How to do your part to make Squidoo a happy place for everyone
Besides building and writing your own lenses, the most important thing you can do on this site is to visit other people's lenses. What you do there will make a big difference to everyone involved. If we as a huge Squidoo community can band together to lift each other up, help each other out, and cheer each other on, we will be building positive energies that will make this site a joy for anyone who participates.
Here are my suggestions for what to do when you visit someone else's lens. I'll also explain some of the philosophy behind why I recommend this benevolent course of action.
What you'll find here:
Lens visitation rules of etiquette
When you visit a lens, there are several important things you should do.
First, take time to read as much of the lens as you can.
If there's a guestbook, sign in and give the lensmaster some feedback. This also gives everyone a link to your bio page, which is good for you as well.
If you want to connect to the lensmaster and have their shout-outs appear on your favorites page, then scroll up to the right-side column and click on the word, "favorites". This is a bonus to you as your icon and link will appear at the bottom of the right-side column. Another way for people to find you!
If you have any lenses that are remotely similar, click on lensroll and add a link to the lens to one or more of yours. You can mention this in your guestbook entry, for example, say "I'm lensrolling this to my "Feline Emotions" lens." By doing this you may get people clicking on the link to your bio page so they can find the other page with their link.
Ratings! You should always rate a page unless for some reason you really don't like the topic, or something about it totally hits you the wrong way. You can make your own decisions about how many stars to bestow on the other lens. Every star helps the other lensmaster so if you have a bad attitude about what was on the lens, you're better off not rating at all than giving a low rating. Generally speaking, however, remember to give a rating.
Stumbles! Stumbles are the best way to get traffic coming into Squidoo. If a page is especially well-done, it may deserve a stumble. Don't wreck your StumbleUpon account by giving stumbles to lenses that are not first-rate, as people on StumbleUpon will be annoyed by that. These stumbles should be reserved for the cream of the crop.
Add to Del.icio.us. If you have a Delicious account, it won't hurt to add the lens, and if this is something you want to remember and keep track of, that's a great place to store the information.
You can add the lens to Digg, another great bookmarking site. Why not? It is the friendly thing to do, and this one can send high amounts of traffic to the lens.
Here's something really cool for you who have a MySpace. You can click on a link to add a blurb about the page to your MySpace blog.
Facebook - you can add a blurb to your Facebook profile at the click of an icon, right there on the right-side column of each lens. If your Facebook friends are interested in a particular topic, keep this in mind.
Realistically speaking...
If you're like me, you probably don't have a lot of time to spend on every lens you read. What I usually do is sign the guestbook, rate, favorite, and lensroll. If it is a health blog I add it to Del.icio.us where I keep my health related links. If it is a superb lens, I'll stumble it. If it is something my family might be interested in, I send it to my MySpace blog. If it is something about writing, I'll put it on my Facebook page.
But, but, but....
...what about ME?
Are you worried that if you give good ratings to others it will keep you from being on top? Do you think that by lensrolling or favoriting others your lenses won't be rated as well?
Did it ever occur to you that your ratings on Squidoo could be tied into the measure with which you promote the site by helping the lenses of other lensmasters? I'll bet Seth Godin really appreciates it when a lens gets Stumbled, because that drives a lot of traffic to this site.
The best way to prosper is to help others prosper. That's a fact.
You might like to learn more about the philosophy of an amazing writer, Wallace D. Wattles. Read on...
The Wisdom of Wallace D. Wattles
...author of The Science of Getting Rich
In his book, The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace D. Wattles wrote that we become rich, in part, when we consider the well-being of all.
"What can I do for you?" is what we should be asking. When we find a path that will help others, the world will respond and wealth will be created.
Here are a few words from The Science of Getting Rich*:
"You can make the most of yourself only by getting rich, so it is right and praiseworthy that you should give your first and best thought to the work of acquiring wealth.
Remember, however, that the desire of substance is for all, and its movements must be for more life to all. It cannot be made to work for less life to any, because it is equally in all, seeking riches and life.
Intelligent substance will make things for you, but it will not take things away from someone else and give them to you.
You must get rid of the thought of competition. You are to create, not to compete for what is already created.
You do not have to take anything away from anyone.
You do not have to drive sharp bargains.
You do not have to cheat or to take advantage. You do not need to let anyone work for you for less than he earns.
You do not have to covet the property of others or to look at it with wishful eyes. No one has anything of which you cannot have the like, and that without taking what he has away from him.
You are to become a creator, not a competitor. You are going to get what you want, but in such a way that when you get it every other person whom you affect will have more than he has now."
* The Science of Getting Rich was published in 1919 and is now in the public domain.
The Science of Getting Rich
The Science of Getting Rich: Attracting Financial Success through Creative Thought
Amazon Price: $4.89 (as of 12/01/2009) 
Agree or Disagree
Do You Agree With Me?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes, I agree that you should rate, favorite, etc. while visiting lenses.
ChapelHillFiddler says:
I've absolutely been trying to leave comments wherever I go (if I can think of anything to say), but as a newbie I've been consistently forgetting to do those other things (favorite, stars, lens) and will try to do better.
Posted June 20, 2009
Michey says:
Yes, we must do this, it is a direct help for the lensmaster but is a indirect help for the person that do this favor. This is how we build communities by niches, tribes and friends. My grandma use to say "treat others as you want to be treated". She was right, people usually return the favor.
Posted May 26, 2009
JaguarJulie says:
I agree -- and make it a point to set aside time in my day to visit other lensmasters' lenses ... and do all that I can to give back, rate, participate and encourage.
Posted May 26, 2009
poutine says:
I totally agree that we should all help others by visiting,reading
and commenting, plus rating and sometimes favorite and lensroll the on
the ones that we like.
Posted March 16, 2009
DebGray0333 says:
wow... not competing... not clawing my way to the top. Awesome!
Posted January 26, 2009
luvmyludwig says:
I totally agree, if I don't have time to do them all I favorite it then go back and do everything else. I am always looking at my favorite list!
Posted January 19, 2009
WindyWinters says:
Simply yes. Feedback is important. Good or Bad! It helps you to do a better job the next time. Your lens has alot of good tips for me. Thanks! 5* :)
Posted January 12, 2009
purplelady says:
If Social Bookmarking and Web 2.0 efforts teach us anything it that to succeed we all need to succeed. The we help someone else; the more we help ourselves.
Posted December 20, 2008
Ramkitten says:
I definitely agree. I'm fairly new to Squidoo and, at first, concentrated on writing lenses. Then I started to look around more and comment on other lenses (as well as learn from them), and the traffic to my own lenses seemed to go up noticeably. I also began to feel much more a part of the community.
Posted December 18, 2008
LindaJM says:
NatureMaven, ratings are given by choosing one to five stars at the top of every Squidoo lens (on the left side). Ranking (lensrank) is something else - it is the number in the top-right corner of a lens and there's nothing we can do to change it - that is assigned daily by Squidoo using an algorithm we're not allowed to know. Most likely it is affected by the number of visits to the lens but there are other factors as well.
Posted December 03, 2008
NatureMaven says:
Thanks for making this lens! As a new squidooer I hadn't really thought about these etiquette issues. However I must ask the question- WHERE is this ranking button? Take this lens, I see the favorite button and this lens roll button
(which I don't understand, BTW) and on the full bio I see the become a fan button, but I DON'T see a ranking button. What am I missing?
Posted December 03, 2008
Tracey_M says:
Absolutely, the community aspect of squidoo is what makes it work so well. It would be awful if people were cheap with ratings. The spirit would be lost.
Posted November 28, 2008
Gretchen_Lee_Bourquin says:
The world does not always need to be dog eat dog. Working together is best. Thanks for the common sense lens
Posted November 23, 2008
Spook says:
"you do not have to cheat or take advantage." Couldn't agree more.
As to the other, couldn't agree more either.
Personally, I prefer a comment rather than a five star and favourite.
However the concept of reciprocosity (sp?), doesn't seem to work for me. Have left hundreds of ratings and only ever get back from the same people. Obviously therefore they are my real favourites.
Apologies for the spiel and great lens.
Posted October 16, 2008
No, I'd rather not do any of those things.
Flynn_the_Cat says:
...isn't it said when you've put your points so well, that noone can disagree?
XD
Posted June 05, 2009
What makes a Squidoo lens great?
...take your lenses from GOOD to GREAT!
I know we all want to make the best Squidoo lenses possible, but that leaves us with the question - HOW?
I've been here a few years and see lensmasters in various stages of professionalism. First, there are those that think Squidoo is just a place to toss up some affiliate links, as if the money will then come rolling in. I'm sure they figure that Squidoo is at least good for a backlink!
But Squidoo is so much more!
Second, there are those that notice some lensmasters are making a nice part time income, and they want to emulate that. They timidly put together their first lenses, then sit back and wonder when the magic happens. When will the readers come? When will the money roll in?
Wow, it takes time!!! What a concept.
Third - there are those that have come to the understanding that Squidoo is a very cool online community to be part of. They make their early lenses, working toward the magical fifty - to qualify as Giant Squids. They may now be seeing how some of their lenses are pulling in Google traffic. That's encouraging! They may make their first affiliate sales through the eBay or Amazon modules. And they gain momentum, working to make this online community stronger and more vibrant!
Fourth, the old-timers. Even though Squidoo has been around only since 2005, there are already old-timer squids that are making the bucks and perfecting the art of lensmaking. They've left lots of signposts along the way... in the form of lenses about how to make great lenses. They are the ones who realize that the only way to make Squidoo go from GOOD to GREAT is to turn around on the mountain path and help new hikers ascend to the heights.
Here are some of those wonderful lenses that will help you climb the learning-curve path during your amazing Squidoo adventure.
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What is Etiquette?
...doesn't anyone care anymore?
It isn't a popular subject these days. Basically etiquette is a way of applying the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Etiquette means that you care about the other people you work with. Here at Squidoo - those people are the Powers That Be and your fellow lensmasters whether they be rank beginners and green behind the ears, or the Greatest of the Giant Squids. If you respect and reverence all people as dewdrops of the Divine Intelligence, or as, at least, fellow human beings, then you'll do fine here on Squidoo and will Live Long and Prosper, no doubt.
Emily Post's Etiquette, 17th Edition (Thumb Indexed)
Amazon Price: $27.04 (as of 12/01/2009)
AJ's Squidoo Etiquette lens
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Squid Etiquette
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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...
Philanthropy - still a good thing
Early in 2009 during a Squidoo Giant chat, Seth Godin and Megan Casey answered a question for me. I wanted to know what we can do for Squidoo, since this site has given so much to us.
Their answer was to spend a few minutes every day promoting someone else's lens. Seth said that when he promotes someone else's book through his blog, it is far more effective than if the author did some self-promotional activity.
Think about it. Would you rather check out someone's "look at me" posting, or would you rather go explore a site that some third party found valuable?
If we love Squidoo and want it to prosper, the best way is to find the exciting lenses worth talking about, and to let other people know all about them!
Face it -- all the self-promotion we see happening on the Internet is absolutely boring after a while. Don't be selfish with your praise. Help someone else out today!
- How Often Do You Promote Others | chrisbrogan.com
- "My favorite bloggers aren't who you might expect. I love Glenda Watson Hyatt. I love Jon Swanson. I love Marti Lawrence. I think Ann Handley and Shannon Paul..."
About Ratings, Lenses, Etc.
- In Praise of the Squidoo Guestbook
- I recently finished reading a long and interesting lens - and was inspired to tell the writer how much I enjoyed her work. But to my dismay, there was no guestbook. No contact link either. I was so disappointed that I couldn't network with the author of that lens!
- Squidoo Tools, Resources, and Guides
- Squidoo Tools, Guides, Lens addons, Linkbuilding tips, and newsThis is a collection of free Squidoo tools, guides, and other resources to help you build and market your Squidoo LensesI also continue to gather various addons that you can add to your Lenses.Rather than have to go all over the place to
- 49 Ideas For Awesome Lenses
- ...or 10 or 100!It's pretty easy, non-techy, and of course, free. Right? Right.Sure, to make your lens a real knockout it takes some time, but chances are you've already learned the basics and are looking to do more.Congrats. That's the best place to be. You've already learned the art of making a le
- The Squidoo Answer Deck Headquarters
- All kinds of answers to your questions about how to create outstanding, successful lenses.
- SquidAngel Guidelines
- About 10 days ago, a new feature called SquidAngel was instituted on Squidoo. It is a brilliant concept. Here are my top 5 reasons:1. It will improve the quality of lens.2. It will drive more traffic to the lens. 3. It will create renew excitement among lensmasters.4. It will improve the lensrank by
- Squidoo Tools, Resources, and Guides
- Squidoo Tools, Guides, Lens addons, Linkbuilding tips, and newsThis is a collection of free Squidoo tools, guides, and other resources to help you build and market your Squidoo LensesI also continue to gather various addons that you can add to your Lenses.Rather than have to go all over the place to
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Your comments are WELCOME
What do you do when you visit a lens?
-
Reply
- Carmel_Aaron Carmel_Aaron Nov 30, 2009 @ 12:59 pm
- I have just found you and your lenses today.
I love what I have read-except for Drugging children,
I truly hate that.
I write and teach wellness and I
dislike the over-use of meds anyway, but this was
horrible.
Adults are to care for and protect children.
Anyway, back to this lens
This is a fantastic lens. I will try to remember what to do.
I loved the point that we are not to compete but to create by
Mr.Wallace Wattles.
I am still learning how to do Squidoo.
Thanks 5-Star
-
Reply
- KellydeBorda KellydeBorda Nov 21, 2009 @ 8:54 pm
- What a wonderful lens - one of the best I've seen. Thanks for the reminder that I need to take a little time out every day from my own lenses and pay a little attention to those around me. :)
-
Reply
- WordCustard WordCustard Nov 8, 2009 @ 12:43 pm
- I found this inspiring and thought-provoking. I'm glad I stopped by.
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Reply
- grannysage grannysage Jul 17, 2009 @ 6:40 pm
- You are quite inspiring, you know. I was feeling a little discouraged about things, mainly about not having time to write as much as I like, how hard it is to promote yourself, and worrying over my lenses like baby chicks. Then an angel floated by and said kind words about my special needs cat lens. Wiley was so proud! I decided to take a look at this lens, and everything you said, made me feel better and better. I Have figured out that Squidoo is a very cool community, and you are one of the many reasons it is so. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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Reply
- GrowWear GrowWear Jun 5, 2009 @ 12:08 am
- Thank you. Going to Tweet this right now. :)
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This lens donates to the Los Angeles Woman's Peace Campaign
... for their SMILE Initiative, to help single mothers.
I'm excited about this charity's work with single moms. I was a single mom for many years so I love that a group of professional women are helping single moms become empowered and inspired to do well in life.
This is a great way to help needy children - by giving their mothers the self-esteem and personal joy that will help them raise their children to be self-confident and at peace with themselves.
The Women's Peace Campaign helps women find peace within and share it with others.
The SMILE Initiative
... to help empower and inspire single mothers!
-
WOMEN'S PEACE CAMPAIGN presents S.M.I.L.E.
-
The S.M.I.L.E. Initiative (single mom international leadership empowerment) empowers single moms to leadership in their family, their community, nationwide and internationally through education and mentoring provided by successful single moms and oth...
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About the author
Lensmaster LindaJM has been a member since June 11 2007, has rated 1,569 lenses, favorited 677, and has created 111 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "Drugging Foster Children". See all my lenses
My Bio
I live in the Klamath River Valley of Northern California. I share my life with my partner, Bob. We like to watch movies at home on DVD, swim, hike, and prospect for gold in the Siskiyou Mountains.
You can learn more about me by reading my lensography or this page about my novels.
I have two other Squidoo accounts:
1. Politics - AmericanCitizen
2. Spirituality - Geniyyah
Are you a Squidoo lensmaster over age fifty?
Come join the Senior Squids!
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by LindaJM
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