Feb 17, 2013 / Community Pool

Community Pool

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 while you visit others’ blogs, right-click on a link to open it in a new tab or window.
  • No running on the deck.

Photo by t_a_i_s.

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  1. I’d really just like some general feedback on my blog: http://liquidmatthew.wordpress.com/

    Firstly, I feel I need to improve my “About Me,” but I’m not sure what sort of information is most interesting to readers. Secondly, I have a question about my content itself. My blog is mostly a writing development blog, so my question is this: what sort of things do you find most interesting about the writing process? I’d like to know what topics I should mention more.

    Thank you for your feedback! (PS: Tasteful, implicit nude in the banner image. Nothing’s visible.)

    Like

    1. Your questions about your content are a bit hard to answer for me; I guess I am still not used to reading literature online. But you also asked about the About page – though I find it very informative, I would like to see some more questions answered (if you can and want to):
      – Where are you geographically?
      – How old are you (i.e., are you a seasoned writer, or a beginner)?
      – Is writing a hobby or a profession (or something in between)?
      I know these questions are quite personal. I am very selective about what I give away online and what I keep private. But since you asked – these are some thing I would like to find in you About page.
      I hope my 2 cents helped a bit.

      Like

    2. I’m not a prude (I’m really not) but you probably should have put up a disclaimer about the blog content instead of the image in the header. Since you didn’t, I will. The subject of the blog is erotica, and the content is about what you would expect.

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      1. I agree with you Karen, I am no prude but, if I wanted to read about the size of men penises or the size a women breasts from a round the world I would research in medical journals.
        Matthew yours is far from being a medical journal in fact I would believe that you are only posting that information to attract hits and comments from others thinking on the same track as yourself, it isn’t my thoughts, I also suggest you put an age of consent message up because I know of two blog authors under the age of 16 and if they were my children I certainly wouldn’t want them on yours as there is no reason for it, it has no context. I have read a blog about a female abstaining from sex and her feeling towards that and her own body, that was interesting and helpful for those who are going through the same thing. Its not going to help anyone knowing the size of a man penis in Out a-Mongolia is it now?

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      3. In agreement with Karen and mysoresoul, and the tagline is small and grey… it gets lost between the contrasts of the large blog title and the contrast-y header. Honestly, I didn’t even see it until you pointed it out. You need to make sure people know what they are looking at/reading before they enter!

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    3. I did read a bit at the beginning, the middle and the end of your blog !
      I personally think you have a problem…once you get beyond that problem I would expect you to evolve further !
      An incredible amount of content on one subject…why?
      I’m not asking you that, by the way.
      I was hoping you would ask yourself !

      Like

  2. I need some help getting photos laid out properly on my blog:

    http://www.lindygrasser.wordpress.com

    Specifically, the most recent post:

    http://lindygrasser.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/day-47-cleveland-botanical-gardens/

    This has mainly turned into a photographic blog, so any ideas on layout would be appreciated, or any other feedback. I’m new to this. Somehow on an earlier post I got them to show up as a slideshow, and I have no clue how I did it. I’ve seen some blogs where certain photos are large and others are smaller next to them, kind of like a gallery collage.

    Thanks so much!

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    1. Have you thought about installing a slide show instead of the pile of photographs, alternating them left and right or as you write the description you can put your images in with the text. If you take a look at my log you can see where I have done so also I have placed images in a gallery http://mysoresoul.co.uk/?p=276 and http://mysoresoul.co.uk/?p=184 Click on your image and then click on the icon of a image in the top left and it will open up the image properties and you can justify Left – Right – Centre or Non and size your image, but as you have no text I would make the images larger 🙂 I hope that helps. 🙂

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      1. Hi Pete, This is what I’m trying to figure out how to create a gallery but I want the pictures hidden. I tried doing the left and right images, I still have to learn how to use the word document. Somehow the text does not appear the same way. Ugh.

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    2. Hey Lindy, checked out your blog and left a few comments, looks like you are enjoying your photographic journey. I might have some posts on my site that you may find interesting (composition, buying a tripod etc)

      How do you load your images? I put mine on my Flickr site and link from there, and you have the option of choosing the right size file to suite (I keep mine to 640 pixels longest side usually across) and you can centre them as well.

      The Gallery collage is quite cool, I have had a couple of goes at it, its a fair amt of work as you do have to load those images in the backend to your WordPress site. There are help links to get you sorted somewhere…..

      Overall I like what you are doing. Some days have explanations, some don’t. Should you be consistent there perhaps? What are you trying to capture when you take your images, whats the mood or the feel? Is it supposed to be documentary “i was here and it looked like this” or do you want more interaction from the audience?

      Like

      1. Thank you so much for your comments! Honestly, I can’t answer some of your questions. I started this whole photography thing sort of “by accident”. I got divorced, I’d never been ANYWHERE (only Ohio and western PA). So I decided to take a road trip one weekend to see Michigan. I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving, and ended up driving 1700 miles through Wisconsin, all over the upper penninsula, and taking almost 1000 pictures with an awful point-and-shoot that malfunctioned half the time. The following month I borrowed a DSLR, the pics were a bit better, and the next month I bought my own. I shot in auto all the time. I took a two hour class on manual settings, and signed up for a composition class in October which has been cancelled three times. I really need it. This project is the first time I’ve used the manual mode, and it’s really to get me doing it every single day so that I get better. So some days I feel like writing, some I just want to dump the picture and forget about it/move on. I’d love engagement on my blog but I’m not sure how to get it. And I guess the type I’m looking for could range from “yeah, I’ve had the experience you’re talking about” or “I was just there or always wanted to go there” to “you should have used a larger aperture to get this shot”.
        Ideas?
        Thank you again!

        Like

  4. Hi all, after I recently altered the overall design of my blog, I’d love to hear your opinions: Is navigation clear enough? Is the general idea of it evident? I am especially wondering about the Blog section: Is it appealing as it is? Do you have any suggestions? Thank you in advance!

    Like

    3. Yeah, I don’t see that either. I also don’t see the point in the homepage, because you don’t say anything there. But it’s overall easy to navigate, and I like the blog section.

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      1. Thanks, Joy – I just renamed the homepage. But I’d still like to keep things very minimalistic. I’ll keep an eye on this issue though, and if I get the feeling that people still do not see the point, I might try further improvements.

        Like

    4. Hi tms, I think your page is easy to navigate, but I’m not able to understand what the purpose of your homepage is. Although I really like the “Blog” section of it I wasn’t able to see why you made a homepage.
      But I think your theme is great for your blog; I really like how you can see many of your posts from there! I hope this helped!

      Charity

      Like

      1. This helps a lot! Thanks! I’ll see what I’ll do with the feedback – maybe I will come up with a different idea. The purpose of the page is to share pictures and make the galleries easily accessible.

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      1. Thank you so much for your support! You did not miss anything. The pictures in the “Gallery” section were not meant to be commented – I thought I’d rather reserve the Blog part for comments, questions, answers. But I am rethinking this decision now and might change it soon.

        Like

    6. You already know how I feel about your fabulous work. This said- I liked your old format- it boldly displayed your images without so much effort required to view..The images spoke for themselves.

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      1. Thank you very much for your opinion! You are confirming a gut feeling – while I still like the homepage idea, I am not completely happy with the blog section and the small previews it allows. I am seriously considering “boldly displaying the images” as you so well said it.

        Like

      2. Why thank you- it was the format that dramatically displayed your work in an individual frame me thinks…: )

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      1. Maybe it would be better to separate the lampshade from the curtains (2 separate posts). Also it might make it more interesting to the reader if you included more info on the student(s) (Ex; she has never sewn in her life, or could never keep a straight edge, or she said the most valuable thing thing she learned was…
        Also, I did not look at the rest of your blog, but if you are doing a lot of craft related things, maybe have your front page reflect that or start a second blog where you link to it from your primary blog. Your front picture says vacation, relax.

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  7. What a great idea to have this community. Well, I’ve had a blog for over 6 months but I still feel like a new blogger!

    Sometimes my posts get a good number of hits (whatever a good number is?! You guessed it I’m a stats-addict)! However, despite people looking at my content, not many leave a comment 😦 or even like a post. But when I post on facebook I get the likes. Is there a way to add a facebook like widget?

    This lack of interaction has knocked my confidence a few times because I’m not sure if it’s because of the content or people not being able to relate to the content (I write from a perspective of my experience being a black female solo traveller). Of course my blog isn’t just aimed at people like me!… I write for the blogging community and beyond!

    Please suggest ways and maybe widgets I can add to my blog to make it more encouraging to attract an audience that would be willing to interact.

    Thanks in advance for the support!
    Kai

    http://www.travelmakerkai.wordpress.com

    Like

    1. I went over and read some of your posts. They are informative, interesting, and colorful. I enjoyed them. I did not leave a comment because the only thing I could have written was I liked them. While they were excellent there is no inherent “tension” that would prompt me to respond. In other words you are presenting information in a manner that does not allow me to insert my desires or opinions. For example, you could try describing the local environment and personal observations. (The closest you came is describing a town as quaint but you did not give examples as to what makes it so in your opinion. ) That could be enough to start an interaction. I would much prefer to read that “the wind whispers through palms under a turquoise sky” than read “there are stands of palms in this town”.

      Like

      2. Hi Phoenix! Thanks for your feedback. Yes it does help.

        My main worry with too much decription is that it could end up sounding like a novel or a poem… so that would be more wording to lengthen my post (and most people don’t read very long posts from what i’ve been told… and secretly my own experience).

        But I do love description! It takes me back to childhood when i had an innocent care-free view of writing and would describe things in such colourful detail! I’m not saying I’m brave enough to transform totally, but shall give more description a go in my next post and see what happens…

        Like

    1. Criticism is definitely the path towards improvement, I agree. Your blog name and blog appearance are so very heavy and serious it feels a bit hard to begin reading. I did though really appreciate your post about writer’s block. It was perfect; I too am bleeding 🙂

      Like

    2. Hi – I’m not sure if you considered the fact that your blog is visually difficult to read. I don’t see well and light-colored font (that is not white) on a black screen can be challenging. Your name sounds intriguing but I just can’t read your work as it is now. Hope this helps.

      Like

    3. I agree with the above posters. As soon as I clicked over I was overcome with heavy-ness and found it visually difficult to read. I think that, perhaps, lightening the theme or even just the color could draw me in where as right now I had to MAKE myself read it. Besides you have such a fantastic name that juxtaposing it with a lighter theme would create a much more interesting effect, in my humble opinion.

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      1. Thank you for clarifying, I was not exactly sure what was meant by “heavy” by the previous comments. I was also completely unaware of that “heavy” effect the theme has. I will certainly brighten it up, especially if it will aid in being read.

        Like

  9. I need help from people who have been successful in getting a good solid readership. I publicize my posts to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I am not very active in Twitter and barely have any followers, but I am much more active in both LinkedIn and Facebook. My blog is about translation, so I understand that a lot of my friends and family on Facebook might not be interested. I do have several colleagues on Facebook, but I guess that is not enough. I never get more than about thirty views and nobody ever leaves a comment, even when I attempt to open a discussion. I’m not sure what to do. I constantly think about things that I can do to make the blog more visually attractive, or think about topics that could make it more appealing. I don’t have many ideas for that, though. I feel like I have a lot to say, but feel demotivated to write because nobody’s going to read. I never get any feedback from anyone about my posts, except the occasional “you’re such a good writer”, but sometimes I wonder if that’s even true. I would like to have a better idea of what people want and how I could attract more readers. Thanks!
    My blog: http://pinitostranslation.com/

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    1. I would think some about your audience–are you writing for other translators, or for people who want to know more about translating, for example? Are there other translating blogs where you could comment regularly and buildup a community? Do people ever find your blog through google searches, and if so, what are common search terms?

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      1. Agreed. Seek out some other blogs on translation or professional translators or cross-cultural living etc… and become a reader of their blogs and comment and follow… See if that makes any difference.

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  10. I am enjoying the challenge of creating a blog I know it takes time to gain the respect of good followers. Please I need feedback on my content. I am a story teller and believe we all should find our passion and follow our bliss. Feed back on anything that you find needs some work. I would appreciate the comments http:kathunsworth.wordpress.com

    Like

    1. Hi! I went over to have a quick look. First off I like your innocence in writing. I dont really know how to describe what i mean… but its refreshing. I can sense your father has played an inspiration or at least memorable part of you life.

      Please don’t tae me for being rude but I didnt finish reading any of the posts I started. Some are very long. This is not a problem, but it might be a good idea to have a good look at the suggestion Phoenix left me a few comments about.

      I feel your posts could do with more colour through description. Its interesting that I wasn’t sure how this suggestion would work of me on my own post but i see what Phoenix means now. You have the raw material to tell, just jazz it up with decription 😀

      Like

    2. Read your Driftwood post…
      Very intriguing idea (I love fantasy and am writing it myself)! I feel like I want to know that boy better… BEFORE something major happens to reveal plot. A question to start with… what did Luke think of the old man… i can picture him, but can’t relate b/c I don’t know how Luke related… was he scared, was he uncomfortable, was he indifferent, what mannerisms does he have when feeling these things… The man in obviously important so remember that as your reader I need to be told how to react to something through the little relatable details of your character’s reaction. The whole encounter happens uber fast but is obviously important. Discription fleshes out some of the scene but it also gives us time to soak in what is happening.
      …also, not sure how old the kids are supposed to be or what decade/era we are in, but your dialogue is one way to convey that… it just isn’t right now… or at least not in this short snippet.

      I am intrigued though. Keep writing!

      Like

      2. Thanks it is a quick draft of an idea for just one of my stories. Thanks for critique I will keep all that in mind when I flesh out that story. All good comments and love having someone else’s perspective, appreciate you taking the time to read. if I don’t put it out there how will I ever learn anything, so thank you.

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    1. One of the best ways is to visit other blogs that are similar to yours. Use the global tags to search topics. It’s a great way to find other blogs. I am addicted to blog-reading, and I have found great ones to follow that way. By participating regularly and in a meaningful way on other blogs, those who are intrigued by your comments may visit yours.

      I also recommend using Twitter. I’m not a fan of Facebook and didn’t find it terribly useful for community building, but many others like it.

      Like

    1. As a fan of foreign foods, I loved that you had a category for that. My question is: aside from food in general, what is the theme of your blog? Is it everything regarding food? Experiences you’ve had? Recipes? Maybe clarify that in your About page so non-foodie readers (like myself) know what we’re looking at.

      Overall though, I enjoyed it! (:

      Like

    3. hmmmm… total indulgence! Could be dangerous!

      I liked it! I think you’ll get a readership in no time… Food is always a good topic! Keep it straightforward and clear. As Asignoflife wrote also clarify About page.

      Nice!

      Like

    4. Took a quick look around. Looks yummy. One thing I noticed, you might want to do some research on photographing food. Get some tricks under your belt etc, and make sure you don’t post unless your pictures look professional quality (a photo editor can help with this, like on photo bucket even) and perfectly crisp and in focus someplace on the subject of the photo (the final pic of the key lime pie was a little off focus and does not make me want to go out and EAT IT NOW, though it sounds so yummy. People who read food blogs want to eat with their eyes! That being said, get on Pinterest if you are not already and build a following and PIN YOUR BEST PHOTOGRAPHS… it is one of the best ways to get your blog out there to foodie people, tons of us surf Pinterest for recipe ideas! Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest!

      Like

  16. Hi all,

    This is my first time on the community pool.

    I recently started my book reviewing blog, aimed specifically at books published in the current century.

    Please take a look at my welcome page and some of the reviews to find out more.

    It would be great to have some feedback to know if I’m doing it right, in terms of content, layout etc.

    And do some of you have tips about spreading the word of your blog?

    Any suggestions, criticism, likes, shares or followers would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks all,

    Nathan Sherratt
    twentyfirstcenturyclassics.wordpress.com

    Like

    1. I often avoid book review blogs because I don’t like spoilers (I don’t read blurbs on books, even), but you strike a great balance. You share about the book without giving away the nuts and bolts and do it in a way that makes me curious about the book. Nice job!

      I cannot recommend the Twitter widget highly enough for promoting your blog. There are several thriving communities of book bloggers and bibliophiles over there.

      Like

      1. Thank you very much for your compliments – something I was concerned about was revealing plot details, so I’m very happy about that 🙂

        And great advice about the Twitter widget – I’ve inserted it and hopefully I’ll be getting some more views and followers!!

        Like

  17. What a wonderful idea this is!

    I have been working my tech site for awhile now trying to find a nice balance of appearance and navigation ease. Would love to grab a premium theme, but not currently in the budget but I still think it looks pretty nice.

    Please take a look and fire away with thoughts and suggestions!

    http://www.stltechtalk.com

    Thanks

    Like

  18. Yesterday I celebrated my one year of blogging and am wondering what you think a) went well and b) I could do better in the years to come.

    Feedback is much appreciated and I’ll be browsing the comments and helping others where I can.

    Thank you! My blog is Opinionated Duck!

    Happy blogging!

    Like

  19. I am interested in any suggestions/advice you might have for my Orff Chapter’s website http://gtbaoc.org. This is a website for music educators who use the Orff Process of teaching. Since I am new to doing this, I am open to any and all thoughts and suggestions.
    Blessings,
    Randy

    Like

    1. 🙂 What a lovely mission! I would move your contact form into its own page, so it can be on the top of each page– in case a kindred educator wants to get in touch with you.

      And this is just a personal preference, but since you have so much text on each page (which is all well-written and informative)…. maybe make the background less obtrusive and more obvious? Like a tiled music note background that is saturated enough that it doesn’t take away from the text?

      Great blog and good luck!

      Like

      1. Thanks for the ideas. The background image is a xylophone which is one of the barred instruments used in our teaching.

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      2. 😀 Oh I know. I played the clarinet, oboe, & piano in various orchestras and bands. I love music, and music programs fascinate me since I’ve gone through so many. Now, though, I design sites amongst other types of marketing work. For some reason, when people see a repeated icon (like a xylophone, or a happy face, or a fish), they get distracted, and then exhausted. If it’s more abstract and more out-of-the-way, you’ll find that people will stick around for awhile more, read a little more, and focus a little more. From a band perspective, it’s like why all the chairs match– so that the audience isn’t paying attention to the chairs. 😉 It is, however, very nice to see a xylophone somewhere. 😀

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      3. Thanks again for your input. Hadn’t really thought about how distracting something such as that can be. Maybe I should just change it to a solid color and be done with it. Probably something more yellowish (sunshine, Tampa Bay area) or a light green.
        Blessings,
        Randy

        Like

      4. Beautiful ideas! I think that’d be a good move, but whichever way you decide, good luck to you and your project! Oh, and last night I thought… I don’t know if your organization takes donations, but people love supporting music education, and sometimes a little donate button is all it takes to get ’em. 😀 Okay, I’ll butt out now. 😉 Blessings!

        Like

      5. I appreciate the idea of a donate button. We are in the process of setting up online payment for memberships and workshop attendance. I am sure it would not be a problem to add a donation button. BTW, I went ahead and changed the background to a light yellow. I agree with you, it is a whole lot easier on the eyes. Thanks again for your suggestions. 🙂

        Like

  21. I’m (finally) going to overhaul my blog layout and design. I’m looking for some input about where to start. As a perfectionist I can think of dozens of problem issues, but with limited time/energy I don’t know where to start. What would make my blog more attractive/readable/easy to navigate. I’m an eclectic blogger and I tend to cover a lot of topics. http://SoHeresUs.com/

    I’d totally appreciate a few objective opinions (family and friends HAVE to be nice to me, right?).

    Like

    1. I do hope you keep the feet on your banner. It says so much about you and your family. If you’re changing that part, maybe hand prints. Your layout is clean and uncluttered in my opinion, though you may not need a tag cloud since you’ve got category archives.

      Like

    2. I thought it looked good, personally. Everything was well organized and easy to find. And the feet are precious. (:

      Like

    3. 🙂 The feet banner is so charming! Couple of perfectionistic things: Maybe uncapitalize About Us and Resources, or capitalize the others. I’d move the search up on your sidebar because you do cover a lot of great topics and someone may want to find them via that method. (Anything on the footer is hard to find.) Otherwise, everything looks fabulous and seems super organized. 🙂 Great blog! Good luck with it!!

      Like

  22. Hi all,

    I run a tech blog Jordan’s Tech Stop, and I really enjoy doing this! I have been doing this since May 2011, and have now started to get more views! I even do this with a group of my friends now! I would really appreciate it if you could give me some advice, follow my blog, and follow me on my socials networks!

    Here’s the link: http://www.jordanstechstop.com

    Thanks!

    Like

  23. SNAPn:I have not read the below comments. But, I Will…
    I want a bit of feed back on my earlier post good or bad.. I have no idea if Anyone is even eyeing them, let alone reading or understanding them.. Thank you,S.

    Like

    1. I’m intrigued and I want to know more of your story, who you are… Maybe post something on your About page?

      Blogs are casual writing, more emotion and feeling which you have, so don’t feel like you need to polish words/grammar… thats part of the charm. But it would be easier to read with more spaces. A solid block of words is intimidating and we blog readers can be lazy. Keep it up. You have a voice and only you can tell your story.

      Like

  24. My problem is that I kept on answering all the daily post questions on my blog page. I have tried to answer on the same page like others but all the posts have all ended up in my blog page. How can I connect directly to the questions, instead of reblogging every one of them on my blog. Very concern Thanks nakanno1.word press .com

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      1. Hi, I do not intend to have a private blog. my blog is public. I have been having problems with two blogs. I even have a domain now which I purchased from godady yesterday, which I think will help me with all my blogs yet I do not know what is going on. Yesterday I published a new post and people has been commenting or liking it ,but I cannot see their comments. i do not know whether it is from my setting or whatever. please I need help.

        Like

      2. Check your Settings…Reading ..make sure ‘i would like my site to be private is not checked.

        Discussion …not checked …before a comment appears must be approved..

        Users…make sure you are the authorized user
        Personal Instant feedback should be checked
        Comments…show all comment types

        These are all I can think of why you would not see comments…but you can go to WordPress.com support forums and put in what it happening in ‘search’ and you may find out what is the problem

        Word of caution GoDaddy and domains are troublesome to those that are not too sure of technical issues. I just had a friend who opted out and back to WordPress.com because of issues…Diane

        Like

      3. Also in Discussion settings make sure the email whenever ….area all checked off….And do you know about the icon top right corner beside where it says new posts all comments and replies to comments are put there …usually lit up if any….click on icon…Diane

        Like

      4. Thanks so much for all your help. When people outside wordpress comments on my post , I do see and approve their comments, But this is new, I have a new post out yesterday and I was so excited that my wordpress bloggers are liking it. But I cannot see their comments.Does it meant they are only clicking on Like it without commenting? I just do not want them to think I am not happy for liking my blog. If it is how it is, it is okay unless I have to reply back to me.

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      5. I went to your blog again and I still got a message saying it is private…did you go to your dashboard to see if it is checked off that you want it private? And if so uncheck it. Is your blog that you’re using the new GoDaddy one? Are you trying to post on two sites?

        If you are posting on the godaddy one go and check your Settings at bottom left …and see if it has a ‘permalinks’ option… If it does see where it is checked off. It should be checked where the name of your blog is …. That was one of the issues my friend had when she had issues viewing…. It was checked off the last line and she had to move it up one …

        If I could look at your site I might know more so I will ask for permission and you can okay it. But it shouldn’t be private unless it is checked off…so check on it like I first said to do…

        I’ll go now and request access from you…

        btw if people just ‘like’ you don’t need to go and thank them on their site…Some people do…but you can check out their blog if you like …read their about page and maybe look at one or two of their blogs if you want to see if you want to follow them…But if someone comments you really should reply. …Diane

        Like

      6. Thank you so much. I have two blogs, the MY Blog NOT NOAEfame is not my real bog. I cancelld that one because they said I will loose NOAEFame if I delete it. My real blog is NOAEFAME. I do not know how to Delete NOT NOAEFame. I will gIve you acces to change it if you want to.
        Thanks for your help

        Like

      7. I think this should work…Go to your dashboard and select the blog you want to delete.Go to Tools left side of you dashboard click on it You will see delete site. see if this works…let me know Diane

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      8. Right now when noaefame.wordpress.com is entered it takes you to MY BLOG NOT NOEFAME so you must have the latter one checked as your PRIMARY blog . You need to check the one you want to keep as the primary blog on your dashboard and in Users personal settings … See if you can look at the different things I said and if you make headway… If not I could have a look at your dashboard but I wouldn’t change anything …just tell you what I think ..BUT and this is a BIG BUT….you’d have to go to Users and add me ‘temporarily only’ as an admin so I could look .I am writerwannabe763 But I am not an expert I have just run into a few things helping my friend sort out her problems… So let me know… You may prefer to go to WordPress Support to sort things out…It’s just that sometimes it’s hard to find someone right away…Diane

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      10. I should have told you the address of my blog ..I think you’ll need it if you add me as user…it’s hometogo232.wordpress.com

        I think I know why you can’t delete it …but I’ll have a look at your site anyway… Diane

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      11. Let me know when you’ve added me …I probably am going to bed now but talk to you tomorrow….In the meantime I’m going to send you an excerpt of why you likely can’t delete the blog…but you still need some setting changes…Diane

        You will not be able to delete your site if you’ve purchased a custom domain for it. This is because you need to keep the WordPress.com site active in order to access the domain manager.

        Delete site with upgrade

        If you do not want to use your site any more, you can:

        1. Make it private so that other users won’t be able to visit the site. You’ll still be able to access the Dashboard to get to the domain manager.
        or 2. Transfer the domain to another WordPress.com site on your account by going to Store → My Upgrades, and clicking the “Transfer to Another Site” link. You’ll then be able to manage the domain through that site’s dashboard.
        or 3. Transfer the domain to another user

        Once the custom domain upgrade is removed from your site, you can return to Tools → Delete Site and start again.

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      13. It’s not appearing on my dashboard that you have…I should see it there…
        Did you go to Users Add new and put my information in? Does it show me on your dashboard as an admin?
        Send me a link to it so I can see. Copy the URL of your dashboard and paste it in a message to me vian email to writerwannabe232@hotmail.com That way it is not public….Diane

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      14. I think I know where you thought you let me in…You gave me access to view the blog but in order for me to see your dashboard you have to add me as a co admin like I mentioned…Go to dashboard and Users….Add New My blog name is hometogo232.wordpress.com and my user name is writerwannabe763.. you don’t have to do that but in order for me to check your settings I think you have to … You can try just copying and pasting your URL of your dashboard and I could see if it would allow me to look but I don’t think so…Anyway do whatever you feel comfortable doing… I know when you’re just starting up how confusing things are… it was for me too…that’s the reason I’d like to help you …Diane p.s. I think I am going to bed now…lol

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      16. Did you see my comments on your About page? Did you do what I said there? Because when I click on your name it is still taking me to the MY Blog….the wrong one and it shouldn’t be…
        I don’t have access to see your dashboard. What do you mean you logged me in…

        You have to make me a User…in order for me to see your dashboard… I know this is confusing but we will persevere….Diane

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      17. I have two different things on my blog. i saw your comments. I went in to do whetever I could. I found out that I can not change nwaboso to Noaefame. Everything still shows Noaefame but How can I join all my blogs together and delete “Not Noaefame”
        I just invited you as an administrator. I hope that wlll allow you to go and change somethings.

        Like

    1. I think it looks great! There’s a few minor things you could clean up, like how right now there’s a section on your side bar that says “CATEGORIES” and then just says uncategorized underneath. Plus, I think a background would be great! Something political– or even just a flat red or blue? I love the quote at the top– it’s very optimistic! The only thing is that might not be the right place for it? You could try putting it on your side bar. Something about the quote suggests you’ll be delving into deeper sides of politics… and if you aren’t, maybe you should say that. I like the word you used– happenings. “Natural State Report” – “Political Happenings” is a lot less threatening to those who aren’t quite ready to delve full force into a political debate. 🙂 What a neat idea for a blog– and you’ve developed it quite a bit, it’s impressive! Good luck with it!

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  26. Hey all,
    I’ve had my blog for over a year now, and it’s got a little bit of everything. I would like to know what your opinions are. Is it good as is? Does it need a running “theme”? More poetry? More stories? Less randomness? More randomness?

    I think the reason I don’t write more often (especially short stories — they’re my forte) is because I lack inspiration. Where do you find yours? What do you do in a slump? How do you stop yourself from saying, “Stop right there; this is terrible”?

    Any input or advice would be much appreciated.

    Like

    1. Nice blog. But for inspiration you could A. sleep on a story your having problems on. B. Read a favorite book, and think about how the writer did so good. Or C. Ask your readers what they’d like to read. At least, those are my ideas. 🙂

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  28. Hi all,

    This is my first time on the community pool.

    I recently started my book reviewing blog, aimed specifically at books published in the current century.

    Please take a look at my welcome page and some of the reviews to find out more.
    It would be great to have some feedback to know if I’m doing it right, in terms of content, layout etc.

    And do some of you have tips about spreading the word of your blog?

    Any suggestions, criticism, likes, shares or followers would be greatly appreciated
    .
    Thanks all,

    Nathan Sherratt
    twentyfirstcenturyclassics.wordpress.com

    Like

      2. You are very welcomed! I guess it’s hard to appeal to everyone, as with most things. I actually find your reviews to be just right in terms of introducing me to books that I otherwise might not read. Others might look for more of your own opinions about these books but I know it’s a hard balance to strike as you probably don’t want to make each entry too long!

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      3. Yes, that’s one of the things I was conscious about – being informative, critical, but also concise too. I will definitely try to include some more of my own opinions in future reviews

        Like

    2. I think the layout is great! But, I don’t see how you are reviewing books. Still, I like the layout of your information. 🙂

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      2. I see with the books. That makes sense. Maybe it’s just me and others get it instead of me.

        I think the clearer or most descriptive the better. It helps if someone has a question and they find all the answers at one site :).

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    3. Hello. I like the layout of your blog – everything is easy to find. Perhaps you would benefit from adding the follow widget so people can subscribe via email. I like what you are trying to do with the blog so have followed. What I would suggest is perhaps including a ‘if you liked such a book(s) then read this’ I always am more likely to read something if I know it is like another book I enjoyed. Reviewing books can be hard, you cannot give away too much of the plot but also need to make it more than a simple blurbesque review. On my goodreads account I often do not review books anymore as I find it too challenging to get the balance right.

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      1. Hi Louise/Zack,

        I’ve checked out your blog and I really like the look of it too 🙂 there are some beautiful pictures on there and the layout is great – I’ll definitely add a subscribe widget like you have – great idea!

        I love the idea of of ‘if you liked…then read…’ – you’re so right about that. So, do you think I’ve achieved the difficult-to-access area between blurb and spoiler? That’s what I’m aiming for, but like you say it’s very difficult.

        I also may consider opening a goodreads account and publishing my reviews there.

        Good luck with your blogging and don’t give up on the reviewing.

        Thanks,

        Nathan

        Like

      2. Hi, sorry for late reply – crazy day yesterday.

        Thank you, good to know the layout is good as my aim was to have it easy to navigate. Glad you like the photos too, I have been putting more effort into my photography hobby recently so its nice to hear.

        I think you are close, perhaps err a little more on your personal feelings where possible. I know it is really hard to without giving spoilers.

        A lot of people who have review sites are on goodreads too, so it could help with followers.

        Good luck to you too,

        Louise

        Like

    1. I think most of your posts fit with the theme. I like your header too. I think your about is fine, and I like your blog.

      One thing you could also look into is giving GAPS recipes. The GAPS Diet or SCD Diet is about gut healing. It’s a really, really healthy diet. But, there’s no sugar, so there are a lot of opportunities for good recipes!

      Great Blog :)!

      Like

    2. I took a quick look as I don’t really do much cooking or ‘special’ cooking …but on your About page…I think you could elaborate a bit more about you and why you’re interested.. I don’t think you necessarily have to give a lot of personal information about yourself …just a little more so others can relate It’s just a little short on information…Maybe too you could give a link to one of your favorite posts to give someone who lands there an idea of how or what you write..I’ve only been blogging over a year and I’m certainly no expert…

      Just some thoughts….Diane

      Like

    3. What an awesome mission! Healthy living is critical and the world needs all the info it can get. 🙂 A couple of suggestions– your banner is high impact and I love it, but I’d probably love it the same if it was shorter. A benefit of making it shorter is that then your text would start earlier and I wouldn’t have to scroll to read your first post. 🙂 There’s a few typos in your about page (like a lowercase i) that can be cleaned up for easier reading… and I agree with Diane– people will want to know WHY you want to be a healthy eater. If people can relate, they’re far more likely to follow and participate. You can keep up your healthy-food theme, too, but changing the name from ABOUT to … I don’t know, something health food themed? 😀 I love your site, it looks really interesting, and as a “healthy food” eater myself, I’ll be following! 🙂

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      1. Thanks for the input. It’s appreciated. I need to brainstorm a little and adjust my “about” page. Although I’m not sure how to make my banner smaller considering its a template. I don’t think resizing the image would actually change the banner size. Any suggestions?

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      2. 🙂 No worries! I think you can just crop it so it’s equally wide, but less tall. Another site that uses your template is http://diamondmikewatson.wordpress.com/ and his is shorter, so I think it’s do-able! 🙂 If you don’t have a photo editing program, like Photoshop or Fireworks, you could download Picasa and that should do the trick. 🙂 Good luck!

        Like