Squidoo tips - a Guide to the Do's and Don'ts on Squidoo
Squid Etiquette is all about what to do and what NOT to do on Squidoo! It is a very different How To Squidoo than you have probably seen before.
In our enthusiasm to not only publish our first few Squidoo lenses but also get traffic, we may forget some very important things or we may do things that actually, if you really stop and think about it, are not very clever.
And I have to admit that some of what I say, has been learned through my own experience. But it is OK to make a mistake, providing you only make the mistake once and providing you learn from it.
This Squidoo guide is not just about getting traffic. It's also about building a "Squidoo reputation". I hope this lens helps you build a good reputation on Squidoo rather than one that is perhaps not so good!
What do these widgets mean?
Click on them to find out!
What is Squidoo to me?
A personal view of Squidoo
....a competition. Squidoo is big enough to accommodate everyone. It's not about who has the most fans. It's not about who has the most lenses. It is certainly not about who gets to Number 1.
Squidoo is....
....about creating lenses that help other people as well as yourself. By that I mean it's OK to earn an income from your lenses but you need to give as well as try to take. You may be surprised at what you get back.
Remember: Squidoo is more about giving as well as taking - get the balance right!
What is the Squidoo Community?
What Squidoo means to some Lensmasters
Quotes from some Lensmasters on what the Squidoo Community means to them
My 50th Lens!
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Squidoo Community
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What is Squidoo? What is the Squidoo Community? What can Squidoo do for you? How can you make money with Squidoo? What are the benefits of Squidoo? When I first discovered Squidoo, I had all these questions and a lot more. The biggest one being: How...
What is Squidoo to HQ?
Tips from Megan Casey
Megan Casey (Squidoo's Editor in Chief) asks the question: What's your reputation worth?
Read it. It really is worth it.
The Squidoo lens NOT to make
Squidoo tips on how NOT to Squidoo
Then have a look at this-
The Worst Lens Ever Made
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In this introduction, I am going to say something moderately intelligent about my topic (squid) so that you will think that this lens is worth reading. Once I've drawn you in, I hope that you will buy some stuff. A squid is a kind of sea creature th...
The Squidoo Forum - SquidU
SquidU Etiquette
All Newbie Lensmasters should head over to the Lensmasters' Lounge at the SquidU Forum.The AJ definition of "Community":
"A group of people who share the same aims and who help each other to achieve those aims."
Note crucial phrase: "Help each other!"
New Lensmasters
Welcome on board. It's good that you introduce yourselves on SquidU. But before you post a hello in the "New? Introduce Yourself" thread - have a look at the stickies at the top of the page. They are stuck there for a reason. Please read them and they will make sure that in your enthusiam to jump into the Forum sea, you wont make a huge mistake and end up marooned with no friends!
When you have read and absorbed these messages then say Hello, go and visit another new lensmaster and say Hi to them in their thread as well. Then before you ask for feedback on your very first lens, make sure you have visited other people's. This shows that you are not just trying to tip the scales and that you are trying to take more than you give. This is good!
Don't be in a hurry to publish that first lens. Navigate around the Sea of Squidoo. Visit "how to" lenses. Visit lenses that are about your niche topics. It's amazing what you can learn from what has already been published. And if you do learn something then don't forget to say thank you in the Guestbook. This is very, very good!
Lens Critiques
Lensmasters are encouraged to seek feedback and help with their lenses. People help their fellow lensmasters. This is good!
But before you ask for a critique, read this post on SquidU.
The Lensmaster asking for the help gets increased traffic to their lenses as others check it out to give feedback. The visitors then spend time, and some of them spend quite a bit of time, thinking about what would help before they post a message of support, with tips and ideas. This is good!
But for those people asking for help (and getting extra traffic as a result) do you ever critique or visit other people's lenses in return? If you do not, then this is bad!
Don't be shy about commenting on other people's lenses - but it might be better to follow Thumper's Dad's advice:
"If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all!"
Buy at AllPosters.com
Check out other people's critiques and see how they go about it. Also apply the AJ Rule for giving feedback:
"Always say something positive before you say something negative. Then finish with a positive."
Remember AJ's definition of "community"? So, make a point of visiting someone else's lens before you ask for a critique of your own. Help each other. This is good!
One of the Squidoo lenses I have given feedback on
Plus another Lens about Critiques
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Halloween History Trivia And Fun
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Every Fall I look forward to the coming of Halloween. Ever since I was a small child Halloween has always been one of my most favorite holidays. I really enjoy all the spooky Halloween toys and decorations and seeing how elaborately some of the hous...
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Lens Critiques: Giving and Receiving Critiques on the SquidU Forum
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Asking for critiques at the SquidU forum is a useful way to find out just how good your lenses are. Other lensmasters can share their experience and tips that will really make your lens shine. However, it could also be a demoralizing experience depe...
Sample Critique
What I said to Old Grampa about his Halloween lens
IMHO there's some great modules in your lens particularly about the origins of Halloween from Samhain. But.... and those who know me on Squidoo will say "Here she goes again!" .....you mention in your introduction that you have loved Halloween since you were a small child. So give us some more personal stories. What was your favourite activity? What is your favourite memory?
Also, and this assumes you like YouTube, you could put one or two of your favourite Monster/Spooky songs on there so people could listen to while they read. Could be "The Monster Mash", "Thriller" - I'm sure you can think of more."
More Squidoo Etiquette on SquidU
Think about what you should and should not do on the forum
By old I don't actually mean "old".....
Say hello to a Newbie, every so often. Actually, go do it every day if you can. It will make them feel good, it will make them feel welcome. That is good!
Do not hijack a forum thread
Have you ever been having a conversation with a group of people, when someone simply changes the topic to something else without warning? Children do it, but we usually tell them to wait their turn.
You read a thread on the SquidU Forum, it ignites a thought or question that you may have about a different topic. Do not hijack the thread that someone else has started by switching the topic to something you want to ask about. This is bad!
Go start your own thread.
Starting threads
This advice comes as a result of me making a big mistake - it was not good!
The Forum is a great place to exchange views about all things Squidoo and most of the time the conversation is light, helpful and considerate. However, there's inevitably times when you are "having a bad day/week/month". This is probably NOT a good time to start a thread about something that bugs you, has upset you or annoyed you so much, that you feel you have to say something.
I kicked off a thread (and kicked off in it) about something I had seen, that caused me to get pretty steamed up. I did wait 24 hours before starting the thread, but actually I should have waited at least 48 hours. Oh dear - in this case 72 hours may have been even better.
Probably NOT the best time to start a thread!
Then when I started the discussion, instead of making a definite statement, I should have asked a general question and not been so specific in what I said. Praise in public, criticise in private!
I was very bad, but once I had realised what I had done, I posted a message saying how I should have handled it and apologised. That was better!
You can find more information about what AJ thinks about the SquidU Forum on SquidLog:SquidU Etiquette: a different way of looking at the SquidU Forum.
Asking for Squidoo Angel Blessings
Be selective - the Angels will appreciate it
Friends are angels who lift us to our feet
when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly
(source unknown)
Remember that the Angels are a group of volunteers who visit lenses and if they like a lens, they will bless it and it will get a boost in the overall lensrankings. However, getting a blessing does not help you get noticed on Google. It is purely a Squidoo boost.
When the angels visit a lens, they can do one of three things:
Bless the lens - this is good, in fact it's fantastic
Quietly slip away - this is fine
Ding the lens - gasp! This is bad!
So what are the Angels looking for when they visit a Lens? Angel Chef Keem posted a message in the SquidU Forum. You can read it by clicking here.
Visit the links below to find out more.
But sometimes the Angels need to have a little guidance about where to find us, especially that lens that you think definitely deserves a blessing. So tootle over to the SquidU forum and you can ask for one.
Personally, I never ask for a blessing on each and every one of my lenses. I just pick out the ones that in my view are a bit special. I am always thrilled to get a blessing when I have not asked for one.
And why not suggest someone else's lens that you think is worthy of a blessing, every once in awhile? Remember it is good to give as well as take. You can nominate another Lensmaster's lens in this thread on the SquidU Forum.
If I am lucky enough to get a blessing then I always say thank you in the SquidU forum. Say thank you. This is very good!
Have a look at some of the Squidangels' lenses below. Find out who they are and what they are looking for when they visit a lens. This will tell you what, in their opinion, makes a good lens.
I am sure that the Angels also love a request for a blessing that is a bit more original than:
"Please check out my lens on how to make a million dollars in just one day on Squidoo".
Take a bit of time to tell them why you think this lens is a bit special. Try to avoid using the term "awesome". Leave it to the Angels to decide if it is awesome enough for a blessing!
Or you could put your request this way:
Now I lay me down my pens
And pray Squid Angels bless my lens
If mine should rise in the lens ranks
I give Squid Angels all my thanks
Reproduced with permission
Further reading, AJ musing on SquidLog: Ding Dong, Angels calling. Do Squidoo Angels behave like Angels on Squidoo? and Ding Dong, how to get Angel Blessings
AJ is A Squid Angel
Update: April 2009
AJ first became a Squidoo Angel in April 2009 and was re-appointed in October 2009. This lens is AJ's personal view on what she looks for in a "Bless-worthy" lens-
Squidoo Angels
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When I first joined Squidoo in July 2008, the Squidoo Angels were a small group of dedicated Lensmasters who volunteered for the post when a message was posted in the SquidU Forum. Things changed in April 2009 and although the Squid Angels is still a...
Squidangels Squidoo too!
Find out more about the Angels
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WHO? SquidAngels!
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Get to know the SquidAngels! We are a small group of dedicated lensmasters with special powers to bless remarkable lenses for a little LensRank (and ego) boost. We also help to keep Squidoo safe from spam and other bad apples. Did you know?: Eve...
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I've Been Blessed by a Squid Angel! (or hoping to be)
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Have you been blessed by a Squid Angel? Or are you wishing for an angel blessing? Are you wondering what the blessing actually DOES? This is the right place to be! I'll try to unveil the mystery of the Angels program. My time as an angel is over....
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Is A Squid Angel Looking Over Your Shoulder?
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Have you been Blessed by a Squid Angel? Did you even know that there is a group of lensmasters on Squidoo who are Squid Angels? You may never even have heard of the Squid Angels. Or perhaps you know that they exist but know little about them. Well I...
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Squid Angel Blessings by Chef Keem
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With a Squid Angel Blessing your lenses will get a boost for your lens rank, which might improve your earnings and lead to more traffic and recognition. Not bad, huh? But what does it take to receive a Squid Angel Blessing? In general, our group of...
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A Squid Angel Tells it like it is
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First and foremost, whoever reads this must know that I have LOVED Squidoo since I first joined. I joined to enhance and enjoy my writing skills and share things that I loved. I have learned more from Squidoo than I have from probably every other si...
The Squidoo Lensography
Every Lensmaster should have one!
Remember - it's a Lensography NOT a Linkography!We want to know who you are, not what you want to sell. Let's see lists of what you love, what you hate, what you read, what you want to do. OK tell us about your favourite films, books and music. But if you use an Amazon link list, please tell us why you love the stuff!
Ideas for modules
What do you think about when you hear your favourite tune? Tell us - we really do want to know. Find a YouTube video with your favourite music on it. Put it towards the beginning of the lens, so we can listen to it while we read. Chef Keem does this to great effect in his lensography. Click on the link below to see what I mean.
Just a few ideas to make your lensography unique to you:
What is the best present anyone ever gave you?
What is the worst present anyone ever gave you?
What do you want to do/achieve in the short, medium or long term?
Why do you Squidoo?
Get creative, make your Lensography unique to you.
My lensographies: My Squidoo Story and Always Juggling on Squidoo
Squidoo Lensographies I like
A variety of styles
These Lensographies are great examples of how to make an interesting lensography. The reason why I like them is because not only are they very different but you also feel you are really getting to know the Lensmaster.-
Who Is Poddys?
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I was born in England and spent most of my life there, until 1987 when I spent a year on the other side of the world in New Zealand. I returned to London, and then in 1994 I moved to the USA. I spent 12 years in Indiana, and then relocated to South F...
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MiMi's Personal Growth and Motivational T-Shirts
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Coming from an unfortunate childhood, I didn't know what life was all about. All I knew was that life sucked. Where is the order? What is my reason for being? Why don't I know it? Why am I so sad and angry? I began looking for answers at age twenty....
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Hello, I'm Joan
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Hello, I'm Joan! Welcome to my Squidoo World. Squidoo is special because of the community - I have met great friends here, and every day I learn something new! Squidoo is home to over a million lenses and continues to grow quickly. Squidoo is one of...
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Chef Keem :: My Lensography
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My world looks different through my squid eyes: clearer, more thought-out, better researched, better understood. Make no bones about it - I love Squidoo, and it was love at first sight. On January 29th, 2008 I discovered a completely new opportunity...
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Drifter's Tales
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Out from under the murky sludge of his past and into the light of the living, the creature crawls. Using the powers of the Ancients, he smites indifference and the wanton abuse of the human nature that drives some to just slide by. This is Drifter's...
Squidoo lenses full of links
Beware of Spam!
If you are not sure if your Lens is "spammy", then look at the text modules. Then be very, very honest. Do they stand up on their own? Are you giving information that does not solely depend on the reader clicking out to another website?
There is nothing more frustrating (well IMHO anyway) to see a great Lens Title that makes you want to visit it straight away. Then you click on it and find all the lensmaster has done is give you link after link to go somewhere else.
Don't get me wrong. Links are good, but a lens that is full of links and that does not have your own content in them is very, very bad.
A Squidoo Lens that is NOT "spammy"
When I found the lens I am featuring below, I must admit I held my breath as I scrolled through, waiting for the link lists to appear that would direct me to sites, where I would be promised amazing special offers at prices that would not stay this low for much longer, so you MUST buy it now or lose out forever. But the links never materialised apart from one Amazon module, recommending some helpful books. I am not sure that the inclusion of a book on Cupcakes is relevant, but hey, the Lensmaster has probably got a sense of humour!
So thank you DennisW for giving me some clear and down to earth advice and for not leaving me disillusioned about landing on your lens.
Because of the topic, I was half expecting a "spammy" lens
But it was not "spammy" at all - phew
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Affiliate Marketing
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You too can make loads of cash right from the comfort of your own home by using affiliate marketing!
Spam? You do know what is meant by Spam?
Oops, you don't? Then read on...
It is widely believed the term spam is derived from the 1970 SPAM sketch of the BBC television comedy series: Monty Python's Flying Circus.
The sketch is set in a cafe where nearly every item on the menu includes SPAM luncheon meat. As the waiter recites the SPAM-filled menu, a chorus of Viking patrons drowns out all conversations with a song repeating "SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM... lovely SPAM, wonderful SPAM", hence "SPAMming" the dialogue.
The excessive amount of SPAM mentioned in the sketch is a reference to British rationing during World War II. SPAM was one of the few meat products that avoided rationing, and hence was widely available.
SPAMMING anywhere is not good - in Squidoo it is very, very bad!
There are many types of electronic Spam, including:
E-mail spam - unsolicited e-mail
Mobile phone spam - unsolicited text messages
Forum spam - posting advertisements or useless posts on a forum
Spam in blogs - posting random comments and links to unrelated topics
Newsgroup spam - advertisements and forgery on newsgroups
Yes, it's the SPAM sketch from Monty Python
Monty Python - Spam
curated content from YouTube
Still tempted to SPAM on Squidoo?
Lens of the Day - 13 November 2008
I just love this lens! If you want to know how not to win friends and influence people then go and see what this lensmaster has to say about Spammy lenses-
The Best Squidoo Lens NOT To Do
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Oh, yippee yay! This is all about me and my Website and what I want you to buy. I am not going to add any of my personality or give you any information on the lens topic, because that would waste my time! In fact, I don't have a topic! After all, all...
What other Lensmasters are blogging about Squidoo Spammers
- Mortira on the Face of Spam
- One Lensmaster's ponderings about the Lensmaster who spammed her
- MiMi's Commentiquette
- MimI says: "Comments are gratifying to any lens author. However, I am bothered by comments that end with a request to visit a particular lens."
Read on - it may just be enough to make you think twice before leaving a link in a Guestbook.
Do you have a lens or blogpost about Spamming?
Not How to Spam but How NOT to Spam!
Please no Spam! I have added a couple just for starters...
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One Man's Spam Is Another Man's Lunch by MysticMama
I've had a lot of frustration with other people's more...2 points
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The Worst Lens Ever Made
In this introduction, I am going to say something more...1 point
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The Best Squidoo Lens NOT To Do
Oh, yippee yay! This is all about me and my Websit more...1 point
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SquidDon't!
Don't do it!It's simple: given our pedigree, our p more...1 point
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Be a Good Squid
I decided to make this page for fellow Squidoo-ers more...1 point
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Always Juggling: Don't you just love Squidoo Guestbook Spammers? NOT!
Someone was daft enough to Spam one of AJ's Guestb more...1 point
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Always Juggling: Putting a positive Spin on Spam
There is an upside to getting Spam on a Plexo!1 point
Be careful what you promise on Squidoo
Only promise what you can genuinely deliver
I found an article that was promising something for free. There was a link to another website and in order to get the "free something" you had to pay $67 to get the information. Hmmmmm!
Following on from my disillusionment a lens was promoted in the SquidU Forum that promised the opportunity to learn Spanish for free. As learning a language is one of the topics promoted heavily as a potential money earner in various e-books written about Squidoo, I admit I was sceptical. "Here we go again" I thought "more SPAM."
But no, I was wrong. The Lensmaster delivered what he had promised. Lots of brilliant links to websites that teach you Spanish for free and no irrelevant links to affiliate products. This is very good!
Learn Spanish for free - yes, really!
Thank you Derren for delivering what you promised.-
Learn Spanish For Free
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Take a look. They all offer HUGE value. So, let's begin with the... ultimate resources to learn Spanish for free.
STOP! Before you publish that first Squidoo Lens
Actually BEFORE you pick that first Squidoo topic....
Seth Godin: Sliced bread and other marketing delights
curated content from YouTube
Squidoo lensrolling
Linking to other related Lenses
And if you lensroll a lens you like to one of your lenses, then let the Lensmaster know in their Guestbook or send them an email.
Find out more about Lensrolling
Share the Squidoo love!
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Lensrolling
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Lensrolling is a way to share the love and create your own personal lens network. List your friends' lenses, relevant lenses on your topic, or even link to other lenses by you!
Has another Lensmaster contributed to your lens?
Say thank you!
Then don't just thank them in the forum or on Squidtop. Thank them on your lens - put a link in to their Lensography, if they have one, or their Bio or a lens that is relevant. Thanking people is good!
Further reading on SquidLog: Saying Thank You on Squidoo.
Thanks for the help
Thanking some Lensmasters
There's not many people who join Squidoo who do not benefit from help from their fellow Lensmasters. And there are some Lensmasters who are just soooo special that you just have to make a Lens about them-
Thank you for the help
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Thanks for the Squidoo help? There is so much good advice about lensmaking tips to be found on Squidoo, SquidU and all the related Squidthis and Squidthat websites, so it is only right that having benefitted from all this advice, it was about time I...
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Happy Birthday Chef Keem
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Happy 60th Birthday Chef Keem - 07 May 2009 According to his Squidoo Bio: Chef Keem aka Achim Thiemermann, has been a member since January 29 2008, has rated 2,716 lenses, favorited 2,126, and has created 135 lenses from scratch. Achim Thiemermann d...
Chef Keem's very original way to acknowledge his fellow Lensmasters
Ode to Squidoo Lensmasters
curated content from YouTube
Twittiquette
Stop and think before you Tweet that update!
Twitter is a great way to quickly let your Twitter followers know when you have updated a lens. As soon as you hit the Publish button, up pops a few options including the message: "Tweet your update". Oh, it is just so easy. No logging on to Twitter, you just click on the link and hey presto! It's all done and all your friends find out in a tweet what you have been doing.But just a minute. Stop and think. What updating did you do? Did you correct a couple of typos? Just add a couple of lines of text. One small new picture? Or did you add a new module or new information?
Return visits from your friends and fans is good! It increases traffic and they may leave another comment in the Guestbook. This is all good!
But if they come back expecting to learn something new and they cannot see any significant changes, they may feel they have wasted their time. This is bad!
Don't Tweet every single itty bitty update. Just let people know when you have made significant updates or changes. Your friends will still stay your friends. This is good!
Don't be scared to block people from following you on Twitter. You are allowed to!
I found someone rather strange following me. He was not a Squidoo lensmaster and his Avatar was very much "Cop a load of these muscles". His web pages were full of products that I definitely did not want to know anything about. Body building and taking dubious supplements is just not my thing. He made me feel uncomfortable.
I blocked him. I am not THAT desperate to have hundreds of friends on Twitter!
Further reading: AJ Musing on SquidLog: Twitiquette: How not to get unfollowed on Twitter
Twit Etiquette
Take note!
Some very good advice here!-
How To Use Twitter
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Welcome to How To Use Twitter! Before we get into the detail let me make one thing very clear! Twitter is a way of connecting with other people who share your interests or who might be interested in what you have to say. Please do not view it simply...
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Why I'm Not Following You on Twitter
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When it comes to Twitter, many people feel obliged to automatically follow all their followers. It's their personal code of etiquette. However, many others won't do the same. It may sound rude or snobby, but it's true: If someone doesn't recognize y...
Follow me on Twitter
And if you are not Spammy I will not block you!
- aj1996
- aka aj2008
- 441 followers
- 364 following
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- @seedplanter That newly hatched idea looks beautiful!
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- @cjsysreform everything you say is interesting - I may not always agree but it is interesting :)
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- @inkserotica It is excellent! That category is a tad disappointing sometimes & that lens is a great example of what makes a v good lens :)
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- RT @SquidLog AJ is Musing about the Squidoo Community | Squidlog.net http://bit.ly/7sQncJ Your views are needed! #squidoo
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- Nominated for an award. Does this About Me lens deserve your vote? http://www.squidoo.com/christmas-at-ajs #squidoo #christmas
Squidcasting
Do NOT send lots of Squidcasts at once! No, no, no, no, NO!
You are friends with your next door neighbour and you have some news for them. You pop round, (OK, I know some of you live in isolated farms in the mountains in the mid-west and this may not apply to you, but please bear with me here!) you knock on the door, they answer and you have a quick chat.
Thirty seconds later, you hear something else you really MUST share. You pop round, knock on the door and you share the news.
Two minutes later you think of something else you really, really, really MUST share. You pop around, you knock on the door and are you really surprised that actually, you have really hacked off your friend?
Buy at AllPosters.com.
"Psst, I know it is only two minutes since we last spoke but..."
It's the same with Squidcasts. You log on to Squidoo. You go to your dashboard. You click on the "favorites" tab (actually in the UK "favorites" is spelled "favoUrites" but OK, Squidoo is predominently American)..., so, you click on the tab and what happens? Remember the default is to see 10 updates...............
.........Oh for heaven's sake, the page has room for 10 updates and 9 of the spaces are filled by the same Lensmaster. Oh, joy - not! You will get "unfanned"! This is NOT good.
Stop! Think! Space out your Squidcasts, preferably over hours not minutes - pleeeeeeeeease!
A great lens about Squidcasting
Great tips from Spirituality
Lensmaster Spirituality has some very good advice about how not to irritate your Fans when you send a Squidcat.-
Squidcasting - how to squidcast on squidoo
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Squidcasting is THE way to let people within squidoo know your new lens exists. You can use it in all kinds of ways - but how do you do it without annoying people?
Netiquette
Spreading the social butter by The Fluffanutta
Fluff says:
Joining a new network just to connect to the same friends you already have is pointless, and spreading your followers across different sites is equally futile.
AJ suggests that before you spread yourself too thin, then you go and read this post. This will be very good!
Squidoo Networking Online
Listen to what the Squidoo founder has to say about online networking
Seth Godin on social networking and how to do it right
Inc. 5000 Conference in Washington DC - September 19, 2008
curated content from YouTube
Grabbing a URL
Ooo, I'll 'ave that before anyone else gets it!
You get an idea for a lens. That "Make a Page" button is screaming to be hit! It's as compulsive as bidding on e-bay!Oh joy! The URL you want has not been grabbed by anyone else. You grab it. Fantastic - it's like having the winning bid on e-bay!
But don't then leave the lens as a WIP (work in progress) for the next year. It's selfish. It's not good! Be honest with yourself. Is that lens ever going to get written? If the answer is no, then that is very, very bad.
If after a few months have gone by and you know full well that you are not going to make the lens after all, then delete it. Release the URL. Give someone else a chance.
You could even post it on SquidTop or SquidU that you have deleted the URL and let people know it is up for grabs again. That is good!
Think outside the box!
Think outside your Squidoo "niche"
Expand your horizons
I joined Squidoo to publish lenses on parenting and environmental issues. However, I have ended up publishing lenses on other topics as well. It happens!
At first I just visited lenses that were about things I knew about and was specifically interested in. But now I make myself go take a peek at other stuff.
Checking out my fans made me think about this, so I try to visit the bios of my new fans. Some of them publish lenses that I would not normally be interested in but now I have started looking at more lenses outside my main niches. Do it. It will broaden your horizons. It may give you more ideas. This is good!
Lenses that have broadened my horizons
I found some of these lenses as a result of either reading about them in the "Please critique me" thread on SquidU or I discovered them through Squidtop. Others I just found by chance-
In and Around Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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When it comes to visiting Spain, most people probably think of Madrid and Barcelona first. It makes sense; Madrid is the capital of the country and Barcelona was the host city for the 1992 Summer Olympics. While both are fabulous places to spend your...
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Warrior Women - Who we are, What we do, How we are
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To all my sisters, including those I've not yet met. This is not a protest march. This is not a plea for anyone's understanding. This is not a sales pitch. If you're a warrior woman, you may recognize yourself within. If you're not and you're fema...
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The Write Prompts
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What is a writing prompt? It is a word, picture, phrase, quote or set of directions to help you kick start your writing for those days when you just can't get anything to percolate. In this lens you will find a few of the above options to help yo...
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Are you a thermometer or a thermostat?
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Most people pick up and reflect the opinions around them rather than develop their own. Last week I was at a conference in Las Vegas called Professional Learning Communities. The keynote speaker asked a valid question. Are you a thermometer or a ther...
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Protect Your Private Information When Using Facebook
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The fast growing social classifieds network, Flugpo, has sponsored the development of a plug-in that will help counteract the collection and sale of personal information. The plug-in is available at MyDataIsMyData.org. This free plug-in is a toolbar...
What Squidoo manners matter most to you?
Your turn now
What Squid Etiquette is the most important to you? Don't be a hypocrite. You can only add something that you definitely always do yourself. Tell us why it is important to you.
4
Add the lens to your favorites or Digg them
If I like a particularly good lens I will add it t more...6 points
Squidoo Lens of the Day
Get nominating!
Check out the Lens of the Day blog to find out how.
My Lenses of the Day
And one of them got it twice!
I am very proud of my Lenses of the Day, especially as one of them got it twice! One of them is one of my most successful lenses. They are very different but they may give you an idea about what sort of lenses get LOTD-
Twelve Days of a Green Christmas
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How do you have a green Christmas? Here's twelve ways to have an ethical, eco-friendly and environmentally friendly Christmas. The Twelve Days of Christmas to my family is simply a time of being together. When I was a child there was no such thi...
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Auditory Processing Disorder
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Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a little known condition that may affect 10% of children, the majority of whom are undiagnosed. APD is a term that is often used to describe people with normal hearing who have listening difficulties. According...
YouTube Video Etiquette
The creator of a YouTube Video that I featured on my Pantomime lens, emailed me to say that it would be nice to give him a credit. Fair enough I thought, after all it is only good manners to give credit where credit is due.I added a link to his website and then emailed to tell him what I had done. He was happy - which is good.
Then I thought: "Ah ha! Perhaps, bearing in mind all the exposure his video will get on Squidoo" (well I hope it gets lots of views because people will be flooding to visit the lens - please!) "perhaps he in turn will link to my lens". More backlinks here we come!
So, be nice to people whose work you use on your lens. This is good!
More Backlinks is very, very good!
Need advice from experienced Squidoo Lensmasters?
Contact a Mentor
Let's trade ratings
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?
"Psssst, wanna trade some ratings?"
Buy at AllPosters.com
Visit lenses because you want to. Not because "someone" has suggested creating a group of "like minded" lensmasters who want to cheat their way to the top. And before temptation gets the better of you, remember that lensranking doesn't count for much on Google.
So, please do not even go there. That is very good.
Fanning? What is Fanning on Squidoo?
The practice of joining a Fanclub in the hope that someone will join yours
What is it about getting Fans? On Twitter they are Followers. On Facebook they are Friends.
It seems like a great idea, and it is. Other Lensmasters visit your lenses and if they really like what you write, then they can join your Fanclub.
Before you know it, there's lots of lovely Avatars smiling at you on your profile and whenever you Squidcast about a new lens or a lens that has been updated, this lovely group of people who have already said they love your work, (otherwise why would they join your Fanclub?) will be only too eager to go take a peek at what you have done.
So, who are these people? Some of them you will probably recognise. They have visited and commented on your lenses. You have visited and commented on their lenses. This is good!
It is a way of finding Lenses and Lensmasters you may have never found, if that Avatar had not popped up in your Profile. This is good!
Ah, but there is a danger that you can get so caught up in the excitement of gaining Fans, that before you know it, you have joined the Fanclubs of people that maybe you should have thought twice about. This is not so good!
It is OK that lots of different lensmasters write lots of different lenses about a huge range of topics. But before you click on that "Join my Fanclub" button go take a good look at their lenses. If there is anything there that is not what you would normally want to look at, or if there is anything there that bothers you, then should you really be joining their Fanclub?
So don't follow the Herd. Don't fall into the trap of "Fanning". Stop and think before you join a Fanclub. This is very good!
Lensmasters helping Lensmasters
How to Squidoo lenses
Every so often you come across a lens that is just soooooo helpful. This is very good!-
The Stylish Squid - Cool Graphics To Deck Out Your Lens!
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Does your lens need a little extra something? Find it here at The Stylish Squid! Here you will find some of the most original banner and divider graphics tailored specifically for the Squidoo Community. It may be just the push you need to make your...
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Create Stunning CSS Backgrounds with Images
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Have you heard of CSS Backgrounds? Do you have a Squidoo lens or two? How about a website? A MySpace profile? Are you bored by all those plain old white backgrounds? Here I'm going to show you how to spice up your lenses and pages and create bea...
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My Favourite CSS Tricks on Squidoo
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The basic tools provided by Squidoo will do pretty much everything you need to get your content out to your audience. But sometimes you want to format it a little differently, and this is where inline CSS comes into play. Here I show some of the tric...
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Squidoo CSS - my favorite code to spice up a lens
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I've gathered my favorite Squidoo-code for later reference. I'm tired of trying to find that specific lens I used a css effect on and then having to go to edit-mode, copy paste, and then go back to the lens I was working on. This lens will he...
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Lens Candy - Free Squidoo Graphics for the Style Conscious Lens Master
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Hello and thanks for visiting this lens. I know there are quite a few graphic resource lenses out there but, hey when it comes to style, there can never be too much choice. So here's my contribution :) So far, I've included three sets of squidoo gra...
Guestbook Etiquette
Use the Guestbook appropriately!
It's not good because, actually, it usually annoys the heck out of the Lensmaster, who may just suspect that you are only "giving in order to receive" and lots of other Lensmasters who read your comment will probably think the same as well. It's not at all good!
Don't use the Guestbook to inform the Lensmaster about errors or typos. Send them an email via the "Contact me" button. This is tactful and diplomatic. It is good to be tactful and diplomatic!
Praise in public, criticise in private!
More about the Guestbook and Spam
Lensmasters generally visit other lenses because they want to read them, and yes, they know they may learn a thing or two as well; whether it be some information they needed, some links that will be useful or how to make a great lens. This is all good!
But most Lensmasters, well certainly the ones I know, do not want to receive an unwelcome email as the result of leaving genuine and thoughtful feedback in the Guestbook. It's very bad and will definitely lose you friends!
Don't forget who makes Squidoo possible!
While we are all having a great time creating and publishing lenses and making new friends on Squidoo, let's not forget about the people who started it all and keep it going. Let's remember to say thank you to them sometimes. Drop them a line in an email occasionally.Say thank you to Seth for coming up with such a fantastic idea in the first place
Say thank you to Megan for making you lens of the day and also check out what Megan has to say about Squidbehaviour on the Squidblog.
Tips from the founder of Squidoo
Links to Seth Godin's blog
- How to send a personal email
- Here are some easy to follow tips that will help you avoid being seen as a spammer, or having your emails trashed or ignored.
- Some more of Seth's thoughts on how we behave
- There is a link in this blog post to some great advice from Megan Casey, Squidoo Editor
- How to give feedback
- Seth gives feedback on giving feedback
Ending on a positive note
Squidoo is a great place to be, providing you remember that the founder Seth Godin believes in the concept of "permission marketing" where the business provides something of value to the customer by obtaining his/her permission before doing any marketing.There's a lot of Lensmasters out there who are willing to give valuable time and support to anyone taking their first dip into the Sea of Squid. I will now leave you to go and find out who they all are.
Good luck, enjoy Squidoo but above all respect the ethics of its founder. This is very, very, very good!
And if you have not had enough of Squidoo Etiquette
There's more on SquidLog in "AJ's Musings"
Thinking about Squidoo Etiquette and manners on the internet - or is that Netiquette?For the forseeable future AJ will be musing about Etiquette on Squidoo and Netiquette
Ding dong - Angels calling? Do Squidoo Angels behave like Angels on Squidoo?
Are Squidoo Angels behaving badly on Squidoo?
Ding Dong - How to get Squidoo Angel Blessings
How Lensmasters can get Squidoo Angel Blessings
Squidoo Lensmasters note: How not to tread on toes at Tagfoot!
Tagfoot is a relatively new networking site, with a difference. Lensmaster debnet is a Tagfoot Bigfoot . . . .
Multiple accounts on Squidoo
Good or bad? Depends on who's using them!
Saying Thank You on Squidoo
What it says in the title!
Love This Lens?
Please stay awhile longer to rate it and leave a comment
- Rate this lens:
- Email it
- Favorite it
- Lensroll it
Please stop by and say hello
and if you find any typos then send me an email!
You are welcome to add RELEVANT links in your comments. But if they are not then they will be Zapped by AJ. This is bad!
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Reply
- rockrat rockrat Dec 5, 2009 @ 2:48 pm
- A wealth of information to absorb. I think I'm a fairly well mannered Squid - no excuse not to be after reading your suggestions. This will be of a lot of use to newcomers. I think some people join not really understanding that it is a community.
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Reply
- thillukka thillukka Dec 1, 2009 @ 3:48 pm
- I'm new here, so this was definitely useful. Thanks!
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Reply
- mysticmama mysticmama Nov 27, 2009 @ 9:09 am
- I'm glad I visited this amazing lens again...it just keeps growing better & better!
Blessed!
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Reply
- GrowWear GrowWear Nov 8, 2009 @ 10:49 am
- In this whirlwind life I have going on, I have been remiss in blessing this most excellent of lenses. An Angel blessing and love and hugs to one of my favorite lensmasters!
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Reply
- strayspay strayspay Nov 3, 2009 @ 7:50 am
- Thanks AJ. There are certainly things in this lens that I needed to hear. Very informative and useful lens!
- Load More
Who is AJ?
AJ is Always Juggling
AJ is very proud and humble to be a Squidoo Angel
I am also very proud to have been awarded lens of the day for
Auditory Processing Disorder TWICE!
And then I got it for Twelve ways to have a green & ethical Christmas!
Lensmaster aj2008 has been a member since July 10 2008, has rated 3,227 lenses, favorited 800, and has created 70 lenses from scratch. AJ donates their royalties to Save the Children. This member's top-ranked page is "Bullying At Primary School". See all my lenses
Check out these great lenses...
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- Bullying At Primary School
Bullying at Primary School is about everything that I learned when my daughter was bullied at school and gives tips and strategies to use when dealing with the school. I hope your children are never bullied, but if they are then perhaps our experien... view lens -
- Christmas at AJ's
Christmas at AJ's is full of Christmas traditions. There's Christmas stockings that Santa fills on Christmas Eve, presents under the tree, turkey for lunch, games in the evening and of course we have to watch Dr Who. The only thing that is us... view lens -
- Twelve Days of a Green Christmas
How do you have a green Christmas? Here's twelve ways to have an ethical, eco-friendly and environmentally friendly Christmas. The Twelve Days of Christmas to my family is simply a time of being together. When I was a child there was no such thi... view lens -
- AJ2008 a Lensography
This Squidoo Lensography is a different sort of Lensography to the first one I made: AJ is Always Juggling, which is more about me, my likes, my dislikes and my personal ambitions. This lensography is my Squidoo Story, told through my collection of S... view lens -
- Autumn at AJ's
Autumn in the UK starts in September and goes through until the beginning of December. Each season has its own special meaning at AJ's because we love our garden and we also enjoy watching the birds and the other wildlife that visit. We live in a se... view lens
by aj2008
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