’m not sure if this will be helpful or not as my comments fluctuate. Some posts may only get a handful of comments and others will get a boatload. I’ve found that participating in certain writing prompts (while lots of fun on it’s own merit) has a nice side effect of garnering lots of feedback. I also make sure that I regularly visit others’ blogs and comment/like when I have time.
Your hits are phenomenal, better than I’ve ever had, but you can’t expect to recreate magic every single day. I know that the likes and comments are validation and we all crave them, but try instead to focus on writing and engaging in the community.
Maintaining focus: Often I see blogs that are so focused, like on counting down the days until their 40th birthday, or travel blogs, or parenting blogs, something specific, and mine is just about journalling, getting thoughts and ideas out on a daily basis. I do have certain topics I return to throughout the course of my blog, but the blog itself is a hodge podge of ideas and thoughts. What do you think? Should I just focus on one thing or keep my diversity?
I’m in favor of blogging about whatever keeps you blogging. I’m wondering what you think the advantages/disadvantages of your current method are?
Honestly, Karen, I think the advantages are clear. I don’t have to try to fit my thoughts into a closed format. Whenever I come up with something I can just say it and post it. But the disadvantage comes in when people only want to read certain things, certain topics, and I only speak about them randomly. For example, if my blog was focused on parenting, I would have a ready-made fan base.
This is really why I love “lifestyle” blogs – I love the mix of random thoughts, the glimpse into people’s lives and opinions. I think it’s a great way of organizing a blog, as a representation of yourself.
Thanks, Shivani. I appreciate the feedback!
I enjoy the diversity idea. However, if you have someone following who expects more of a certain type of post or topic, you might be at a disadvantage with said followers. I think however you blog you’ll keep those who agree with your method and who enjoy what you post, and you might lose the occasional one who gets turned off by a particular post or posts that they find do not fit in with what they thought your blog would be about.
Thanks for the feedback!
It all comes down to what is important to you. Do you want a lot of followers, blogging for family and friends, or just because you enjoy I have a cousin that did a blog when he went overseas to work. I personally like to read lifestyle bogs but sometimes I go to ones on a certain topic I am researching.
Thanks for the feedback!
Keep your diversity. Personal blogs are for writing about whatever pops into your head.
Thanks for the reply. I agree!
Hi Sam, we were having a conversation about focus further up in this string and were discussing the use of categories. It’s a great way to keep the main focus of your site structured but by adding categories you can meander down different subjects at your own free will. Have a look at mine and see how I’ve used categories… http://www.barefootboho.co.uk
Sounds good. I like the category idea!
Awesome idea! I am struggling with conclusions overall. I feel like they are either too abrupt, too cheesy, or repetitive from post to post. Thanks for any feedback or suggestions. http://www.alcoholbyvolumeblog.wordpress.com
I think your conclusions look good from post to post! Nothing cheesy I noticed upon a brief look!! I, myself, don’t really pay that much focus to conclusions and just feel when it’s coming to an end and let the ending flow out of me. Whatever feels right for the post is probably right to the post regardless of how it compares to other posts. I don’t see repetition happening that much, maybe the format remains similar but they aren’t canned conclusions that you just cut and paste as far as I can tell.
okay, thanks. I suppose I am just self-conscious about it.
Hi everyone! Thank you for reading this comment. My blog is aimed towards presenting topics related to love, life, and, very soon, dating. I attempt to present entries in a light-hearted, thought-provoking manner. This blog is meant to introduce and lead those interested in finding love to an innovative dating website being launched in the coming months. I do not want to be an advertiser, but rather a doorway through which people can enter and find love naturally in their everyday lives versus browsing online through thousands of profiles that are dead-ends and result in dissatisfaction.
I’m not sure if my blog is going in the right direction so people know that I truly want to help affect a positive change in our society and help people find love within themselves, as well as with another.
Thank you for reading!
Hi everyone, I’m still in the process of refining my first blog. I am using blissfully blog templet . What are the ” categories ” on the right side of my home page and how do I get the best use of them? We’re in the dashboard can I fill them or tag them or whatever I’m supposed to do with them? Thank you for any help. It has been a hard thing for me to I at sixty, but at least I’m still willing to learn. Thanks for your help blog is atdweddingandeventflowers
I could not access your blog page. You might be talking about the a widget. I don’t use the category widget, I add categories from edit mode. There is a box for it on the right side of my edit window. I click on the category I wish to file the post under and display the categories in menu-fashion at the top of the blog site.
By creating categories a reader can go directly to the posts that interests them either by clicking on the category or clicking on the menu at the top.
I would like some input on how I can get more comments from readers. I write because I want to inspire others in their journey with Christ, and am looking to encourage dialog. I am wondering if it is because most of my readers are from Facebook and maybe not as used to the blog venue?
http://thepeacefilledlife.wordpress.com
MJ, there is lots in your style that is attractive, especially the story telling narrative. I would work even more on that in order to bring people on your journey with you and see echoes of their own lives in it. The danger here is in becoming a blubbing wreck online which can be a turn off to newcomers. The writer Adrian Plass is very good at writing humorously yet with a gritty realism that makes one instantly say “I do that too”. Maybe worth a read of a couple of his books. I have rediscovered an old one of his called The Final Boundary – a collection of short stories that have a similar slant.
Could I also recommend you focus on the initial “teaser” paragraph. REading your main page, some of these had some interesting phrases that made me want to read more, others were a little bland and easy to gloss over.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks! This is the most helpful feedback I have gotten since I started blogging. The last thing I want to be is a blubbing wreck (online or off!) I have very strategic professional goals and I want my blog to help me rather than prevent me from achieving them. I had never heard of Adrian Plass, I will definitely check out one of his books. Thanks again!
I only read one post, so maybe you already do this! But would you consider asking the reader a question that relates to the post ? That might open up a dialog with your readers. Such as adding as the final sentence of your most recent post something like “How has ‘guilt’ affected you or the way you parent your children ?”
I have done that on a few & got no responses. I did not do it on my last post (the one that you read). For example, I have a page called “Life Changing Books”, where I listed the books that have changed my life and asked others to add theirs. I got quite a few hits on that page, but no comments. I put the question at the top, because it was quite long, and I figured most people wouldn’t read down to the end. Hmm???
http://thepeacefilledlife.wordpress.com/life-changing-books/
By the way, I love that you are a stay-at-home Dad. My husband is too. I will have to let him know about your blog.
Yeah! Stay at Home Dads unite!
Hey, I was awarded the “Freshly Pressed” award recently for one of the challenges, but since then it’s been a struggle to get post views. I read and comment on other blogs constantly. Is there something else I should be doing?
I’m not sure, but maybe you should focus on looking at other blogs just for interest and communicating. Also, focus on just writing content, trying to open up blog posts to readers’ commenting and becoming more engaged in the posts. All I know is that regularly being active in the blog world by viewing other blogs, and writing regularly is what seems to attract attention to my blog.
I think your blog needs better flow and organization. You may want to look at some other blogs for some ideas.
I like your ‘Request for Subjects’ , I think that’s a great idea, especially if you plan on responding to the requests in a ‘Philosophical’ viewpoint.
It is certainly set up in an unusual way though. I’m not sure how to access your posts ? Maybe I have a short attention span, but if I can’t access the posts easily, I’m not coming back. Also, I did not like the purple type on the black background on the title area, a little too jarring.
I was hoping for some advice on how to keep blogging regularly when you aren’t coming up with as many ideas as you thought you would. I’m currently blogging three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Should I cut back on how often I blog? How do I get more ideas for posts? I really don’t want to lose readers by cutting back on my posts, because I’m just starting out and it’s hard enough to get readers as it is. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
try the daily or weekly challenges hosted by Michelle.
Ditto that — give the prompts and challenges a try.
Posting less isn’t a bad thing; posting something great once a week is better than posting something you’re not to proud of three times a week. The key is regularity, not necessarily frequency.
I would say regularity is most important. When I took time off blogging and let it slip, My viewership slipped. Just by being a bit more active the past couple days I did gain a few views back already though. I’ve not done the challenges, but those might be a good thing to try as well.
When I am really motivated, I write extra posts but don’t publish them. (Today I wrote three!) That way when there is a time that I am not inspired, I have something on standby. I also keep a running list of ideas to blog about. Whenever I get a random idea, I add it to the list. The list will often inspire me when I am not otherwise inspired.
In additional to the Daily Post suggestions, I’ve Googled “personal blog ideas” from time to time and gottne a few ideas that way,
HI !
My blog is at http://vandysnape.wordpress.com
I don’t blog on a particular subject. I just blog about random things that I come across and that I find interesting. I am not exactly a great writer but I love writing. Do give me your suggestions and feedback for improvement
I was just reading the post about getting a song stuck in your head, and you really draw me in referring to the feeling in the super mario games and how it can fit with a song being stuck in your head and not knowing what it is! I like it!
Your writing seems to be quite easy to follow and understand.
Thank you so much for the feedback Magnus
You’re very welcome!!
Good luck on your blogging journey!! I might stop by more and read more of your awesome posts!!
Happy blogging Magnus
I visited your blog found it really interesting. You have a great writing voice 
I need help with understanding why this magnifying glass and rectangular box appears going through my image at the top of my blog and not allowing zementa to be used, thanks!
send comments to linesbylinda@wordpress.com
I tried to access your blog and found an error message instead. I think we need a complete link to follow.
Thanks so much for helping Michelle. I am still learning. Do anyone know what to go so I don’t have to approve every comment coming in? Thanks. Have a great day and new week ahead
Mabel, go to your Dashboard. Click on Settings, then go to the subpage Discussion. Find where it says “Before a comment appears”, then unclick “An administrator must always approve the comment”. I recommend clicking “Comment author must have a previously approved comment”. Hope this helps!
I’m relatively new to blogging (I started half a year ago when I started my gap year), and I’m looking for any general criticisms or suggestions. Give it a look!
http://keeganmcbride.wordpress.com/
Keegan,
You’ve clearly had a really exciting time, which is a good read for older duffers like me who can live our travel lives vicariously now we have kids to look after.
You have lots of interesting posts, but I would insert the “read more” tool after the first paragraph that will then make your home page much more digestible.
Then just work on your opening paragraphs to make them irresistible, with perhaps a photo to accompany them on the main page.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for your advice! Is there an easy way to have a thumbnail picture accompany the opening paragraph on my home page without it appearing at the same location in the post?
Keenan,
I’m not sure. It certainly sounds like a good idea. If not, then just create a smaller photo and place it before the “read more” ta
Regarding the thumbnail photo, I think some themes can do that, and some can not. I’m not sure if there’s a way of finding out which ones can do it prior to switching themes though.
Also, I met another ‘Keegan’ about a month ago!
Yeah that’s what I was wondering. I guess I’ll have to mess around with it and see.
And cool! It’s a pretty uncommon name– I’ve only met a few!
I use Oxygen, which does have the header image for the summary, but the image does not show up on the post when set as Featured Image. When I use an image in the post and do not set the Featured Image, the post image will be used as a header for the summary.
Okay, thanks! I’ll check it out
My Blog is accessible through magnuswendler.wordpress.com or magnuswendler.com. I have pondered things such as: post length, frequency of posts, the types of things to go along in posts such as videos to draw the reader in with other forms of expression than simple writing. I’ve also wondered if its best to have posts showing on the main page or not. I like the idea of partial posts showing on the main page and I’ve selected that option before on the dashboard. However, full posts still seem to appear. So these are some of my thoughts, and I was looking for general feedback overall on top of what I’ve pondered. I was regularly posting weekly so it was gaining momentum but found myself caught up in views and popularity which wasn’t ever my initial reason for blogging. It helps to have people viewing, but that isn’t something I feel should be the main goal of writing at all.
Can someone explain to me what this is all about? I mean, who gets to look at these blogs? I’m not concerned with security, but how do people get to? Is there a page or something where you can just go looking at blogs? I just started this and I have no idea as to what I’m doing.
Hi there, I’ve been doing this for a few months. It seems that you can get people finding your blog by using tags when you create a post. I’ve found blogs through the freshly pressed page on wordpress, and you can click on a person (i.e. the link above this comment will say “magnuswendler” and will take you to my blog) who’s commented on those blogs to go to other blogs if you find the person interesting from their comments on a freshly pressed blog. I’m not sure if there’s anywhere other than the freshly pressed page to browse for blogs. Blogs can be made available by search engines so when people type key words that match your blog, that will bring it up in the search results on google, yahoo or whatever other search engine.
It can take awhile to figure out, but once you do it’s easy.
Try going to the ‘Reader’ tab on your WordPress.com home page, should be on the top of the page. Once you’re at the ‘Reader’ menu, on the right side menu click on ‘Recommended Blogs’, you can then check out blogs from a list of specific subjects in the page’s area marked as ‘Show Me the Blogs!’. Or, you can type in a very specific search term in the ‘Explore Topics’ in the right side menu.
So, for example, you could search for blogs on a general topic like ‘Art & Design’ in the ‘Show Me The Blogs’ area. Or, you could get more specific in the ‘Explore Topics’ option, like ‘Renoir’.
I am still very new at this. I would love to get some feedback on generally everything, content, theme, and layout.
My blog is at: http://momentumz.wordpress.com/
Very nice! I find the blog visually pleasing, easy to read and navigate, and your content seems quite good and awesome for anyone quickly browsing the blog! You could put a widget on the right side as well as the left possibly but I like it as it is!
Thank you for the feedback. The template is new so I am still trying to figure out how it will let me work with the widgets.
I didn’t notice if you included any info on your About Me page as to where you are located? Since people all over the world can read your blog, I think it can help to add that in to give the reader some perspective and interest in where you are, wether it’s something general like just writing ‘I’m in Canada”, or more specific, like ‘I love my hometown of Toronto!”.
Other than that, I like how you’ve added the background photo of Autumn leaves, and it has a nice layout, easy to read!
Thank you for the feedback
SoundEagle finds your blog to be quite commendable in its range of contents as well as appearance, considering that you are relative new, but not so new as to lack knowledge for blogging well.
All in all, your blog seems to fulfill what you intend to share with your readers about Books (1), Lifestyle (2), Philosophy (3), Productivity (5), Religion (1), World and Writing.
Keep up the good work and do keep the momentum going!
KYA KISHOREJI AURANGABAD MAHARASHTRA KA BIG BAZAAR 15 FEB KO BAND KARNE WALE HAI?
Always seeking readers and feedback.
http://wileyschmidt.wordpress.com/
Nice blog! Easy to read and clean design! I enjoyed it so far. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for dropping by, and (even more so) for your feedback!
Very nice blog. I really liked your “Flangiprop” You did a great job with that.
I had fun writing about flangipropping, so thank you!
I’m all for constructive criticism! Thank you for the feedback!
http://wileyschmidt.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/a-playful-trip-to-paradise/
I participated in Community Pool last week and made some changes based on the feedback I received. I would like to get more inputs about my blog and it would be nice to get some advice about my writing as English is not my first language and I started writing for the first time on my blog (from Dec 2012). Thank you in advance
The content was understandable. Your English is good. The page design is comfortable. Keep going, you must be doing it right.
Thank you sha’tashari. I really appreciate your feedback!
I would love to have some suggestions regarding my blog. I have a small active reader base and so far, the suggestions from them have been helpful but not forthcoming enough. http://www.donethisbefore.com
My blog has a health focus due to my brain surgery last summer, but I want my blog to be more than about my health. I want to share (at times) more about what makes me ME. I write as more of therapy than actual “writing” – I’m not a writer at all. But I am looking for feedback on either focus/direction/content, or anything. Thank you!
http://hopeforheather.wordpress.com
I am loving the Community Pool so far, and am receiving some great new input every week, but at the same time discovering other wonderful blogs which are also helping me.
Please have a look at my blog, and feel free to recommend any good writing or other interesting blogs that you like, as well as ask me to take a look at yours, because I am happy to do so and give my opinions.
http://mydiffer3nce.wordpress.com/
I am new to this community pool or it would be more correct to say i am a student
Just need some review on my blog
It’s hurt……But why?
http://hopeoflight.wordpress.com/2012/12..
I think you may be a poet. See how that feels.
hi everyone!! Im just ordinary girl..i love to make some blogging,,i hope i can share mine here…i wanna call it,,MY JOURNEY To MARRIED LIFE…
My blog is mainly about lessons learnt in life, so I’m sure it’s just an atom in a stadium when it comes to its location in the blogosphere. I would really love to have more readers, but I guess I just need to be satisfied with what I have right now.
Hi everyone! I’m new to this community pool but not to blogging – have had mine http://ariannasrandomthoughts.com for over two years now. My blog is a personal development blog/memoir – Its been the same format for a long time and looking for ways to improve it. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
MY page and attract more followers would be awesome! Great idea from the Daily Post!
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I write a personal style blog @ http://www.empiricallyme.com and was wondering a) how people like the photo layout (main photo on top with a gallery underneath) and b) if anyone finds my writing style to be captivating and follower-provoking.
Thank you!
Hi!
I’d like to know how to make the posts appear larger amidst all the widgets on both sides on my blog.
Please advise.
Thanks!
Probably your best bet would be to change themes. I had a similar problem with a previous theme–the page looked very cluttered, and I wanted my posts to appear a little more prominently than the items on the sidebars.
Hmmm.. I was wondering whether I could adjust widths but I guess your suggestion is the best.. Thanks!
No, I don’t think so. The modifications you can make to the free themes are very limited.
Oh.. My search for the perfect theme is on then.. Thanks for your replies!
Hi there, I’m four weeks old at this blogging thing and I’d love any feedback you are willing to part with! It appears my topic is fairly pertinent at this time but any feedback on style or theme would be massively appreciated. It’s been a head first dive for me so far and I’m now ready to take a breath and see what else is out there. Thanks heaps!
Thanks for sharing, I am still new to this and any advice will be very useful.
My blog’s at http://calliopeslyre.wordpress.com/ I was wondering if I should put a photograph up. Like, if people could put a face to the voice, maybe it would increase the number of followers? And any suggestions about how to increase the number of people checking it out. Much appreciated!!
I really like this idea and if anyone fancies looking at my blog it would really help me thank you!
Looking for readers. The blog is language based, poetic prose, word pictures. My goals: to write observations and by extension create a sense of place, in a style similar to Sei Shonagon’s Pillow Book.
I would really some readers for my posts. I mostly write poetry, but I also have some quotes and short stories published too. Constructive criticism is accepted.
I just have a quick question for you all:
Do you think frequent theme changes on a blog are detrimental to it? Maybe it’s just because I haven’t found the “right” one yet, but I always get sick of the theme within a few months and want to change it, either because of boredom with the look or the functionality of it.
I currently have a theme that I really thought was perfect at the beginning, and now I’m thinking of changing again. We’ll see though
I just discovered the Community Pool. This is great! i would like some feedback on my blog. I post about life, personal growth, and spirituality. My goal is to be educational, give a little advice, but really I want to get people thinking to look within themselves to find the answers they need. I draw from various religious, philosophical, spiritual, and metaphysical backgrounds. How am I doing? Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Namaste
My blog is mostly about my life – parenting, cooking, stories from my past, etc. However, I am starting to focus on blogging about little historical facts…exploring old magazines or obscure people, that type of thing. The problem I am having is with layout. I really don’t like the appearance of my blog at all, but I’m terrible at deciding what will make it look distinctive. I would also love to find a way to visually alert visitors as to the emerging focus of my blog. If anyone is interested in having a look and giving me some feedback, I would greatly appreciate it.
You can change the tag line of your blog in order to give more detail on the focus. I realize that’s not a visual, but I think it helps a great deal.
I would try a different theme. The one you’re using is just not an eye catcher at all. There are different themes where you could add an image to the header, so that might solve your problem with the visual.
Your content looks pretty interesting–looks like you get a lot of interaction.
Yes, I’ve been thinking about the tagline. I just sort of threw it in when I was constructing the blog. I may change it to “Just Joyce” for now, until I can find something more catchy and descriptive. I’ll look at other blog themes too…I just can never look at something and decide if it would be attractive or not.
My interaction tends to be with the same core group, but that’s fine. They’re awesome.
Oh also…I was thinking about making a header of a collage of old photos, vintage cookbook covers, etc. More in keeping with the tone I’m trying to establish.
And…thank you!
Yep, sounds like you are on the right track
I’m having trouble formatting, esp. in regard to line spacing. Maybe I need to know more html? I typically write in Pages, then copy and paste into the blog post- is that possibly bringing in unwanted formatting?
http://writemybrainsout.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/character-building-websites/
Hello everyone! SoundEagle’s blog is more or less just six months old, since there were long periods of almost total neglect before August 2012. Nevertheless, it has gradually become a reasonably fertile and multidisciplinary playground. Hopefully, it will always remain varied but consistent enough to entice and satisfy those who are artful and perceptive, those who delight in detail and texture, and those who resonate with the philosophical underpinnings and aesthetic approaches.
As far as I know, many other bloggers have been blogging much longer and some of them have published hundreds and even thousands of posts of varying length, with hundreds or thousands of followers.
Therefore, SoundEagle is here to learn from the veterans and seasoned blogging experts. And even if any of you lack the longevity and/or consistency of the more avid and able bloggers among us, please feel free to guide me in improving SoundEagle’s multidisciplinary blog, and to share your ideas and quirks here on the daily post, or there at http://soundeagle.wordpress.com, where Art, Science, Poetry, Music & Ideas can be free to mingle and roam . . . .
Thank you in anticipation!
Hi Soundeagle (love your name by the way) I am definitely not a veteran or a seasoned blogging expert. If anything, I have neglected my blog for too long… but I’m here to get tips and ideas of how to change it and to look at what others do in their blogs.
I had a look at yours because I was intrigued by the name. Each one of us has his own preferences, so, I’m sorry, but I think your blog is too busy.
Your digital art is impressive, but needs a more neutral environment to be better presented.
The name “Soundeagle” is repeated so often that it starts resembling an ad. This alone made me want to click away very quickly.
I personally like to know who is writing the blog I’m reading, I like to know what kind of person he/she is, where they’re from, etc. I couldn’t find any of this in your about page, only a (long) ‘copy-paste’ of one of your blogposts and a rather lengthy, almost philosophical piece of text.
I counted only 2 sentences in a paragraph of 15 lines!
One sentence stretching up to 8 lines is very long; maybe it doesn’t seem so when printed on paper, but on the net you need shorter sentences…. (…if you want to keep your readers’ attention.)
You make nice things. And when you show them, people get curious about who’s making them. So show a little bit more of yourself, the real you, not ‘Soundeagle’ as a commercial company name.
Good luck!
Thank you for your helpful and constructive suggestions, Katerina Zisiadou, and for your compliments and observations. They are much appreciated. And there is no need to be sorry or to apologize for some of your comments or opinions, as SoundEagle knows that those were imparted by you in the caring spirit of sharing and honesty.
Nevertheless, SoundEagle feels that had you dealt more deeply, you would have realised or discovered that SoundEagle the word “SoundEagle” is much more than just serving as a pseudonym, noun, pronoun, name, symbol, logo, emblem and/or a brand. Knowing or seeing someone’s real name, face, gender, age, race and so on not only does not necessarily guarantee or engender substantive comprehensions and communicative depths, but also can often present encumbrances, stumbling blocks, blinkers, stereotypes, assumptions and/or prejudices. Again, beyond just having a look (to use your own words), sustained interactions and reading more posts and pages will reveal more. By the way, SoundEagle’s “About” page is already quite comprehensive and rich in many kinds of useful information by any standard, whether or not a section there is duplicated in a recent post for pertinent reasons and by necessity.
You are right about people having preferences regarding the purpose, design, layout and contents of a blog. As advised earlier, this is a multidisciplinary blog laden with multimedia and muititudinousness. It would not surprise SoundEagle that such a platform will not be everybody’s cup of tea.
As for the two long sentences, they are not representative of all of SoundEagle’s writing, even when the “offending” sentences appear in one of the most important pages of the blog. There is no need to shunt or banish long sentences altogether. SoundEagle is quite aware of the need to write succinctly, as can be demonstrated by the ten recommendations on how to write better at http://soundeagle.wordpress.com/writing/.
SoundEagle will take the time to visit more of your blog later.
Thank you, SoundEagle, for visiting my blog, for leaving a message and for the kind compliments you left there. They are much appreciated.
I saw that you copy-pasted your above reaction to my feedback on my ‘About’ page on my weblog. I do not see how the above text you wrote is relevant in my weblog’s ‘About’ page. I believe that comments on comments on other people’s blogs belong here in the Community Pool.
I sincerely regret not having more time to spend on other people’s blogs and in the Community Pool: I have a busy life and limited time and there are thousands of interesting blogs that I would like to check out here at WordPress.
Wishing you all the best! – and thanks again for visiting!
Yes, Katz, SoundEagle did not just copy-paste but also added plentiful new-year greetings and well wishes, February greetings, and other encouragements related to you, your blog, your goals, visions and/or resolution(s), however one perceives them to be.
Let’s add to and reflect upon what you wrote earlier, which seems to have underestimated the issue or problem. Firstly, there are not just thousands but millions of blogs. Secondly, you are not the only one and many people also “have a busy life and limited time”. These are perhaps two intractable, persisting “dilemmas”, and thus the only thing that we have in our control is how we approach other people’s blogs (beyond just taking a look), if/when we want to understand better and misunderstand less, by taking at least a good, sufficient look, as much as possible, especially when encountering a new blog, more so if/when a blog seems to be complex and/or “busy” in style and/or content.
And yes, SoundEagle knows that the previous is another long sentence.
The question remains: if/when/will/can/dare/should SoundEagle find the time (and motivation) to visit Katz blog and vice versa. . . . . .
Amendment: The question remains: if/when/will/can/dare/should SoundEagle find the time, reason and/or motivation to again visit Katz’s blog and vice versa in the future . . . . . .
Hi. I’ve been trying to find a “right” header for my blog, a writer’s blog. Initially, I had a tiled header of a journal with a pen, but felt that it was such a writing cliche. My current header is a photo of Vita Sackville-West’s writing tower in the Elizabethan Tower at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent. If I could, I would write in a room similar to this. What do you think of the current header? And I’m open to other comments” amirhbahati.wordpress.com. Thanks.
Hi Amirh, I loved the photo. It gives the right atmosphere I think. Well chosen!
What I didn’t like much is the combination of the photo with the irregular font of your title. I think you need a more regular, calm, straightforward font when you use such a busy photograph.
By the way, the link doesn’t work, I found this blog through your other blog.
Good luck!
Can anyone please tell me how to pingback? I would like to be able to add a list of other people’s posts to my own posts as I see in some of the Challenges. I tried pasting the URL address but it doesn’t look the same.
Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe a pingback is what you receive when someone else links to you (if you enabled them in your Settings). So you “pingback” by linking to another blog–pasting their URL–and then they will see the actually pingback on their blog. When someone links to you, you’ll see the pingback show up on your blog.
Thanks, I think I get it now
I was just pasting the other blogger’s post URL on my post but what I need to do is add the text I want to use (post title and any other info) and then link the URL to that!
Let me correct my terminology so I don’t add more confusion:
You “ping” someone when you link to their blog. A “pingback” is what shows up on their blog (if they have pingbacks enabled). There.
I’m curious on this one too. I understand the pingback for someone else’s URL you paste, but does it work the same when you put a link in from another post you have? I get asked to confirm the pingback on my own blog. Do I sound confusing? Probably because I am. Eek, help.
Well, I did not think you could “ping” yourself–but you’re saying this happens on your own blog? Maybe it’s something in Settings? I link to my older posts all the time, and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a pingback for that.
Helloooo!
So, I started my photography blog about two weeks ago, off and on. I started photography challenges with goals and such. I picked out a theme and I’ve been posted a couple of times a week. But I’m always looking to better my posts, my photos, and my blog. Opinions of my theme, layout, and general focus of it all would be awesome! I love constructive criticism and hope that I can aspire to be better.
http://mstonephotography.wordpress.com
I’m new at blogging and would appreciate feedback on two aspects of my blog.
Both my content topics and writing format vary considerably. How do these two aspects work for you?
How does it work that my blog without a consistent overall theme like social change or food or family etc.? I write about whatever comes up each day. Does this make my blog too thematically scattered?
I also find myself hopping from short fiction to essays to haiku. Should I stick to one type of writing format and perhaps have a separate blog devoted to poetry or haiku or short fiction?
Thanks.
Alice
alicekeysmd.wordpress.com/
Hi,
Having read through some of the comments above, this seems to be a great forum for constructive criticism, so i thought I would give it a go!
My blog is a bit all over the place at the moment, in terms of content. I will be trying to stick to a better schedule and come up with some regular feature ideas, but in the meantime any feedback would be helpful!
Thanks
http://www.skullandcrosstales.wordpress.com
Brownbabee #
Hello,
I was trying to create a new post earlier on my blog, but my server is undergoing maintenance. I wanted comments on my new post but since I can’t do that, I’ll just ask for feedback on my blog. My blog is about me talking about whatever I want to talk about whether it’s about something that I’m passionate about or a social issue I use my blog as a platform to speak on it, it’s like my diary minus the extra personal thoughts. I created the blog last month so I’m a newbie but I am already enjoying it, and with the comments and likes that I’ve been getting, I’m starting to have an idea about what I should keep writing about because it raises the awareness of people that stumble upon my blog. The link is:
http://www.brownbabee.com
Go ahead and comment about my blog on this post or any of the posts on my blog either way it’s greatly appreciated as I continue to learn and grow with my blog
WIDGETS! Widgets, widgets, widgets, which ones do you consider to be the essentials? Now I know all blogs are different, but if you could have just 5, what 5 would they be? I’m interested in a trend of what people look for and why? I’ve been playing round but haven’t got it right just yet so thought I’d ask. Thanks!
Hi all – I’m wondering about the advantages of a small ‘about’ on the front page i.e. a photo and perhaps one line, or even a static page, versus the ‘about’ option as a separate page?
All feedback very welcome!
Hiya–are you asking whether your “About” page should be your home/main page? I’ve seen blogs that do that, and I’m not a fan. I don’t really want to know much about a blogger until I see if I like their posts or not. I’d much rather see blog content on the main page, IMHO.
I did see a blogger recently who includes her “About” info at the bottom of each of her posts. I’m thinking I kinda like that, and might do that myself.
Hi Karen, thanks for replying and the feedback! Yes i meant my about page to be home/static page but i’ve also seen some blogs where they just have a very small photo with an ‘about’ of just one line, which i think looks good. In a way though maybe i’ve done that with my tag line of ’75 word storyteller’. Like you I quite like the idea of a little ‘About’ at the bottom of each post, which of course then i could attach a photo to. Hmmm food for thought!
I also would like to have feedbacks from this community pool.
I started blogging on blogger.com and have moved to wordpress.com about two years ago.
This blog is for photoblogging with photos around motor sports races in Japan. It was written in Japanese from the start and Japanese visitors was the only target in my mind. These days I wish my blog to be a little introduction of motor sports in Japan for foreigners.
The reason I need feedbacks is that I would like to get inputs on how I can improve my blog’s readability for non-Japanese visitors.
Adding to this, I want more non-Japanese viewers who are interested in motor sports in more broad sense. I am enjoying taking photos and participating in a few photo challenges, which bring in some visitors from other countries, but I wonder this is a right way to go. If there are some advices, I would like to know.
http://fotodemoto.net/
Hi! I’m fairly young to have a blog, but what started out as a small project turned into something that makes me very happy and keeps me going. I want my blog to stand out and become something that I can look back at and be proud of. What do you guys think of the content that I post? Is it too cliche? I’d love feedback! Thanks!
neverstationary.wordpress.com
If this is what “young” people are doing today… bravo! Your blog is eye-catching, the topics are age-appropriate and well-written. Without a unifying “About Me (or Us)” or Mission Statement, the reader doesn’t necessarily know what they’re diving into, but this is something to be proud of!
Hi!!!
Loving the Community Pool more every day, and am receiving some awesome feedback and input into my new blog.
I would still love some more opinions or thoughts on my latest posts, so anything you have to say about them will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
http://mydiffer3nce.wordpress.com/
Hey everyone!
I’m still quite new to the blogging world, only been here a couple of months!
I am working and travelling my way around the world and want to share my adventures with everyone but don’t know if the length of my writing and format is quite right!?!?!?
I would love some opinions and feedback on how to improve my blog and any help would be greatly appreciated!!
http://janalinesworldjourney.wordpress.com/
Epic photos, dude!
I’m thinking of moving my current Aromatherapy Information blog to wordpress. My question is should I make it another page of my blog or start a completely new blog? I look forward to your answers and suggestion.
There are many comments in this thread about post LENGTH. This blog illustrates the strength and talent of the short post. Already a huge fan of this guy: http://undeaddad.com/