May 4, 2014 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The Community Pool is for those of you looking for feedback, 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 . .

TIP: 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.

  • 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. If you simply leave a link to your blog, it’s likely to be overlooked.
  • 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.
  • No running on the deck.
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    1. Mara, I like your blog and since it’s about photos, no, I don’t think there are too many at all. I’m not a photographer, but they look good to me! I did think the red ink against black was a bit jarring on the monitor I’m using. It probably looks a lot different on your home screen. You might want to experiment with other colors. I’d be interested in your opinion about my website realsouthernwomen.com.
      Louise

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      1. Oh, thanks a lot for your feedback! Yes, the colours of my blog are disputable — I’m not quite settled with them and I do consider trying something easier on the eye. Thank you for pointing it out!

        Your blog has a very interesting and specific subject! I think I’ll need to browse some of your articles to see more… 🙂

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    2. Mara, I think you have the right amount of photos in each gallery and all are consise and followthe theme of their respective catagories. I would like to see is also a general gallery of your best work, but thats just me. Nice shots BTW.

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    3. Mara,
      I like the site. Definitely enjoy the size and layout in that it’s easy for me to see and not overcrowded with too much. I love photographs but a busy site overloads me. Going to follow you. I like the photos a lot.

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      1. Thank you a lot, you’re too good! I’m glad that it works; I wasn’t sure, so it feels reassuring and it helps a lot! Happy blogging to you, I see you’re an avid writer, so wishing you lots of inspiration 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    4. Hey Mara, I like your blog! About your page: I think for a gallery page it is maybe better to have full-size pictures? It’s more eye popping and values the photography better.. Try changing the color scheme of your blog, white or black works well for photography blogs 🙂
      Keep up the good work!

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      1. Hello Mariska, thanks a lot for your tips! These never occurred to me, so it’s a great help! I’ll definitely try it out and see if it works. Thank you again for your extremely helpful feedback!

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      1. Thanks! If some of the photos are out of focus, then it would be either artistic intention (haha) or the fact that I shoot with a simple compact camera rather than with a DSLR camera, which I don’t own 😉 Happy blogging!

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    6. Mara, I thought your pictures were beautiful (certainly not too many) and liked the different angles and how they laid out perfectly in a rectangle. I like your sarcasm in your writing also; the way your blog is laid out is very clean and the fact you have a community section to engage readers is a wonderful idea. It’s a great personal blog!
      If you have the chance I’d love your feedback on my blog also; I’m very new to blogging (3 weeks!) and sure would appreciate the help in making it better!

      Happy blogging!

      Loww
      http://www.lifeofloww.com

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      1. Oh, thank you a lot, these are sweet words! You almost made me feel conceited 😉

        But, I’m happy that I found your blog, I’m absolutely in love with your last post — the short video from the car — I’m totally for these silly videos (silly is meant as compliment)!

        I can’t believe you’ve been blogging for three weeks only, you’ve got plenty of content on your blog already! I took the liberty of following you on Twitter, it looks like fun 😀

        So, thanks again and happy blogging!

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    9. I am a huge organizer by nature, everything must have a place. I must say that your blog is the most organized I’ve ever seen. Everything is so perfectly categorized, and easy to navigate. It’s so well sort out that it draws your reader to keep clicking away. Personally, I love the red against the black. It highlighted exactly what I needed to see. I am coveting your space since I’m still trying to figure out this whole site building thing. And CSS is like a foreign language to me.I would love to block out each section as you have and I love your social network page. Genius. My main reason for starting a blog was so the world can hear me when I have something to say. I also want everyone to feel that what they have to say is important and should be spoken. There’s always going to be someone to listen.

      I love your pictures. I’m not a professional photographer, but as someone who takes a million pictures of everything, yours are perfect. They capture exactly what you want us to see and not tainted by all the latest technology of filtering and photoshopping. I have started to follow your blog and will carve out some extra time to continue navigating.

      Happy Blogging Neighbor!

      Elke

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      1. Hello Elke! Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I see that you’re a newbie, so here’s my warm welcome to the blogging community 🙂

        You got me: I’m obsessively organised, it feels great to meet a fellow sufferer! (Because seriously, often it’s painful to organise things all the time; says a person who has her clothes sorted by colour, books sorted by the alphabet etc…) It means a lot to me to hear that my blog is well organised, that was what I was aiming at!

        Also great to meet a fellow photo fan — I too take million pictures of everything, so it’s probably just numbers that some of them turn out relatively well 🙂

        I followed you via Twitter and I’m looking forward to exploring your blog and watching how you’ll go on developing it — I’m sure you’ll soon get the hang of things and even learn CSS (it can’t be so hard, considering that I learned it!).

        Thank you once again for getting in touch and happy blogging to you!

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  2. Hi friends!

    I have been trying to write a lot of haiku off late. For some reason they seem to have captured by heart! Would love to hear your thoughts on my latest one , Thank you!

    Change : Haiku

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    4. It’s a beautiful poem, and it definitely has a “haiku-esque” (There I go making up words again.) feel to it, but it doesn’t quite fit the bill of being a haiku, or even a Senryu. If it fit the form more firmly (5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables) it would at least be a Senryu, which differ from Haiku only in subject matter.

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      2. I get what you mean . like a haiku feel to it , right? I shall correct my ‘haiku-esque” and turn that into “haiku”. Thank you for your words and your encouragement 🙂

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    5. I love it. I’m more of a free form writer (if that’s a thing). I don’t follow rules about writing, never studied it either etc. so I cannot comment on how accurate of a haiku it is but I absolutely love the content. Thought provoking. I’ll definitely be thinking on it.

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      1. Thank you , i am sure we have that in common , but they tell me if i am gonna call it a haiku i have to obey that , but then for me creativity flows , deep down without thought. So i need to work on it.

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      2. I agree! whatever comes out comes out…. I am not good at putting out the content within the parameters of Haiku etc. but then again I’ve not tried it too much. I have so much respect for those who can let it flow and format it within traditional rules, or even those like yourself who even attempt it. Either way, whatever your pieces are called “haiku”, nothing, etc. they are great content.

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    2. This looks like fun and an awesome idea. I might just jump on the bandwagon and try to do this challenge too! PS I completely sympathize: “drowninginroughdrafts” my life story. I just went through my book this morning and folded the corners of all the rough draft pages…… it is a little ridiculous… I need to get on some finished product type stuff! Can’t wait to catch up on more of your posts in the challenge and possibly work on my own!

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      1. Thanks! Yeah, I had a TON OF rough drafts before, but I’m posting everyday, so the pile has gotten a little smaller.

        Well, I hope you do join me! It’s a lot of fun. After I finish this challenge, I’m going to do more 🙂

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      1. Me too. I think it can make a fun, interesting blog with lots of debate and comments. I appreciate the follow.

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      1. It took me a minute to get that but I finally did.

        A little waa once in a while makes me feel better and I do enjoy the journey a little more. Thanks for the inspiration.

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      1. Thanks for the follow and I will be adding to the site probably soon. It’s still a fairly new endeavor. Will take your suggestions into consideration.

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  5. Here’s an article I wrote last night, entitled “Male Nurse Fired for Being ‘A Real Shit-Disturber'”

    Male Nurse Fired for Being “A Real Shit-Disturber”

    I’d love it if people read it and commented on the article with their thoughts? I don’t really much care for “likes,” but feel free to do that too if you don’t freakin’ hate it and stuff.

    What *I* like are COMMENTS, you know? THAT is feedback. 🙂

    Also, maybe tell me how to get those little buttons like Facebook and Twitter and stuff to stay under my articles? Tried to enable them last night. Failed. Boo-urns.

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    1. Dude, that was awesome! I thoroughly enjoyed that!

      Wait, you’re commenting on your OWN link, you moron!

      “Yeah, but I thought it was good! I just want them to help me make it better and stuff!”

      Uh, okay – that’s fine. But try to have a little class about this. Remember your blog etiquette, Offensive Playbook.

      “…sorry, Me.”

      *Sigh* We’ll get through this. Always do.

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    2. Well i am sure the male nurse is a funny guy 😛 as for the facebook and twitter buttons all you have to do is go to Settings->Sharing and add the buttons! Wish you luck man 😀

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      1. Woot! Thanks nadig7! I see now that all the icons I “dragged and dropped” are under the “share” umbrella, staying dry.

        Oh! And THANK YOU for becoming my 99th follower! You will forever be the Wayne Gretzsky of my blog!

        Here that, everybody?

        No pressure here, but SOME lucky person is going to pop by “100 cherry” – maybe it could be YOU?!

        …be gentle.

        …be kind.

        …and most of all, be supportive.

        😛

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      2. Beards. And cartoons. As long as is isn’t about shooting things, I don’t like that. But beards and cartoons will definitely make a bestseller.

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    5. Scott,
      Your article is well-written, professional and interesting. Kept me going all the way to the end and that usually takes good writing. Would it be possible to put it into a font that is a little larger and easier on the eyes? I’ll for sure be following your stuff if you do!

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      1. JE Buckingham!

        Hey! Thank you so much for taking the time to read. Just added today’s daily post as I heard my phone “Buh-rinnng!” to inform me of your comment.

        (I love that sound, by the way! 🙂 )

        YES! I mean to tinker with the font size a bit, because it is a little small, you’re right. In the meantime, if your mouse has a “scroll wheel,” you can hold CTRL + toggle the wheel and increase the fonts very easily.

        Alternatively, hold control and press “+” or “-” on your top row there and it’ll do the same thing, on Mac or PC.

        But thank you…and thanks for the input, I appreciate it. I aim to give the blog a better look very soon. If you were to follow now, I’ll prove it to you! 😉

        I’m so swamped though, you have no idea. So that’s going to have to wait a bit, because the “eye appeal is half the meal” they say, and it will require my full attention.

        Oh, and “Scott” is just the guy in the article.

        I’m James.

        Nice to meet you! 😀

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    6. Hey, yeah James! Thanks for considering it. I do know about the abilities to make the font bigger and know about myself that if I have to do the changing, I won’t and I’ll end up skipping it cuz, well, you know, cuz I’m lazy and hurried, and just basically trying to squeeze as much juice out of my un-often free time as possible. But, sure! I’ll go back and check it out. Thanks, James! And nice to meecha’ also! (PS Could you also please tell me if my home page is as off-the-hook as my wife says? If it is, it will be back to the drawing board…Boohiss.) 🙂

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    1. The post looks good 😉 What I love most about your blog is the design though — it’s all very organic and very girly, as it should be, considering your blog title and content 😉

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    2. First off, your blog is beautiful. 🙂 Great choice of background photo for your subject matter! I like the post, though I do say it is a little long with the transcript of the speech. Especially with the italics, it became hard to read. Do you have the ability to do block quotes? That might help. You might also consider just giving excerpts and pointing to the full speech…

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    1. Wow! Your blog is stunning! The design is beautiful, a perfect fit for your content, and so are your photos! 101 and 201 clearly did you good! 🙂

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      1. Thanks, much appreciated taking the time out to check out the blog and the follow of twitter. 101 and 102 was time well spent, I would recomend it to all.

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    3. Beautifully laid out and I think your theme really shows off your photos at their best. One small thing was the titles for each of your photos were written above the photo. I would usually think when reading that that title was for the photo above, a tiny point for the sake of feed back.

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      1. Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog tric, I would move the text two as it seems more natural but that is the way the theme has it, I will take a look to see if it can be changed.

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      2. I wouldn’t fret about it. After a few seconds it is fairly obvious. As I was saying it was just for the point of feedback but if it can’t be changed no matter, because this is showcasing your work very well.

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    4. Hi Ben,
      I feel a little bit like Tric who said that the captions above the photos were a bit confusing. For me, when there are so MANY fabulous shots, the captions are actually distracting as well as confusing! It’s probably just me but when I see great photography I want to focus my eyes on the details of the shot and anything else for me is annoying. IMHO, few shots with more spacing with captions – below; or same number of shots with no captions; or can you make shots grouped into a stack and labeled by theme? Again, just my humble opinion so take out of it what you want. Again, I love the photography!

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      1. I like some of the suggestions. On the main page I can’t change the titles in anyway as the theme doesn’t allow it. The way I see this main page, it is a place where people can get an overview of posts, as I post images as well as photographic musings and some tutorials. I also have the menus at the top which group posts more. Thanks for your suggestions.

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    6. I agree with some of your other commenters. Pics are great. I think your headline titles are less-than striking. But hey, maybe that’s by design. Nice blog

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    1. The posts do look interesting, but maybe the blog design could use some tweaking… I’d prefer more images in the posts and maybe some more content in the sidebar, more widgets, for example, even image widgets would be great 🙂 Hope it helps!

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    2. Excellent. It’s like you were writing my life. Definite have a follower in me now. Thanks for posting. I like the blog itself in that it looks professional and easy on the eyes. I’m jealous.

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    3. I know it is a very scary thing at times to reveal such personal details about life, but I think you handled it well in your post. Thanks too for the nomination. Getting to it soon…

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      3. I just build my “about.me page” hope it looks good.
        let me know what you think about it and my posts too.. if you have time to check em out 🙂

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      4. Oh, now it’s much better, I like the about.me widget! Still, I’m not quite sure what your blog is about — maybe you’re not quite sure yourself, which is perfectly OK 😉 Your blog is relatively new, so I’m sure you’ll soon get the hang of blogging and all! You’re on a good way.

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      5. you’re right, i haven’t figured it out yet..at first i wanted my blog to be about travel. but i haven’t traveled so much and i had all these other ideas so i started doing non travel related posts too.. wish i could connect all of this somehow..

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      6. No hassle; you probably noticed that I called my blog just “Personal Blog”, which covers everything 🙂 In the course of time, I slowly figured out what I blog about most often and then came categories, regular features and whatnot. It only needs time, soon your vision will be much clear!

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    2. I like the stuff you post, long and detailed; I was especially pulled in by he fact that you like art. My only wish is for you to post more, otherwise i’m fine with everything else.

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      1. Thank you so much 🙂
        I will try and post more often from now on. im just a little scared that if i do too many.. they might come off as boring or silly.

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      2. I understand the feeling you’re talking about, its a good idea to pace yourself and not burn out. It would probably be a good idea if you keep a Calendar on your blog, it’ll make it easier for your followers to know when you post; plus, it keeps a steady routine.

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    4. I’m new too, so I can’t comment on the look etc. I’m always too focused on the content which I love. Keep it up. I’ll be looking out for your new posts!

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    5. Hey Maria. My only real suggestion is to flesh out your About Me. section. Personally I’m more likely to follow and engage with those I know a little more about

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  10. I’ve been waiting for Community Pool this week to ask this question of ya’ll out there. Now that I’m fumbling around trying to tape, edit, and post a video of my painting processes on my blog, when I post the link, there is no image of the video attached to the link. Just the text of the link itself. It works, but I see other blogs with the video image right in the blog. How do I do that? Thanks for any help or thoughts. You all are awesome 🙂 http://sbhansenart.com/2014/05/04/didgeridoo-eggs/

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  11. I added a new header image, but feel like it separates my header words from my content too much. Any tips on how to better integrate the image with the title and other information at the top of the page?

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    1. Hm, you don’t like your header? I do! Honestly. It’s no issue to me that the blog title is separated from the blog content by the header.

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    2. I see what you mean about the separation but I like it. In truth it makes it a little different from what I have seen. Oh and I love your cat post. Our cat has helped me recover from an accident. I’m a follower now. Can’t help but follow a fellow teacher. Okay, I used to teach. 🙂

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    3. Something less abstract? Something along the lines of the Maya Angelou quote that would give new readers an idea straight away of what motivates you and what they can expect to read about?

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  12. एक समय था सोनिआ राजीव को राजनीती त्यागने को कहती थी। राजीव PM बने जबरदस्त बहुमत हाशिल किया मगर दूसरी बार चुनाव हार गये। तीसरी बार चुनाव दौरान LTTE ने हत्या करदी। सोनिआ राजनीती से दूर रह कर देख रही थी, मौका देख सीताराम कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष को आसन से उठा सड़क पर फेंकवा कर अध्यक्ष पद बैठी ओर आज तक बैठी है। १० साल अपरोक्ष राज्य कर अब आपने शहजादे को PM की कुर्शी पे बैठiने को जीजान से लगी हैँ !

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    1. Absolutely! Keep it exactly the way it is! LOL (Sorry, just couldn’t resist. I really wish I could understand that beautiful alphabet. It’s really striking!)

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    1. Yes, a lesson learned. I’m happy with my decision to keep my blogging private from everyone, including my family. Hope the trouble is over for you now! All the best ❤

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    2. I’ve gone more public in the past few months and at times hesitate before pressing publish. I definitely think it does take away from the honesty of some of what i would write if I knew certain people were not going to write.
      Sorry to hear of your hassle. That was tough for you. Glad you decided to stick with it as you have obviously built up a successful blog.

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      1. Thank you very much – I think the longer we blog, the more confidence we build… It’s a shame that people in my personal life tried to turn it into a negative thing!

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    4. I’ve been concerned about the same issue. And I use my blog, that I only recently started as my own therapy. I try to keep it to areas that just helps get the thoughts out of my head. But I do make sure of what I post that it isn’t something that mike get me in a jam. But who knows what one will want to use? 🙂 Liked your site, and am a follower now.

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    5. Oh maaaan! Unh hunh. The minute you mention ANYTHING about teaching, it’s ready-aim-fire, be it pro, con, or indifferent. I am SOO sad that it happened to you! I can only imagine the hurt. Anyway, this is exactly why I will never link my FB page to my personal – and – anonymous blog site. Never. Not ever. Some people just like to be mean. Go figure. I can’t see the point in it, personally, but there we have it. Now, one idea would be to blog anonymously and then the Meanies won’t be able to get to you. Or, as your mum said, keep your own counsel… but then, why blog, right? Good luck! We are with you all the way, whichever way you choose to go!

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    6. I really enjoyed this and am glad that you’ve decided to keep on blogging! This made me really think about my decision as a new blogger whether or not to keep it private from “real-life”.

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    7. I’ve read a couple of your posts before today and you write very engagingly – so poor them if they didn’t take the best out of reading it.

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    8. I keep my blog fairly private. I do think I’ve got some controversial pieces on my page and a lot of people in my life know shockingly little about me. I am now at a point in my life where I’ve decided that if people come across it in my personal life that I’ve not personally shared it with then so be it. My posts are very personal and I mean what I say. So although I’m not sharing it with many people in my family or personal / professional life, I’ve decided that if they come across it and have an issue, the issue will remain theirs. I’ve thought a lot about this topic but I love that you’ve posted about it (even without getting into too much detail). I think it is a must read for any new blogger because including the people in your real life needs to be a conscious decision. Great post and thank you for sharing. I know it will help people who haven’t thought so much about the topic.

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  14. Interested in politics and international relations? Here’s an article I wrote, entitled ‘The Rift Between Erdogan and Gulen’

    ‘The world is monitoring the big dissent between the AK Party government and the Gulen movement. Yet, the reasons behind the rift, mainly, remain a mystery to most of the people. In this post, I will be discussing the factors which lead to the disagreement.’

    http://nevager.com/2014/05/02/the-rift-between-erdogan-and-gulen/

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    1. I like the post and it seems like the right length. The one advice I have to you is to be careful with the self-deprecation. It’s a little jarring to read an opinion piece and have someone say “my opinion doesn’t count”. Of course it does. 🙂 That’s what blogging is about; don’t be afraid to say what you think.

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  16. Hey all! I’d love some feedback about the pages that I have in my menu. What do you think of the organization? I got the idea from WordPress to do a “best of” but I turned it into a senior year-relevant category. 🙂 Thanks!

    neverstationary.wordpress.com

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    1. It looks perfectly organised to me! I love it that there are a few major categories and then several scrolldown subcategories for each. Very user friendly, in my opinion 🙂

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  17. Thanks in advance! My site is new and intended to be a writer’s website with a blogging element. Looking for feedback on design and maneuverability (and any other feedback you wish to offer!)

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    3. Hello Sharon, it has the right feel for a writer’s blog (I would know, I’ve been at this 3.5 years) and the theme is good without being too loud or simple.

      I would suggest using the MORE tag for your posts though, personally I don’t like seeing a whole post from the main screen, I like to read the headline and a few lines as intro and scroll down to see articles of interest. Take a look at mine to see what I mean (you’ll need to click through to the blog though as I have a static page as my front page)

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    4. Like it a lot. And liked your recent post. Am a follower now. I have been trying to figure out what to do with my own writer’s site and am new as well. You have better taste than I do.

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    5. Hi Sharon. Maybe its me but I didn’t get a clear impression that your blog was about writing. Maybe something in the About section (which had a lot of personality–kudos) might clear that up a bit

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      4. And you’re not?! I think that’s the first thing that we don’t have in common! I take it you’re looking forward to Eurovision? All your posts have got me really geared up for it!

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      5. Haha. No, I only like Doctor Who – believable Science Fiction lol. Very excited for Eurovision. Don’t think I’ll manage to complete all my older concert reviews beforehand but yeah blogging/tweetering has given me a whole new outlook on it this year!

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      9. I liked this! I liked that you started out with your disappointment about television, and then went into depth about your television memories. It was a good structure for the post.

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  19. Hi bloggers
    I’ve discovered the fun in writing poems and having them uploaded onto my blog.
    I suppose I am like a child discovering a sweet shop.
    I have had a few comments on some of the more passable poems but would love to get any constructive comments you may have.
    Remember its good to talk

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    1. Your poems look very good! I have no criticism on your poetry, but I’d like to see some images on your blog. Text-only blogs look a bit unfriendly to me… Even though the focus is understandably on your poetry, an image here or there wouldn’t hurt 🙂

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    1. 1. In the first post, it was impossible to read the pink on white background so I gave up trying. The second one – the poem – was much clearer.
      2. The blog is quite visually appealing. Nicely done. You could make the header a little smaller, though, because it takes up most of the space on the page.
      3. Proofread your posts before you publish, making sure that your punctuation is standardized: if you are going to put 2 spaces between the words and the punch., then do so, but make sure it is consistent throughout.
      4. Post a request on this board again, using standardized English. I imagine you will receive more replies.

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    1. I think it depends on who you’re trying to reach. I like content that teaches me something or gives me news so your motivational content isn’t really for me. I’d say you’re looking at people who enjoy poetry and short motivational or meditation starters. Which is totally cool. Not saying you need to change anything; just food for thought.

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    2. I’m intrigued. At first I sort of blew off the Strawberry piece and scrolled down saying that was not my cup of tea. I read Impromptu and loved it so I skimmed hours of light. Then I went back up and checked out the Strawberry piece and liked it. I guess I was just not in the right state to read the first one, but after giving it a fair chance I love that it is playful yet serious. I think you’ve got an original style and I can appreciate it. Keep it up.

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  22. Hi all! My blog is all about food, health and naturopathic care. I’m thinking of doing weekly posts dissecting relevant and new research on different modalities and ideas within healthcare. I’ve posted one up already on asthma and acupuncture. What do you think about the length, delivery of information, referencing, and is there anything in particular you think people would be interested in – e.g. weight loss, allergies, etc? Thanks guys ❤

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    1. Unfortunately, with the new Community Pool format, we can’t click on your name to reach your blog. Can you post the URL?

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    1. So your posts are a little on the long side, but they do appear longer, because of the way you lay your posts out. You may want to consider shorter paragraphs, using line breaks, etc. If the posts were a little more scannable, they might not seem so long, and might be more inviting to read…

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    2. You need an about page – so that people know what to expect. This is often the first place people go to.
      Your text is very dense, the two or three I have seen are very long. That is very off-putting so you should use the MORE tag so people quickly and easily scan through and click on posts titles that might interest them.

      The content is good, you just need to make it more engaging. Good luck!

      Like

    3. Low comments are something many writers face. Try asking your readers how they are, or a question at the end. Also visit the blogs of those that like your post and comment as well. I wrote a post a few weeks ago titled, Comments Not Included. Take a look if interested

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    4. Hi there,
      It would appear that others have the same responses more or less. Your blah is dense. Really dense. If I get a book from the library, I would expect that but not from a blog which is usually to be scanned, filed, and pulled up later to peruse when time is available. (At least that’s the way I do it.)
      Frankly, I am not sure if I’m reading a set of short stories or an e-book? You could make that clear on the outset.
      What MGM75 said is exactly spot on. You need a Home page to prep the readers on what to expect and to provide a tease, you know? To jack up the interest to get in there and find out what’s going on.
      Just small little changes but, I think, they might help your readership.
      IMHO

      Like

    5. Don’t sweat the low comments. Obviously the more questions or polls your post, the greater the chance of a response. I barely get any myself (though not for lack of trying). I (assume) with an increase in the number of followers (still don’t know the secret to that myself 😉 ) the pool of potential commenters will increase. Just keep plugging away.

      Like

    2. Jenna, fantastic idea for a football blog and I love the format you are using. Feels very much like a magazine.

      I presume your “Ask Jenna” will be an ongoing feature? One a week or something? If so, you may wish to create a page with links to all of them in future (a bit like I have done with my book reviews here)

      Like

      1. Thank you! As for ‘Ask Jenna’, I wanted to give myself a couple of weeks to be sure I could maintain it and have enough questions, but I would definitely want to give it its own space on the blog if it does well. Right now, it’s category, but I can see a page similar to what you suggest. Thanks again!

        Like

    3. Really clever idea for a blog. It looks very professional on my mobile. I’ll have a good read on the laptop later.
      Great use of images and headlines to grab the readers attention.

      Like

  25. Writing a blog about church for a class at school, if you would like to help me out I would appreciate it! Any help would be great! theideaofbiblicalchurch.wordpress.com

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    1. i think it looks really good. You do a good job of keeping your posts focused, coming back to your main point, etc. You also keep your posts scannable with short paragraphs, which I think is great. You definitely are doing a great job.

      Like

    1. I think your blog is fantastic! It looks really good for starters; your theme and color scheme really support your photography. The whole thing looks brilliantly clean and inviting. But I especially love your mix of content; this is where some bloggers have trouble but you’re doing a great job of mixing in stories, more ‘technical’ posts, etc. to really present strong content. Great job

      Like

      1. Thank you so much, I am glad you think it visually ties in with my work. That has defiantly been my biggest struggle, finding a theme I can manipulate to my liking.

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    4. I left this comment on your site:

      Probably like you I’ve seen a lot of studies where the photographer figures in the narrative. Sometime I feel that the narrative is just an excuse for the photographer to be centre stage and that there’s not much else in there.

      I don’t get that feeling here. The photo of you wrapped up in the blanket, and with your tutu dress on the bed and full of memory and feeling.

      And all of your site is carefully, cleanly, and conscientiously laid out. More power to you – I like your stuff.

      Like

    5. Hey Kaitlyn. My only suggestion would be to have a little more explanation of the context, or in the case of your collages, the reasons behind your choices. I know art is different things to different people, but I myself enjoy checking to see if my interpretation is anything close to the artist’s intentions

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  27. Happy Sunday everyone. I hope you’re all doing well today. If you have a spare moment, please take a look at my blog. I am refraining from posting all the links due yo if appearing as spam. However, there are a few posts (sticky notes) on the first page, that I’d like more to read. Also, I have a writing event on dreams. If interested, please take a look around and make yourselves comfortable. Thank you http://sweetlittlesomethingsnet.wordpress.com

    Like

  29. Hi everyone! I’m a relatively new blogger and I would love some feedback on my progress so far. Check out my blog and speak your mind on whatever jumps out at you (theme, posts, etc.)

    Help a fellow blogger out! Looking forward to hearing from you guys!

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    2. I really enjoy the look and feel of your blog. That’s a theme I’ve seen not used well, but you really use the layout and color scheme to good effect. Love who you embed the photos. All around good job.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Cool lay-out, it would probably be a good idea to add a widget that allows people to follow your blog via mail. Otherwise I like the content you’re providing and the look of your header, awesome stuff.

      Like

    4. I would agree with Jenna, you use your theme very well…well done! As you build up posts/pages some navigation links would add a lot, but for now, looks great and easy to follow! Good to have the Facebook page as a widget as well. Looking forward to more!

      Like

      1. 😀 Hey, thanks for taking the time to check my stuff out and share your thoughts!! You guys have been great encouragements thus far!

        Like

    1. Unfortunately, I really struggled to read your post. I think my eyes are going. Your font is very small, and because your paragraphs are long, the whole thing read as giant blocks of text. It’s a long post to start with, so the more you can do to make it scannable with shorter paragraphs, bulleted lists, etc., the easier it will be to read even without cutting the text itself. Might want to up the font size, though, if possible

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      1. Thank you! Yes, I noticed with this theme it made the font seem smaller. I kind of liked that idea and the way it looked, but I see your point.
        As to the paragraphs and bulleted lists, I don’t want to give up writing my posts in the ways that are grammatically correct and make sense just to make them more visually appealing. All forms of writing should be written as they should be written. I didn’t think it was grammatically correct, or necessary overall, for me to break up the text into paragraphs. Thanks for the answer though! It was helpful.
        Aul

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      2. There’s nothing grammatically incorrect about shorter paragraphs. I worked as a journalist and now write for major websites. You certainly can write however you want, but it is hard to read.

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      4. Also, best not to ask for help if you don’t actually want it. It’s a waste of time for reviewers that could be used for others… Write however you feel comfortable. Good luck.

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      5. Of course I want help! I just don’t always agree with what you’re saying. No hard feelings 🙂 Thanks for your time!
        Aul

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      6. It’s probably best not to ask for feedback from strangers because you’re not open to hearing it. I’d suggest working with friends or family first. Thanks.

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    2. I’m trying to take advice from the “blogging 101” I read. It stated that stepping out of your normal posting element can create inspiration for yourself as well as others I’ve always posted “essay style” not intentionally but it always seems that way to me. I’ve tried adding quotes or photos I find with a little inspiration. I’m worried it will become very generic and begin to look like FaceBook. If anyone has time and could take a look and give me a little feedback is greatly appreciate it.

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      1. I checked out your blog. I found it inspirational and genuine. I enjoyed the read. I liked the pictures and memes too, but I am viewing on a smart phone and had to scroll around to read them (they appeared oversized). I’m new to blogging so I don’t know how to fix it (if you’d even want to). Otherwise, I didn’t find it overly Facebook- like. 😉

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      2. Thank you so much! I appreciate your time as well as your feedback. The layout I chose make the photos seem a little larger than the words, but on my phone it appears too large. My kindle and computer allow for the oversize and seems to work well in my own opinion. I’ve always been so obsessive with maki sure everything appears even, almost OCD like. This is helping with also. I’m glad it doesn’t look like a Facebook page. Again, thank you so much! If there is anything I can do in return please let me know! 🙂

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      1. Thank you! And actually, I usually cringe at the Spider-Man reference too because it’s too cheesy…but that doesn’t mean it’s not true, so that’s why I used it. Thanks for the review!
        Aul

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