Dec 22, 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. Yes this post is well-rounded, too the point, just long enough to capture the reader but short enough not to lose my attention. I particularly like how you take a casual tone of voice with the reader, almost like you are speaking to a friend. The only thing that throws me off is the poem at the end … I completely get where you are going with it but it makes me pause because even though Phil is speaking his mind, he’s doing so to silence or cut off a voice, not help promote one. This reminds me more of the Nazis cutting off the voice of the Jews than vice versa, but again thats just what comes up for me – and I DO understand the point you are trying to make with the poem.

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    1. I really liked it! I am inline with you. Except my problem is in energy drinks! I even get a little, ahem, grouchy if I don’t have at least on a day. :-/ I don’t know if I call it a resolution but definitely a change. Merry Christmas!

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      2. For each coffee you drink could be a minus in a energy drink so every bit helps :).

        @laugraeva i really liked your blog and i wouldn’t change anything in it 🙂
        Your primary focus was well explained on getting away from the sugar goodness 😉

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    2. I loved it. We did the same in the States. We went to New York for NYE 2010 and after a week we travelled to Orlando for 4 or 5 days then back up to NYC for a couple of days before coming home to UK. We LOVED the TV in the hotels accompanied by some of the most gigantic room service meals we’ve ever seen. My mum’s a business teacher and I’m studying business and marketing and we just loved comparing the advertising and promotions to how it’s done in the UK and I just loved all my trashy American crime dramas on permanent feed.

      The resolution is to go to the gym more, it’s not sloth that’s made me not go it’s over work during the hectic Christmas season and I’m managing through lack of time to eat to maintain my size but I miss the high and the energy that the gym gives me.

      I’m not an energy drink girl, if I intake any caffeine I literally bounce off walls for a moment and then collapse with a headache for hours and so I avoid it at all costs.

      Happy Chritmas!!

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      1. Wow! At least you understand the fixation with the American tele! Haha.
        Thank you, and Merry Christmas! 🙂

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    1. I like the blog, but you need to change the setting to make the blog title and tagline visible. Or, you could take your header image and create a new JPEG with text on top of it. When arriving at a blog, readers need to know immediately what the blog is. They won’t click on an “About” page for such basic information.

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    3. I love the photo at the top it makes me want to walk down that path and is very peaceful. I love the colours and the sharpness of it. I’m new to this so I’m no expert but the posts I read I enjoyed. I prefer to use bold to highlight or emphasise words rather than italics but that’s just me. I find it more visually impactful.

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    4. beautiful! I recommend you change the blog title so it best describes your intentions. as it is now, it could be perceived as a spambot! don’t stop writing or taking photos; – beautiful!

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  5. I wondered how others view the number of followers posted on a blog. My numbers were combined and inflated with Twitter and Facebook and were at about 9,000. I took it down since the numbers it may be off-putting.
    Do the number of followers attract or repel you from a blog?

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    1. I think it’s better to have less than too much, but it depends on other factors too.

      Both. If I see that a blog has a ridiculous amount of followers (meaning it causes me to wonder how they got so many followers in such a short time), I often won’t follow it. They already have so many people commenting, my comments will just get lost.

      If a blog has few followers, but updates frequently I’ll follow it. If they have barely any followers and never update, then I won’t follow it.

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      1. If a blogger sets up their blog to post on Facebook and Twitter, the number of subscribers are added to the total. I took it down and will be curious to see if it makes much of a difference in subscribers.

        Thanks so much for your input and Happy Holidays!

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    2. I don’t list the number of followers. There are two main reasons. One, it seems like a marketing tactic (the bandwagon), to me anyway. Yes, I would like people to read my posts, but not because other people follow my blog. I want people who find my posts to be interesting, intriguing, or inspiring to visit and read and comment regardless of others’ opinions. And that happens naturally as readers respond to what I’ve written and share my posts with others. The second reason is that I have all sorts of followers (real and spammy, and “likes” as well) who never actually read my posts. The stats show these data. The number of real readers is much, much lower than the number of followers so it’s a followers fallacy of sorts. The numbers just don’t add up for me. But I’m sure they do benefit others. It all depends on your own reasons and goals. Good luck with your decision.

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      1. You are so right! I did it to attract agents and editors that may be lurking since I finished a book. They want to see that a writer has high numbers for a writer’s platform. They were inflated by Facebook and 5000 twitter followers!

        I have taken it down. I realize that is a very small part in selling a book and could be deterring readers. Dang! I had it up there for about 6 months!

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      1. I just stopped by your blog and you only have a Home page set up. You may want to post some articles instead of using links. See if that attracts more followers.
        Somehow or other we can all get on the “You May Like” follow feed. I think you have to post articles, comment, and like other blogger’s work, but I really have no idea how it works.
        Congrats!

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    4. @susielandau
      Posting followers numbers is a deterrent to me choosing to follow any blog. Anyone who feels a need to post any numbers makes me feel like either (1) their numbers are low and they are begging or (2) their numbers are high and they are bragging.I don’t use publicize for either blog so the numbers on my Gravatar profile page are accurate.

      While we are on the subject of numbers I come here every week and find\some of the same bloggers have been link dropping here weekly for months, rather than building blogging communities around their own blogs and blogs in the same niche by commenting.

      Reality check 1: Most blogs started today will be either deleted or abandoned in 6 – 12 months time.

      Reality check 2: Likes are not equivalent to followers. Followers are not equivalent to friends. Page views do not reflect how well you write. They reflect only popularity.

      Do we bloggers really have enough time to create high quality relationships with a never ending number of people? Of course we don’t – become aware of Dunbar’s number and know we max out at 150 relationships. At most, most social media friends and followers that aren’t family members or face-to-face friends offline are online acquaintances whom you have never met and probably never will meet.

      The best plan for building followers is to challenge yourself to take the advice Staff provided in both blogs, locate relevant blogging tips blogs like Lorelle’s and mine so your improve your blogging savvy and writing skills, locate and comment meaningfully on blogs with similar content, and let the numbers will take care of themselves.

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      2. You know me. I am not a braggart.
        I’m lucky you continued following me!!! You probably knew that my numbers were waaaay inflated by Facebook and Twitter. I took some bad advice about attracting editors and agents since I just finished a book and they may check out my writer’s platform.
        I took them down and will see if it makes a difference!
        Thanks Timethief! Merry Christmas friend!

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      3. Dear Susie,
        You are a talented and vibrant person and although I guessed early on that you intended to publish a book and I made an exception for you. It was clear tyo me that you had received some advice somewhere about number, n umber, numbers – it’s all about numbers from a publisher or other writers because, I’ve been there and done that.

        We are sisters across the miles who have many common interests and that will not change. So please don’t be offended if I tend to back away or even unfollow if you use the blog to flog your book. You see, I tend to feel less inclined to visit any blog when it’s used to sell products or services. That’s not to say I don’t love you and the other writers and creators I know. It’s to say that I write for a living and I blog to distance myself from making my living via writing.

        Have a wonderful Christmas dancing on the grave of 2013 and welcoming 2014.

        Love always,
        titi

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      4. Thank you, Time Thief, for joining in on this conversation. You consistently and kindly offer such brilliant blogging advice.

        It seems that publishing agents who are lurking about at writers’ blogs could just as easily ask about stats, followers, etc., but perhaps I’m being naïve.

        On a personal note, numbers for the sake of numbers has always bothered me, even though I understand that they’re data, often useful, especially when a writer’s goal is to sell his or her works. I hope to learn all about this someday.

        Quality, though, always draws me in to read. In fact, quantity, whether a constant stream of social media shout-outs or blog posts that are churned out as content filler, tends to overwhelm me. But more than this, it sometimes irritates me because I want to spend my time reading posts thinking, wondering, questioning, learning, reflecting, being inspired, and, yes, simply being entertained.

        And, as you mentioned, I choose to follow and unfollow as desired. Sometimes humourous, snarky posts grab my entertainment attention, but then subsequent posts cross a line with me. Other times, heartfelt writings stir at my sensitivities, but then I later sense philosophical or spiritual sermons of sorts.

        Blogs, because they are usually written by one person, have personalities too. Because I write for other blogs (guest posts) and I write simply to share my stories at my blog, my posts can vary greatly from personal stories to the how-to type of personal development posts that literally litter the web. I haven’t noticed regular readers being put off by this, though, but how would I know other than by seeing stats drop? Readers of my blog are the kindest folks on the web so I miss out on negative criticism. And that’s okay. I trust they mean what they “like” and comment.

        I just write what I write. And sometimes my writing varies greatly. I think my niche is personal awareness or something of the sort. But if I was trying to sell a book or my writing skills, I would hope a publishing agent would just read my work. I understand, though, that the industry expects writers to have a platform and self-promote now. It seems writing has transformed from a tough into a tougher business to break into.

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    6. I didn’t realise that people were so affected by the numbers of people who follow someone to let it influence what they read or even more what they find interesting. It kind of goes against what most of us are programmed to do in life, by that I mean we buy best selling books, we go see best selling movies, we go to critically acclaimed plays that have had lots of ‘viewers’ because they wouldn’t last if they hadn’t had. Although I do tend to read and watch things that are ‘off the beaten track’ so to speak.

      I don’t know if I have my followers visible or not, I know I don’t have many because I’m new to this but I think it is perhaps something I should make sure is kept private after reading some of these comments. So away I go to take care of that.

      I’m agreeing with Pen of the Sheep, if the content appeals to me on any level I’ll read it, follow it, like it or whatever I feel like doing at the time.

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      1. I have blogged for 8 years and I don`t venture past the sidebar on any blog where blogger posts follower numbers, so I would not know how good their content is or not. I`m aware I`m not typical of the mainstream blogger, who has been programmed to believe that more is better and that many is best. I posted above in response to susielindau because I thought it would be important for some newcomers to hear my point of view.

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      2. That is such a great point Neffy! . Personally, I follow a lot of popular blogs and have become pretty good friends of recommended bloggers. Many have several thousand followers. It never deterred me or made me think they were bragging. I just liked what they wrote!
        Thanks for weighing in and Happy Holidays to you!

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      3. I think its just conjecture, I cannot find any evidence that a blog displaying the high number of followers is a deterrent to would be followers, I myself have a free mind and follow blogs that appeal to me, if also that was the case blogs would also stop growing in popularity. Like the previous commentator has mentioned about best selling books, the number of book sales can be found and normally is displayed on sites that sell books, they also advertise the books as ‘Best sellers’
        Could the statement about followers numbers be another of these ‘truths’ that is made up by certain people because of jealousy, because they are not getting the followers as they would like.
        One of my degrees is in psychology and its human behaviour to follow what is popular and I have observed, books, DVD’s, boy bands, TV programmes, cars blah blah. Its a bit of mass hysteria, a bit of ‘I want because you have’ syndrome and its I want it because I like it.

        As far as I am concerned people will follow your blog, visit it, like it, do what ever with it because they want to and if they are influenced because of a set of numbers well they have not the intelligence to decide for themselves and not worth bothering with.

        I have very little follows, I don’t display the numbers so if it was the case I would have followers coming out my ears, but I don’t, who care.

        I write my blog for myself not for others, I am not selling anything, I am not supporting a cause, or writing a book – If people wish to follow me then they will find the follow tab, if not its not going to put me up or down.

        As a footnote. Unless I can look into your eyes then your a friend, If I look at your I’s then you are someone I know of online – That is life.

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      4. I love your quote! Yes,. It probably comes down to personality types and becomes a wash in the long run. I took it down and watch over the next month to see if it makes a difference.
        Thanks for your input! Happy Holidays!

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      5. Thank you, I have my moments when these quotes pop into my head lol. Keep in touch on how your numbers increase or decline, I would be interested in how it turns out. Merry Christmas to you are yours 🙂

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    7. I’d have to agree….I’m instantly turned off by the numbers. There are some I still read, but I’d much prefer to not see them. I also think they mean very little. I know I have several “followers” who never read or comment on my blog. So really, I think they are misleading and not necessary.

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      1. Thanks to everyone for responding! I’m not sure if everyone will see my response.

        I had posted the numbers with advice from others who had published books. I am not a braggy person at all. I did it because I finished a novel and am looking for an agent. They said that it appeals to agents and editors that may be lurking and want to see a writer’s platform..

        I took the inflated numbers down a few days ago. 5000 of them were Twitter followers!

        Thanks again and Happy Holidays to everyone!

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      2. You never know if they are reading or not, I follow certain people, as I love reading what they write, but I may have nothing to comment on. It’s like reading a good book you don’t email or phone the author you just carry on reading their next book. This is what I find about communities online people expect an answer, a comment, remark about this and that, sometimes people wish to read, enjoy, move on. I spend my evening reading posts on blogs of all kind but very rarely comment unless I am moved by what I read in someway. I don’t expect people to comment all the time on my blogs, when people do I appreciate the comments more. I have a visit counter, it doesn’t tell me who has read what, if anything. So relax about numbers it is really not important to the functionality or imagination of you blogs. 🙂

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  7. Just looking for input on my grammar… English is my fourth language and always comb my posts for English grammar issues since my spoken English is interlaced with Irish slang. Trying to avoid too much slang but hard to do so if it helps explain or bring across Irish topics. Either way, any kind of language comments are welcome! My link is http://ireland-ms.com

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  10. Hi everyone! Looking for some feedback on my poetry blog:
    notenoughpoetry.wordpress.com

    I am interested in feedback on the poetry, the layout, and anything that I could do to make the blog easier to read.

    I will be happy to check out your blog and do the same for you 🙂

    Thank you!

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    2. The layout is good, clean and easy to read your posts.
      I agree with The Bookworm.
      Post when your mind tells you or do what my cousin does and grab a pen and notepad and write things down as something comes to you.

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    1. Bah! I wish I knew when the best time was to post. I try to post Friday and Saturday nights, but that’s because I work so late most other nights, and figure people are typically up later those nights. I really enjoyed what I read. Merry Christmas!

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    2. Hi – The photo of the butterfly on the water makes me want to cry. Have you looked at the help section? You might want an ABOUT page, an ARCHIVE page (read about MORE buttons), and look at what other people do for their HOME pages. I know you will do well – Silent

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    3. I love the design and layout. I love Freefalling and I also loved your stocking stuffer ideas. I shall definitely be borrowing one or two of those ideas, loved Reinbeer and the oven glove stuffed with baking things. I leave everything to last minute and these are really useful ideas which I can put together from the supermarket without having to venture into shopping centres and high streets tomorrow.

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      1. Thanks – I’ve moved things around and made the follow me button easier to spot. I’m not selling anything though. 🙂 My stories are free.

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      2. You’re welcome, Kate. I am dyslexic too. I visited your blog and I liked it. I will follow it form my other username account when I log in under it. Happy holidays!

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  13. Hi, I would very much appreciate some input. I want to start a new blog, I’ve done one before but due to family health issues, have had to discontinue it. I would like to be able to have one that permits use of photos with ease. This blog will centre around daily comments with photos of things taken on walks around my home city as well as places I will visit. I want a simple theme for this. Is this enough information to permit feedback?
    Thanks,
    Ron

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    1. I’d just choose one of the templates and get started. You’ll learn how to adapt as you go along, that’s what I’m doing. I find it easy to add photos and have a gallery in the sidebar too and from not having a clue what I was doing a few days ago I’m getting the hang of it gradually.

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  16. Hi! I would love some more feedback on my blog, but especially my post “First Date With PTSD” and “Happy Birthday Dear Jarhead Here’s a Nightmare for You” …

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      1. It’s nice to have an external view on depression, and you’ve gone into just the right amount of detail, but the phrase “mental case” is a pretty offensive term and maybe one to avoid in future.. A few grammatical errors but otherwise well-written and easy to read.

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      2. I have read both accounts and depression is depression, I have suffered many years with it, it started after my motorbike accident when I realised that my life will be different, but it could have even been back to when I had a breakdown in the Air Force. The phrase ‘mental case’ I don’t find it offensive, I find it amusing, depression is a serious condition and suffering with it is hellish and explaining to people that you have not the will or the energy to pull yourself out of bed. So any humour how ever small is a must and calling ones self or being called a ‘mental case’ is neither here or there and really who cares, it is just another label, the important thing is the treatment and the best treatment one can get. 🙂

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      4. I left a comment on the actual blog post, but I just wanted to say that after reading this I felt worried. I hope both you and him are seeking counseling and are getting professional help. The future counselor in me just wanted to make sure you guys are getting help =) I don’t mean to offend, I just care!
        ❤
        Christina
        http://lifebeinggirly.com/

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      5. Kitty- I apologize if I offended you, I will try to be more careful in the future. Some of these posts are written from different perspectives though and I do want to make sure it reflects how I or whoever the viewpoint is really feeling during the event. My mom always jokes that she is a “mental case” because she has so much going on so growing up that’s never been an issue to us. Also being surrounded by military conversation can be a little less politically correct than civilian conversation so I wasn’t probably even thinking about it, but I understand how it can be taken the wrong way! Also, I know grammatical errors drive me nuts and Im trying to clean it up, I post a lot on my kindle which makes it a pain to type. Thank you for the feedback!

        Pete & Pen of the Sheep – thank you both for taking a look and your kind words! I appreciate it!

        Girlychristina – I’m replying to your comment on the blog now 🙂

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    1. When I started, I just scrolled though all of the “free” ones and checked out the structure until I found one I liked. It’s not permanent. You can go back and change to different one if you want to. 🙂 Just have fun!

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      1. Yep, have fun with it! 🙂 Look at all the free themes, see what they are like in “live demo” mode. Think about what you would like to see in a blog and how it fits with your chosen blogging voice. Playing with different themes is part of the fun!

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    2. Hi Jamisonam – Why don’t you pick a topic and read some of the blogs. Find some layouts you like, and some features that speak to you Your hard will lead you to the right answer. Find those special things that are you. Silent

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    1. Hi – I wish I could find your ABOUT page, so I could learn more about you. And, you might want to think about an ARCHIVE page (use the MORE button) so people can pick and chose what to read. And have fun – Silent

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    2. I love the look of your blog! It is gorgeous and I was drawn right in!
      I would add an about page. Read other blogger’s pages for ideas. Good luck and Happy Holidays!

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  20. Hello bloggers! 🙂 It would be really nice of you if you could pay a visit to my blog and give me a feedback about it.. 🙂 Recently I added an article titled ‘Frozen’ . It would be really great to know your opinions on it… here’s the address: http://shaimul95.wordpress.com/

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    1. I love the look of your blog and I love your writing. I think it’s awesome that people write blogs to improve or develop a talent or that they just want somewhere to record their thoughts or check in with the world.

      My mum blogs to leave us a story of her life, not just memories of anecdotes but a real living day by day, blow by blow account of her feelings, her thoughts, her memories, her highs and her lows. She says it’s there to go to when she has gone, in it we will find counsel on what she would have done in a given situation, we will find her advice, her support and her love and well… just her. I really love that and while I hope it’s a long time before we use it for that I just feel that whatever we blog for is valid and good.

      Communication is good. Your blog already shows your essence and I’m sure people who know you and people who don’t will enjoy getting to know you more.

      I have a tiny bit of advice and I know I’m guilty of doing it myself, but paragraphs will break up the text a bit.

      Keep it up, I felt chilly and fresh when reading your latest post, your descriptions work well 😀

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      1. Thank you very much for paying a visit to my blog 🙂 It’s really good to know that you like my descriptions and writing 🙂 And I will surely take into account your advice of splitting the text into paragraphs when i write my next piece.. 🙂 By the way, I really like your mother’s notion of writing blog..I mean after all you people will get the chance to live her life through her writings 🙂 Salute to her for the brilliant approach she is taking to familiarize you people with the contexts of real life by citing her own as an example..

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  23. Hi there, ‘writethroughlife’. On the ideal time to post anything, I think it depends on your motive.
    If you’re going for top readership, consistency is important. You may choose to post daily, once a week, or even once a month, or twice a week, anyway … just as long as you’re consistent. I think consistency helps. It also gives you enough space and time to relax and focus on the quality of your posts, so when readers come they know they’re getting something good.
    Personally, I post anytime I have something worth posting. In a sense, I ‘write through life’. 😉 There’s less pressure to meet a deadline that way. I also try to maintain a life outside my blog, so this helps.
    So I think the point is to find what works for you and keep at it. Writing can be fun if you love it. And looking at a masterpiece and watching the number of views increase is so amazing.
    Sorry, um…I dont know if this answered your question much. But, hey, I went through your blog. Loved the one about ‘Free Falling’. I could identify with it a lot. I’ve had times when I had to let go, but wanted to hold on to stuff. But I find freedom when I trust God and let Him take me forward, like the wind to the leaf in your poem.
    I’m reading from a phone, so I can’t really get the full layout. Still, I say keep it up. You’ve got a good thing going there.
    God bless ya!
    Merry Christmas.
    😀

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  25. I have a variety of content (stories and videos) which demonstrate the interests of self-directed learners. I recently added pages below the title of my blog, Intrinsic Lifestyle, to add structure. In your opinion, what is working and what isn’t working with regard to layout of my blog and the varied content? (BTW: I follow those who provide feedback.)
    kristinshermanolnes.com

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    1. Hmmm…

      When I visit a blog, I usually like to see a tagline to explain, front and center, what the blog is about. This is especially true when the blog title (like “Intrinsic Lifestyle”) does not provide any information to that effect.

      HOWEVER…

      Your menu underneath the title may be accomplishing that same function and there’s something to be said for not cluttering things up. So, perhaps, maybe just change the menu text color to the same red as your blog title. Or to black. The gray just gets lost.

      Also, I really like the background image. When people have borders like that, a lot of people will have tiled images that are either too big or too small. Yours fits and looks good.

      Lastly, don’t worry about the follow… unless of course you’d actually read anything I’d write. I don’t worry too much about those numbers.

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    1. Hi,

      I love the title of your blog. You have beautiful thoughts in your blog.

      When I started, I had all my blogs on my HOME Page. After a while, I could not find anything. I read about MORE and made it easier for people to scroll through my posts. Then I read about ARCHIVE pages. So I made a new HOME page (maybe it makes for people to find my stories), and moved all my blogs to the ARCHIVE page. I also made an ABOUT page, so people could read about me, if they wished.

      I am so excited for you – Silent

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  28. Hi all, just after some general feedback as I’m pretty new to blogging, and am always in search of people with similar themes to follow.
    climbeverymolehill.wordpress.com

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      1. It is, and that is what I was going for. I’m bored of being embarrassed about the ways my brain works, so I’m sharing with others some of the ways brains can interpret the world.

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    1. Your header image has a typo. No matter how good your blog is and how good that image is (and it’s a great image otherwise), the prominent typo will turn people away.

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      1. Yeah, I feel a little this. Thanks for notifying! 🙂 Would you tell me where you think I make mistake in header. Then I have to see to it.

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  30. Simple question: Do you put your comments in chronological order (oldest first) or do you show the most recent comments at the top? And do you nest or not? Discuss!

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      1. I didn’t mean posts, I was asking about comments made by other bloggers on the post, which, like these comments, are displayed below the post. Do you recommend oldest first or newest first.

        As far as nesting, that’s how these comments are. When you replied to my comment, your reply is indented beneath mine. This reply to yours will likewise be indented even further. That’s called nesting. If comments are not nested, then they just appear in a line one right after the other, as if each comment was unique.

        Like