Competing for the top lensrank

Competing for the top lensrank = earning charity dollars. I've just taken a look at the Top 100 listed lenses in several categories. Some rather surprising lenses -- no, I didn't have the time to visit each and every one of these. In some categories, I'm seeing multiple lenses on the SAME topics -- I personally would like to see more of a variety. And, be a little more topical on the topics; i.e., if holiday related and the holiday is past. ;)

The lure of many a new lensmaster joining Squidoo can probably be chalked up to the enticement of sharing in the thousands of dollars that some lensmasters say they are earning each month. There are plenty of ebooks out there instructing lensmasters how they can earn boatloads of money online. This is a tough economy; people have financial issues and are watching their budgets. I personally wouldn't want to get wealthy at the expense of putting another person in debt. But, that's me.

I'm of the belief that you need to "show me the money" before I believe all those claims about lensmasters or affiliates making thousands of dollars a month. I can believe that some lensmasters are making $100, $200, $300 or possibly $400 per month off their lenses -- but it is becoming less of a viable earning platform when you consider that you are competing with over 850,000 lenses rankling for a lensrank in the Top Tier which might pay $10-$11 for that position. Remember, the Top Tier only encompasses the top 2,000 lenses.

The enticement to join Squidoo has also brought with it some pretty spammy and non-quality lenses, recently referred to as SquidJunk. Well, I don't like spam and I surely don't like junk. Thankfully, there are efforts underway to address the spam and the junk -- thank you!

OK, here is what I propose and I'm sure this will be received with mixed reviews. Change the lensrank tier position royalties to automatically default to charity. Let the lensmaster select which charity or charities they would like to earmark their royalties to benefit. That could be the first step ... how do you feel about this?

Lensrank tanking for some lensmasters

Why is lensrank tanking for some lensmasters? The funniest thing about lensrank -- for some lensmasters lenses, their lensrank is tanking and in the toilet while other lensmasters are NOT experiencing such a tanking. Perhaps it is because of a new algorithm? Or because of more Giant Squids sharing in the wealth? I'm hoping that because I've started blogging more and am taking a look at some topical topics objectively, that there isn't a correlation to this apparent tanking. To be fair, ethical, objective, and evaluated on the same scale across the board -- is that too much to ask?

My THREE year anniversary with Squidoo is one-month away! For me, this is really quite an incredibly long period of time to be involved with one 'project.' I've held the passion and convictions that what I am doing is of value and worthy of my time. During these three years, I have spent COUNTLESS hours working on creating unique lenses, some of which are my 'pride and joy' although one wouldn't be able to tell by lack of a desirable higher lensrank. I've taken lots of grief from my hubby who has asked me way too many times if I was making more than $1.00 per hour with this 'hobby.' Squidoo has given me the opportunity to express myself through my lenses that I've not had the pleasure to experience ANYWHERE else.

In the past three years, I have achieved the 'honors' of Giant Squid, Giant Squid 100 Club, 2008 Giant Squid of the Year, Squid Angel, Lens of the Day three times, and 2008 Best Cooking lens, among a few other nice honors. I have not yet been tapped as a Citizen Squid -- that would have been nice though. I've created over 402 lenses and 6 groups and done my best to be a positive contributor on the forum. Through my private mentoring, I've helped many a lensmaster. Through the power of Squidoo, I've had the distinct pleasure to become online friends with so many wonderful PEOPLE -- people who matter to me ... Hello, you undoubtedly know WHO you are.

Recently, my lenses were HIT by a speed-rater who might have been disgruntled for some reason -- I can't speak for them as I don't know why. HQ was great in helping to remedy MY problem. Thanks Gil. And, thanks to Blake, Corey, Kimberly, Megan, and Seth -- and anyone else that I might have missed.

As Squidoo has exploded and grown to nearly one million lenses, there are a lot of issues to deal with -- how to handle all those bugs in a timely fashion with such a small staff is a top concern. How to handle all those lensmasters with multiple accounts; I'm not going to discuss that here -- I can well understand what I read about this in many a lensmasters' blog. What about non-authentic content; or God forbid plagiarism? What about all those many lenses on the same topics and the same questionable topics? Oh my! What about spam, one stars, locked lenses, being nasty to other lensmasters? That's not good at all. My grandmother Julia Nagy taught me that I should treat others as I would have them treat me; AND, if I didn't have something nice to say, to not say anything at all.

Squid Angels, and others with the power, can only do so much to ding those SPAMMY lenses to move them out of the top tiers so that the deserving lenses have the better lensrank. Squid Angels are human after all.

But, why is lensrank tanking for SOME lensmasters? In the following graphic, you see three columns of numbers which are squidoo lensrank for lenses. In each row, you see the lensrank day #1, day #2, and day #3. The numbers show the progression of lensrank downward in just days for lenses.