Home » SquidooHQ

Reasons Squidoo Accounts Get Deleted

SquidooKimberly by SquidooKimberly
Last updated: 02/06/2012

Top five reasons accounts get deleted, plus a bonus and a new reason

Squidoo loves lensmasters, and when they're new and trying new things, we love to give them the benefit of the doubt. But occasionally, we get bad actors who just aren't interested in creating great lenses and insist on breaking the rules.

Below we've outlined our five main reasons why Squidoo lenses and accounts get deleted, plus a bonus reason, and a new reason.

Image by mzacha.

Reason #1: Your lens smells like spam

If your lens smells a lot like spam, it could get deleted.

This means the content is recycled, or ripped from somewhere (or someone) else without credit, or used on multiple lenses. It could also mean that your lens is uncurated, featuring only 1 or 2 modules without sharing personal or relevant recommendations.

Squidoo is a spam-free zone. You can learn more about what not to do at Squid Don't.
Important!

Credit does not equal permission.

Simply giving an author credit on your lens doesn't give you permission to use their content. Could what you've "borrowed" be plagiarism?

Reason #2: You spammed with your links

You spammed a Squidoo lensmaster, or Groupmaster, or a blogger with irrelevant links one of your lenses.

Examples of this include (but are not limited to):
  • You created a Twitter account (or 2 or 10) and repeatedly posted your lens URL over and over, with no other content.
  • You spammed a blog with your URL or irrelevant ad.
  • You created a digg, or del.icio.us, or other profile for the sole purpose of link spamming.

Reason #3: Traffic redirects, hacks, and TOS violations.

You're automatically redirecting traffic from your lens to another site. Or employing any other kind of hack that is against our TOS.

Examples of this include (but are not limited to):
  • Setting up a script so when someone visits a lens they automatically go to another site.
  • Software that automatically creates, updates, or promotes Squidoo lenses.
  • Using scripts or software to bypass administrative Squidoo functions.

Reason #4: You contact-spammed

You spammed a Squidoo lensmaster via the Contact Me link, or in their Guestbook, or you've been reported for email spam off the site.

Examples of this include (but are not limited to):
  • Spamming guestbooks (which can get you banned from leaving comments altogether, as well as getting your account deleted).
  • You used the Contact Me link to spam, solicit, or otherwise be mean to a lensmaster.
  • You directly emailed spammy content to a non-user.

Reason #5: Your lenses are X-rated

...but are not marked as such.

Or, when we changed your ratings to X, you changed them back.

Bonus reason: Things just aren't good.

Squidoo's community of lensmasters has high editorial standards. We reserve the right to lock, or delete, accounts that strike us as illegal, offensive, spammy, uncurated, junky, or otherwise harmful to Squidoo, and to the web at large.

If your lens fits into this category, you'll usually be able to tell just by asking a fellow lensmaster. If you're worried, visit our peer-driven forum to get a review.

A new reason for deleting accounts: LensSquatting

Lensmasters who claim an extensive number of lenses without populating and publishing them, or claim several lenses with basically the same URL, are subject to account deletion.

The definition of this is left to interpretation by our SquidStaff. Lensmasters with a history of creating great lenses who decide to claim 5 or 10 lenses to build, are probably ok. However, if you just claimed 487 lens URLs having to do with translation services or porn, you can consider them gone.

Do you want to delete your lenses or account?

Sometimes cleaning up boo-boos is too tricky, and it's easier to start over. To delete a single lens, click the "delete" link that pops down under the lens name on your My Lenses page.

To delete an account, find the "account status" item in your My Profile page, and click "change."

Have a question about this?

If you have already received an email about this, you have 24 hours to request a review of your account by sending a report here.

If you just have questions, leave a message below. Kimberly, Squidoo's Community Organizer, can help point you in the right direction. If you think your lens can be better, try getting a peer review at our lensmaster driven forum at SquidU.

submit
Show All

This SquidooHQ page written by

SquidooKimberly

I'm Kimberly, your Community Organizer on Squidoo. These official lenses will help you be more successful on your favorite internet service - Squidoo!... more »

Official news and updates from the Squidoo Team

Connect with SquidooHQ