by 35 people |
A lens problem puzzle!
It's true that it's easier to show examples of what NOT to do on lenses than what you SHOULD be doing. After all, there are a billion right ways to create a Squidoo lens, and the list of specific things not to do is much more clear in many respects.
This lens is a game of sorts. For each puzzle, visit the lens and make a list of as many no-nos you can find. When you're done, highlight the text in the answer module to see if you were right!
text
Image courtesy of Creative Commons and blackbutterfly.
This lens is a game of sorts. For each puzzle, visit the lens and make a list of as many no-nos you can find. When you're done, highlight the text in the answer module to see if you were right!
text
Image courtesy of Creative Commons and blackbutterfly.
Lens Puzzle #1
Lens Answers #1
How many things did you find wrong with lens #1? To check your answers, highlight the area below with your cursor!
Put your cursor here =>
There are (at least) 10 things wrong with this lens.
1. The title of the lens is in all caps, which is hard to read. We identify words by their shapes, not just their letters. Plus all caps is like SHOUTING!
2. The intro module is lacking a real description. The intro module is an important place to put information that will engage your readers and encourage them to read on. If you're educating readers, use the intro to explain what your topic is. Not everyone has heard of ganoderma tea or how to create frisson in a story.
3. There isn't a photo in the intro module, so it will show up with an orange placeholder in featured lens modules and the lists of Squidoo search.
4. Since the tags aren't complete, the Explore More module doesn't offer a lot of related lenses.
5. Default "great stuff on Amazon" module title - makes readers think you didn't really handpick those items for them. Try "fun stop signs for kids," or something related to the lens topic and products.
6. Default "new guestbook" module title. Try "leave me a note" or "sign the guestbook."
7. Default "great stuff on eBay" module title, AND items in eBay module aren't focused for the topic of the lens. A better combination of keywords would help narrow this down.
8. New Link List and New Text List are totally empty, yet left on the lens. Remove modules you're not using.
9. Lensmaster is still showing the default bio photo. Upload a custom photo so we can see what you look like!
10. Lensmaster has added a custom bio, but not a really great one. Tell us who YOU are.
Did you find them all?
<= and drag it to here.
Put your cursor here =>
There are (at least) 10 things wrong with this lens.
1. The title of the lens is in all caps, which is hard to read. We identify words by their shapes, not just their letters. Plus all caps is like SHOUTING!
2. The intro module is lacking a real description. The intro module is an important place to put information that will engage your readers and encourage them to read on. If you're educating readers, use the intro to explain what your topic is. Not everyone has heard of ganoderma tea or how to create frisson in a story.
3. There isn't a photo in the intro module, so it will show up with an orange placeholder in featured lens modules and the lists of Squidoo search.
4. Since the tags aren't complete, the Explore More module doesn't offer a lot of related lenses.
5. Default "great stuff on Amazon" module title - makes readers think you didn't really handpick those items for them. Try "fun stop signs for kids," or something related to the lens topic and products.
6. Default "new guestbook" module title. Try "leave me a note" or "sign the guestbook."
7. Default "great stuff on eBay" module title, AND items in eBay module aren't focused for the topic of the lens. A better combination of keywords would help narrow this down.
8. New Link List and New Text List are totally empty, yet left on the lens. Remove modules you're not using.
9. Lensmaster is still showing the default bio photo. Upload a custom photo so we can see what you look like!
10. Lensmaster has added a custom bio, but not a really great one. Tell us who YOU are.
Did you find them all?
<= and drag it to here.
Lens Puzzle #2
Lens Answers #2
How many things did you find wrong with lens #2? To check your answers, highlight the area below with your cursor!
Put your cursor here =>
There are (at least) 9 things wrong with this lens.
1. The title is in all lowercase. It's grammatically correct to capitalize at least the first letter of the title.
2. There's a custom intro, but it's short. Use this space to tell your reader what they'll be learning about the topic today.
3. The intro image exists, but there's no credit given and it's swiped from Amazon. Use an image you have permission to use, or find one through Creative Commons.
4. The lensmaster has a custom bio photo but not a custom bio.
5. Each of the Amazon Spotlight modules has nothing unique about it. The description is taken from Amazon's website and includes no recommendations, tips, or other suggestions for selecting a paper shredder.
6. Default "new guestbook" module title. With a lens this bad, all the lensmaster is really doing is opening themselves up to receive a ton of spam or a ton of complaints!
7. Default "new YouTube vids" module title. The video is relevant, and could probably be a charming addition to a great lens on paper shredders, but since the rest of the content is so poor, this just ads insult to injury.
8. "Paper shredders on eBay" could be another useful module - if the reader knew what they wanted because the lens taught them, and if it wasn't added as an afterthought to the lens.
9. This is actually a really great topic. People use paper shredders every day, and there are enough features between them that makes a lens worthwhile. But this lensmaster hasn't put any thought into the topic and hasn't done anything for the reader that the reader couldn't have done themselves. They can get even BETTER advice by going directly to the eBay and Amazon sites themselves. Your goal should be to solve a problem for your reader. There was an opportunity here to solve a variety of problems for the paper shredder buyer, but the lensmaster did none of this.
Did you find them all?
<= and drag it to here.
Put your cursor here =>
There are (at least) 9 things wrong with this lens.
1. The title is in all lowercase. It's grammatically correct to capitalize at least the first letter of the title.
2. There's a custom intro, but it's short. Use this space to tell your reader what they'll be learning about the topic today.
3. The intro image exists, but there's no credit given and it's swiped from Amazon. Use an image you have permission to use, or find one through Creative Commons.
4. The lensmaster has a custom bio photo but not a custom bio.
5. Each of the Amazon Spotlight modules has nothing unique about it. The description is taken from Amazon's website and includes no recommendations, tips, or other suggestions for selecting a paper shredder.
6. Default "new guestbook" module title. With a lens this bad, all the lensmaster is really doing is opening themselves up to receive a ton of spam or a ton of complaints!
7. Default "new YouTube vids" module title. The video is relevant, and could probably be a charming addition to a great lens on paper shredders, but since the rest of the content is so poor, this just ads insult to injury.
8. "Paper shredders on eBay" could be another useful module - if the reader knew what they wanted because the lens taught them, and if it wasn't added as an afterthought to the lens.
9. This is actually a really great topic. People use paper shredders every day, and there are enough features between them that makes a lens worthwhile. But this lensmaster hasn't put any thought into the topic and hasn't done anything for the reader that the reader couldn't have done themselves. They can get even BETTER advice by going directly to the eBay and Amazon sites themselves. Your goal should be to solve a problem for your reader. There was an opportunity here to solve a variety of problems for the paper shredder buyer, but the lensmaster did none of this.
Did you find them all?
<= and drag it to here.
Lens Puzzle #3
Lens Answers #3
How many things did you find wrong with lens #3? To check your answers, highlight the area below with your cursor!
Put your cursor here =>
There are (at least) 8 things wrong with this lens.
1. The lens is on poker, which is a SquidDon't topic and not allowed on Squidoo. This lens will most certainly get locked.
2. The title has a ton of exclamation points in it. This is just annoying.
3. The bio states the user is in 5th grade. Squidoo members are required to be 18 years of age or order, or have a parent or guardian write to us to tell us they are allowed to use Squidoo.
4. Since the bio states the user is in 5th grade, we can be almost certain the woman in the bio photo is not the user. Plus it's swiped from sxc.hu without credit given.
5. The main lens content, which is actually borrowed to from Wikipedia to prove a point, is all stuffed in the intro. Your intro should be 2-3 paragraphs at most, and is intended to introduce your readers to your topic. Use the rest of the lens to describe it.
6. The Amazon module simply reads "poker" and doesn't add anything of value to the lens. This lensmaster is probably spending a lot more time doing SEO than creating a lens of value that will naturally attract readers and shoppers.
7. The lensmaster encourages readers to rate their lens 5 stars and states they will return the favor. This too is a violation of Squidoo's terms of service, and can get their account deleted.
8. Default "new guestbook" module at bottom.
9. Empty, irrelevant sales modules at bottom. Without them the lens would be too short and wouldn't show out of WIP.
Did you find them all?
<= and drag it to here.
Put your cursor here =>
There are (at least) 8 things wrong with this lens.
1. The lens is on poker, which is a SquidDon't topic and not allowed on Squidoo. This lens will most certainly get locked.
2. The title has a ton of exclamation points in it. This is just annoying.
3. The bio states the user is in 5th grade. Squidoo members are required to be 18 years of age or order, or have a parent or guardian write to us to tell us they are allowed to use Squidoo.
4. Since the bio states the user is in 5th grade, we can be almost certain the woman in the bio photo is not the user. Plus it's swiped from sxc.hu without credit given.
5. The main lens content, which is actually borrowed to from Wikipedia to prove a point, is all stuffed in the intro. Your intro should be 2-3 paragraphs at most, and is intended to introduce your readers to your topic. Use the rest of the lens to describe it.
6. The Amazon module simply reads "poker" and doesn't add anything of value to the lens. This lensmaster is probably spending a lot more time doing SEO than creating a lens of value that will naturally attract readers and shoppers.
7. The lensmaster encourages readers to rate their lens 5 stars and states they will return the favor. This too is a violation of Squidoo's terms of service, and can get their account deleted.
8. Default "new guestbook" module at bottom.
9. Empty, irrelevant sales modules at bottom. Without them the lens would be too short and wouldn't show out of WIP.
Did you find them all?
<= and drag it to here.
Did you have fun? Did you learn anything?
submit
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Reply
- TimArends TimArends Nov 24, 2009 @ 4:55 pm
- Clever idea! A lens to show lens mistakes. I like!
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Reply
- clemency clemency Nov 22, 2009 @ 2:58 pm
- Cool lens, thanks for the help.
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Reply
- artbymichelle artbymichelle Nov 20, 2009 @ 10:01 am
- Yes! It was funny too!
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Reply
- amgmenuiserieetfinition amgmenuiserieetfinition Nov 15, 2009 @ 10:38 am
- why my site amgmelamine is rank #0 but i have a green check whats the problem please, can i have more than one topick or what?????
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Reply
- WordCustard WordCustard Oct 18, 2009 @ 7:43 am
- Useful and fun, thanks for taking the time to put this together. The 3rd lens is now unavailable but that reminded me that a link to a lens that isn't published is probably a bad idea (so I need to either publish my WIP lens, or leave off that link for now).
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by SquidooKimberly
I'm Kimberly, your Community & Charity Organizer on Squidoo. Check out these lenses for more helpful tips on using your favorite internet service - Sq... (more)
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