Flaminglacer's Lenses - and Why I've Got That Name!

My greatest hobby is Lacemaking - in fact there are those who would say it is an obsession and I make lace at every opportunity - some years ago on a bright, sunny but cold February day I was on my own in the house happily making lace. Being somewhat visually challenged I always use one, if not two, pairs of glasses and a magnifying glass as do many Lacemakers and I like to make the best of the daylight by sitting in the Bay window - get the picture? Generally speaking whenever I leave my pillow I always cover the magnifiying glass and the lace as we are all taught to do. However, on this occasion I was only going to pick up my glass of water which was less than 20 feet away and the sun wasn't hot - after all it was only February - so I didn't bother. As I turned round to return to my work I saw a plume of smoke gently rising from the Lace pillow - you can guess where the water went!

The combination of the bright sun and the magnifying glass had caused a fire on my pillow. Happily the Lace wasn't damaged though the pillow has a large melted patch. In the interests of preventing anyone else from following my daft example I told my tale to the members of Arachne (an internet lacemakers chat group - www.arachne.com ) who, once they had finished giggling, christened me 'Flaming Lacer' and the name has stuck and over the years has become my byline. It has two advantages - I never forget to cover my magnifying glass and most important, it gives me (and you, with my blessing) the opportunity to laugh at myself for being such an idiot and if you can't laugh at yourself.......

Squid Angels came into being in 2007 as the result of some discussions at Squid HQ on how to reward quality lenses. Twelve Angels were appointed and I had the great honour to be one of the first. The job of the Angels is to fly around Squidoo looking at lenses and when they find something outstanding they give it our blessing. So what's a blessing you might ask, and why would I want one anyway - well it gets you a lensrank boost, and the more Angels that bless your lens the bigger the boost! It's like a Gold Star for your lens. But Spammers beware - Angels can also 'ding' lenses and that has the opposite effect.

How do you get a blessing? Well, you can go to The Angels Forum or to The Squid Angel Group and post a request. Angels look at a lot of lenses every day so you might find an Angel has been by anyway! You'll find what the Angels look for in a lens there as well.

If you want a blessing check out my top ten list of do's and don'ts - it will give you an idea of what Angels look for. I've retired now - but the principles apply just the same...

1 - Proper titles given to the modules - default titles are just plain lazy in my opinion. If you don't care enough about a subject to give the modules a proper introduction, then leave it alone!

2 - Lensmaster Bio - I do like to see something in here, even if it is a general bio for all your lenses, it gives me a feel for the person and how/why they are dealing with the subject. I prefer to see an image (not necessarily a photo) because it makes the lens look more cared for. A specific bio for that lens gets extra points as it is indicative of the Lensmasters interest in the topic.

3 - The Introduction should be just that - short, sharp and to the point. I don't like to see all / most of the lens content in here and I particularly don't like to see it all in bold. It is hard on the eyes and aesthetically unpleasant.

4 - A good variety of modules which are suitable to the subject. Interactivity via Polls, Plexos, You Tube etc is always a plus - where it is appropriate. Sometimes I feel modules have been put there just because the Lensmaster thinks it's a must have and it doesn't add to the lens.

5 - Appropriate images - they help break up large blocks of text and make the lens more attractive visually but again, only if appropriate.

6 - Good grammar, punctuation, spelling are an absolute must - no need for a reason here!

7 - A good flow to the lens, a logical progression of information and content. Monetised modules should be appropriately placed so that they follow the natural rhythm of the lens.

8 - Length of lens - I don't have an issue with long lenses (I have a tendency that way myself!) but I don't like encyclopedic lenses. If you have that much content - split it! Viewers lose interest after a while.

9 - Visually attractive - spending a little time to make sure your modules are properly formatted and look good is always worth it, viewers prefer it and will spend time browsing a lens that is pleasing and easy on the eye. Technical wizardry is not necessary - it doesn't win or lose 'points' and should only be used if it adds to the lens.

10 - Most important with all the bells and whistles you can muster is CONTENT. Good content is the most important thing of all. I try never to judge the subject - that is not the role of an Angel in my view. If I read a lens and feel at the end of it I have knowledge that I did not have before, or that my knowledge has been enhanced (even just by being presented well) then it is a good lens. If I have been entertained as well, so much the better.

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