Jun 27, 2016 / Community Pool

Community Pool

Have you just published a new post and are dying for some feedback? Are you redesigning your blog and could use some layout or design advice from your more seasoned peers?

The Community Pool is for peer feedback and advice. Looking for more specific information? Check out some of these resources:

Tap into the wisdom of The Daily Post blogging community and leave your question here in the comments. Others can then click through and offer input either on your site, or in the comments here (feel free to indicate which you’d prefer).

Looking for free, self-guided courses to help you get started with your blog (or revive a dormant one)? Check out our current offerings at Blogging U.

To help us make the Community Pool a productive space for discussion, here are some tips you might find useful:

  • While you’re not required to, we encourage everyone who requests feedback to also reply to at least one or two other bloggers who need some help. Spread the love!
  • The Community Pool comments section can get quite big — and starting duplicate threads doesn’t help. Thanks for not posting the same question more than once!
  • If you’re looking for quality feedback, be as specific as you can. Questions about a particular post tend to draw more comments than ones about entire blogs. Questions about specific design elements are more likely to be answered than ones asking for general layout advice.
  • We discourage leaving links without a more substantive message or question. These are often overlooked by other bloggers, and we frequently remove them to make the comment reading experience smoother.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. The idea is to have fun — it’s a pool, after all!
  • To keep from losing your place in the comment thread while you visit others’ blogs, right-click on a link to open it in a new tab or window.
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • No running on the deck.

Are you a new blogger looking to share your very first post? We have a special forum for bloggers just like you in our weekly First Friday posts.

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    3. Well your writing talent has not dimmed. I’m new to WordPress so navigating through blogs but glad you’re back. Time for yourself for any reason and to get a new creative perspective is always helpful. I feel that way in multiple creative mediums. And congrats on graduation!

      Liked by 7 people

      1. The only suggestion I’d make is to add a little bit more of your personal commentary to some of the posts, so it’s not just a collection of facts — like an introduction of sorts.

        Liked by 2 people

    1. 1. I’m really jealous you were in London! It’s my dream city to visit! 2. The photos are beautiful!

      I will say this the post is a little long, in my opinion, but I think it’s because there are so many photos at full size so it’s a never ending scroll. Maybe if you could mosaic the photos, so they are smaller, it won’t take up as much space (it would also make it easier to load the post on mobile because less data)

      Liked by 5 people

      1. Thanks, Michelle! I did wonder if the photos were a bit too much. I personally don’t like tiny photos, but what I’ve done in the past is a collage so some are side by side. I’m also hoping to change my blog layout soon so I have more space to work with.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Similar to Michelle, 1. How wonderful you went to London (and squeezed in among other places I want to go myself!), 2. It did feel a bit long. And this is good for me as well since some of my drafts are crazy long!! Another idea amongst a collage, is perhaps showcasing your favorite pictures (or a variety amongst different highlights like 1-2 on food, sights, etc) and thumbnail the rest. If people are interested in the highlighted photos, I’d hope they’d click on the thumbnails for more. I would! Side note on photos – I love some of the content and angles you used. Reading this makes me wanna dust off the passport.

      Liked by 1 person

      2. I’ve only used mine twice for Mexico and most recently Jamaica (a week on a island with my favorite band – yes please!), but I have so many countries on my wish list. Europe, France, and Rome are all definitely on there. Hope to jet set again next year. Thanks

        Liked by 2 people

    3. Really great blog. Very descriptive and informative. No worries about the length of the post, but there were a few photos that seemed out of place. We have even started following you.
      PS: Check out our travel blog, our posts too tend to be a bit long like yours
      http://bit.ly/28Vb5zW

      Like

      1. Thank you! I’m glad you liked it. I have followed you as well and look forward to reading about your travels 🙂 Longer posts are just more fun for me – lets me really get to know the writer better and get sucked into what they have to say. If it’s not too much to ask: Are there any photos you would have removed from the post?

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Yes, longer posts are indeed more fun and actually help people, but in this age of “10 Things you want to do in London”, people sometimes just skip through the content. But, that does not mean we are going to reduce the length of our posts, we plan to publish this first, then write another post citing 10 things to do in Orchha and so on.

        And this is just a personal thing, it may or may not be right, but I feel we should keep the blog somewhat objective, hence maybe you could reduce the number of pics in which people (You and your boy friend) are posing. I am not saying eliminate them, especially with you guys being so cute, but for example, how about just one pic of the Big Ben that is very captivating, people do search online after they have read about a place, so some more variety instead would help. Also, the Lychee shopping has two photos, maybe one instead. Hope I have helped you. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    4. Hi Jhaneel, I love your post! We live in London so I am so pleased to see that you’ve enjoyed it. I’m sorry that you didn’t get to have much amazing food. Like most touristy places a lot of the time you’ll get bombarded with generic rubbish restaurants. But if you ever come back let me know and I will give you some tips on where to eat! I would say that I am no expert, and I like big pictures too, but maybe you could put them on a sliding gallery of some sort to save scrolling down? Oh well, just a thought. 🙂 Em x

      Like

    5. I men joyed reading your posts, they seem quite honest and have a personal feel to them. The photos are very well taken too! Looking forward to reading more of these

      Like

    7. Hi,
      I visited your blog and I must say, you have captured the essence of London beautifully. I can’t see the ‘London eye’ though. Might be because of your tight schedule?

      Like

    1. I like your new theme and layout. It is fresh and bright looking. One thing I might suggest is on the home page, having a few more posts shown before having to hit the ‘Show More Posts’ button. With the layout you chose I think you could show a few more if that is an option on the particular theme.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. I agree with Robert. Seeing more posts right away give people a better of sense of the kind of stuff they can expect to read on your blog and increases the chance someone will click on one of the posts. And with more photos showing, it gives the blog a more vibrant look.

        Liked by 3 people

      3. I agree, love the clarity and minimalism of the design. The increased number of front page posts sucks you in without overwhelming you. And the topic of your blog is very relevant anyhow.

        Like

    4. Your blog is fantastic! I LOVE the theme! It perfectly captured me, and it will definitely hook your readers in. The vivid pictures definitely help.

      I think it would help to include your name on the header of Look Through My Lens, and if you sorted some of your blogs into categories. Some people like to look and only see blogs about music, or mental illness.

      Your About page is so comprehensive! You are most definitely an accomplished person. I can honestly say that your blog is one of the greatest: content, format and style wise.

      Love,
      Aditi

      Liked by 1 person

    6. This layout is very easy to navigate which is helpful. I initially thought this might be a photography site based on the name but in browsing through, I liked the range of topics

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Congrats on getting started! I’m happy to give some feedback. Would you put a link to your post in the comments here?

      Liked by 2 people

      4. Popping the link in here for everyone’s convenience: https://kadesell.wordpress.com/
        I can definitely relate to the topic you wrote about. It gets easier, I promise! And I agree with other commenters – get to know the WordPress options and play around with different formatting for your blog to help it reflect your personality a little bit more.

        Liked by 3 people

    2. I’m (almost) in the same boat, graduate in December.

      As for blogging advice, definitely play around with the sidebar and different themes and personalize the site to your comfort. The best way to learn is to try and Google, to be honest.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. I think your post is very honest and heartfelt. I didn’t find a “reply” button on the post so I wonder if you have the Comment Section turned off? Congratulate yourself on graduating! Take a deep breath and conquer one thing at a time.

      Liked by 1 person

    5. Welcome! I’m semi-new myself to all of this. First off, you’re not alone. I graduated almost 10 years ago, and it was a little scary. I feel like I had a smooth transition job wise, but having to find a place, have more bills, deciding what you want to do in life now is a crazy road. But can be a great one. I wish you all the best. I do suggest possibly breaking up long paragraphs somehow, like your first one. I sometimes write lengthy paragraphs too, but as a reader, it can sometimes be overwhelming to the eye. That is one of the first things I personally look at when re-reading my draft. Enjoy the journey…

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Hi! I’m Anjali. A budding writer who introspects and pen downs her thoughts. Sometimes, I even write poems and short stories. When I don’t have any adrenaline rushing ideas, I rant about anything and everything. Here’s the link to my latest post. Feel free to give valuable and much appreciated feedback and suggestions. Thank you!

    Never Let Anyone Tell You Otherwise

    Liked by 3 people

      1. Uhh it is used as an adjective. Though, for the meaning sad and depressing. I hope my blog didn’t make you feel like that. Thank you for the rest of the part. I really appreciate your feedback. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. It didn’t make me feel sad… it made me feel that intermediate feeling between sad and happy, where you’re like in a trance kinda things. That it’s sad as well as happy at the same time. I dunno. I’m just weird, I guess. But you’re blog is definitely awesome!

        Do check out ours, if you have time! 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Hahaha!! It’s alright. I’m your kinda of person when it comes to being weird and confused! Thank you so much for your valuable feedback. Surely I’ll check yours soon. 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

    1. First off, glad to see you’re writing your own book! I’ve had ideas in my head but that is all. The review you had is helpful in getting someone interested in reading the story. However, if you’re trying to engage in more dialogue with others who have already read it, I recommend more details – favorite scenes and why, or those you thought were weak and why. It just all depends on what you are trying to achieve. Good luck on the book 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

  12. Hey guys!

    The F Word is a new blog – a platform to discuss issues concerning women. It is to provide an alternative narrative on womanhood, pop culture, patriarchal domination, sexism and other things along that line.

    If you’re interested in that kind of stuff please give it a look. Any feedback is welcome!

    URL to the blog: https://thefwordnet.wordpress.com

    Thanks in advance!
    Happy blogging!

    Liked by 7 people

    3. Nice job on the site. And also the idea behind it. Definitely a great way to talk about what’s actually wrong with our very weird world.

      Liked by 2 people

    4. I look forward to more! Would love to contribute at some point.

      My feedback: add a page for articles and submissions. I saw an about page, a page with information for submitting, and a page about the team. I did read one article, but I noticed it to the side and couldn’t access it from a top page, at least that I could see.

      Liked by 2 people

  13. Hey, guys! I blog about science (mostly): https://heathernotes.com/category/biology/, but recently, I’ve written some personal stuff: https://heathernotes.com/category/life/ along with the science such as poetry:https://heathernotes.com/category/poetry/ and artsy stuff: https://heathernotes.com/category/art/.

    I want to go professional one day. Do you think that publishing different things would hurt my chances of becoming a professional science writer?

    Also, I’ve written about my fear of going professional: https://heathernotes.com/2016/06/23/looking-at-the-door/ – what do you think?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I’m trying my hand at science blogging as well. I’ll be honest, I’ve read some books, but I’m still not sure about what one needs to go into professional science writing. If you want to do that, well, blessings on your head. You’re doing something that is really unknown to a lot of people.

      Perhaps you could have a science blog AND a personal blog, but maybe not both in the same blog? That way when one walks into your blog, they know what they’re in for. Are we there to see Heather’s brain, with all her content knowledge, or Heather’s thoughts, with all her emotions and musings?

      Like

      1. You’re right I should have two blogs – but I had two blogs, one about science and one that was personal. I found it very difficult to keep up with both. Having one blog is new for me. I’m actually in the process of making the blog more functional for readers.

        Like

  14. Hi everyone,
    Yesterday I decided to publish a different kind of post on my blog because I believed it was something important that needed discussing. Basically, I wrote a post about the EU referendum and tried to keep it as unbiased, informative and clear as possible.

    I would greatly appreciate you checking it out and offering feedback on either this post or my blog in general.

    https://coffeeshopdreams.wordpress.com/2016/06/26/a-little-discussion-about-a-big-issue/

    Thank you and happy blogging 🙂

    Liked by 7 people

    1. Hey there!

      Your article is very well written and it gives me a lot of information about what happened after the results were out. It gave a me your personal perspective, as a British citizen of how things are looking like within the borders of your country. That was very helpful. It made me aware of how it really feels like to be going through it.

      However, it would have been slightly more helpful had you mentioned why UK held the referendum in the first place. I, being an outsider, don’t really know. So, that piece of information would have been nice to know as well.

      Otherwise, it’s great! I loved it. Thanks for sharing!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you so much for the feedback! My main reason for writing the post was to inform people about the referendum who don’t live in the UK 🙂 As far as I know, our prime minister promised to hold this referendum if he was elected, and he kept his promise.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. The first paragraph was too apologetic for me. It was hard to continue reading, because there was so much focus on trying to convince the reader in not having a bad opinion about your thoughts. Instead, what if you just said your thoughts? They’re of value.

        Like

    2. As another Remain voter I totally feel your disappointment in the result, what you’ve written here is an extremely neutral and well balanced article on the subject. There are some people I’ve just had to mute on my Facebook because of the level of hatred flying back and for on this so it’s nice to read something balanced considering the last few days.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you for this feedback! Having discussed the referendum a lot, I still struggled to not further voice my disappointment, but I’m so glad I succeeded in regards to creating a neutral argument. Who knew Facebook could get even more annoying haha? 😂🙈

        Like

    3. This is the first post I’ve read by an individual British citizen about the Brexit vote after the fact, rather than a post by a major media institution. I appreciate your commitment to remaining as unbiased and calm as possible despite your disappointment.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you! As disappointed as I was about the result, I had to remind myself that it was the result of a democratic vote, and I have to respect that 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      3. No it’s not. I did change the name of it a few months ago so my old blog domain is private but this one isn’t.

        Like

    4. This is very topical for me, I’m from UK too and the unbelievable series of events that have taken place since Friday have become all there is to think about. Encouraging to see this post politics is off topic for my blog too but I’m sure before the week is up, I will be doing a piece on this. Well written and relatable

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you! It’s hard not to blog about it when it’s such an important topic being broadcast on every news/social media outlet. I’m glad that you enjoyed reading the post 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  16. Hello! I just published a post reflecting on my first 6 months as a blogger! Let me know what you think of my blog, and I am especially interested in hearing what you’d like to see more of. I would love to hear any suggestions you have for the future of my blog. I also recently started a twitter for my blog @wondersinwind, so feel free to follow me there. Check out the post at: https://wondersinthewind.wordpress.com/2016/06/27/my-first-six-months-blogging/

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Hello! First, your blog is beautiful. There’s some very reflective content too. Something to consider is the length of your latest post. I understand it’s a reflection and there are certainly no shortage of things to reflect about, however I am wondering if it would be better suited as a series of posts. Doing a series of reflections of your blogging experience would be fun for fellow new bloggers to read (and relatable), and you would be able to engage readers for longer than one post.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. What a great idea for doing a series instead of a long post! I might change the format of it. Thank you for your words!

        Liked by 3 people

  18. Hello everyone! I recently took a blogging break, but now that it’s summer vacation, I’m writing much more often. I’m a teen writer #teensunite — and I write P.E.T. : Poems, Educational yet Interesting, and about my Thoughts.

    I recently wrote an article about geocaching, with a twist at the end. The beginning of the post is just informational, but it gets very interesting. 🙂 https://aditipallod.wordpress.com/2016/06/22/geocaching/ Here’s a link, I hope you decide to check it out.

    I also spent a few hours editing the format of my blog, if you could give me any feedback, that would be absolutely wonderful!! https://aditipallod.wordpress.com/

    Thank you so much! I am super excited to check out all of your blogs as well. 🙂

    Love,
    Aditi

    Liked by 5 people

    1. I love your name (I know this has nothing to do with your blog, just thought I’d say haha!) Having a look now xx

      Liked by 3 people

    2. Hey! Love the theme and the colour! They’re very unique and original.

      Also, I didn’t know what geocaching was before reading your post! Thanks for sharing.

      Keep blogging! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Fantastic post! Feminism gets a bad rap at times but you have absolute nailed why it is a fantastic movement and why more of us should jump on board. Keep.up the great work!

      Like

    2. Due to personal experience, I had to stop reading after the first quote. It’s my belief that as a feminist it is important to ensure that further stereotypes and discriminations are not spread.

      There are many men that get waxed, and it is an incredibly painful process for them as well. In fact, I’ve actually seen blood drawn from the paper, and witnessed it being rather difficult for the person getting waxed to sit in a chair with a back for days afterwards.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Through that personal anecdote, I was actually trying to bring forward the fact of how a girl is ‘expected’ to not have any hair on any inch of her body whereas for men, it’s considered their ‘choice’ if they want hair on their chest or not.

        Moreover, in the west, I’m sure, most men do get waxed and for some it’s even ‘expected’ of them. However, in third world countries especially those in Southern Asia, it’s not the case. The societies here are still extremely critical of a woman’s appearance and beauty whereas they don’t give a penny about what a man does with his appearance or anything else for that matter. But, yes, exceptions exists in some modern, westernised people of such countries even though their population might be tiny.

        I didn’t mean to reinforce stereotype, I meant to bring out the harsh reality of how extremely critical and hostile the society is of a woman’s beauty and appearance while not of a man’s.

        But thank you for the feedback! Have a great day! 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

      2. I didn’t mean to offend, but I also think it’s sad that your response has made me feel as though I need to apologize. I’m a 34 year old woman, am in pursuits of a doctoral degree, and have been educated by some of the world’s leading feminist artists and academics. Have you been to Southern Asia? What papers have you read that validate your assertions? What class of people are you referring to? What’s their profession?

        Like

      3. You never offended. I was just clarifying. I am really sorry I made it sound that way, I didn’t mean to. I am a student, I too want to become a doctor and I am probably not as experienced as you are. I live in India. I may be living in one of India’s metropolitan cities but even in our city, even in my own community, extreme misogyny is an every-day affair. Our newspapers are filled with news of rapes and other crimes against women everyday. The people who suffer are not just the people of slum but also girls living in mansions of posh areas. The society here, is built on the basis of oppression on women.

        Also, you don’t need to apologise if you stand by your choice of not reading our article. It’s ok. It has flaws, I’m sure. Just don’t be sorry because you’ve hurt someone else’s feelings to save your own. Isn’t that the whole point of empowerment? You don’t need to feel sorry, ever. ^_^

        Liked by 2 people

      4. It was not my intent to “hurt someone else’s feelings to save” mine. This is never my intent. There are rules, regulations, and suggestions about commenting on WordPress. My comment was simply one made to give an awareness about the manner in which your writing was perceived by another. It’s called a critique in the writing world. It is of my opinion that using a political motive to deflect from all other suggestions hinders self-improvement and the development of technical skills. Rather than even reviewing your writing, or asking for suggestions, you chose to switch the conversation to topics of woman bashing. I find this to be unprofessional, and am unsure why you shared your post if it wasn’t with the intent of review. I believe that is the entire point of this forum, but you can review the guidelines if you’d like. Finally, I noticed you posted several times. It’s unclear if you have accepted or been interested in any responses to these as well. Yet, if not, I can only assume that you are posting simply for self-promotion. The rules state, explicitly, that this is not okay.

        Like

  20. Hello guys, i am a new blogger and i need some help. I have this static home page and i still find it kind of empty. I want to be able to add my latest blogs links and submenu posts links all in grid form to give my blog that touch without having to manually update these each time i make a new post. . i have a theme called Baskerville Theme. I tried to find some tutorials but they talked about loops and i don´t understand all that yet. Please i will be very glad if any of you will help me. I really need this. https://livinglifesjourney.wordpress.com/ thanks

    Liked by 2 people

  21. My blog finds a connection between the music I love and my own photography. Just like a movie has a soundtrack, I make soundtracks for my photos-songs that fit the mood, the season, the weather. My latest one was inspired by the need for a refuge from recent events and finding one in a big old tree I saw. Any comments/feedback appreciated!

    Sway With Me

    Liked by 4 people

      1. Thank you so much! The idea just came to me one day a few years ago. I just wrote things down I was passionate about and at the top of the list were music and photography and that was my hook for writing. I enjoy seeing those expressions myself. Thanks for the comment!

        Liked by 2 people

  24. Hi everyone! I have been stuck so started using the Everyday inspiration and I think it has really helped my brain start to work again. Would really recommend it if you are sitting there staring at the screen. My blog is mainly about food, fitness, and general ways to improve and enjoy life. I try to tailor the daily inspiration to the type of blog I have. It takes some work but I think I can come up with some ideas I wouldn’t normally get.
    Here is the latest everyday inspiration I used….a single image…

    https://cravelife.org/2016/06/25/a-story-in-a-single-image/

    Feedback welcome 😉

    Liked by 3 people

  25. Hey, all of you bloggers and fellow blog followers out there! This is the week before America’s 240th birthday on July 4th, so it is with that, Dream In Music has just published the first two very special posts with a theme called “All-American”, and I plan to publish more of those special posts to come! Meanwhile, there are other new posts that I have just published, as well as some of the past posts, so I suggest that you please take a look-see at http://www.j2w7.WordPress.com! Oh, and please tell all of your families and friends about my blog-I am surely going to need all of the feedback that I could ever get! Thank you all so very much, and keep on “Dreamin’ In Music”, with ❤-JW 📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

    Liked by 2 people

  27. Only been at this a couple of months as a creative outlet and to write about experiences that I have been adding more of into my life. Since they are not on one particular type of experience or interest (events, concerts, conventions, etc), any tips on making them more cohesive? I suppose part of that may come with time and more posts. One idea I have is to make my adventure wish list on its own page and add/cross off experiences from there. Happy Monday!
    https://adventuresofemiliabedelia.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 4 people

  28. Hi, my name’s Sophie and I write about student experiences and my life at university, I’m just getting started and would love a few blogging buddies with similar interests where we might be able to give feedback etc? Thanks! x

    Liked by 5 people

    2. Hi! I’m a Uni student too so I definitely am interested in your blog. I suggest making an About page so readers can get to know you/your blog better, especially if you’re looking to find people with similar interests!
      Happy blogging!

      Liked by 1 person

  29. Hello! I’ve just tried something new on my blog. My blog is about writing, but this is the first time I’ve posted a piece of my own creative writing. I’d love to see what y’all think of it.

    Liked by 3 people