Never touch my private life

You will surely wonder why I'm posting such a title. 

Last Friday, I posted a new thread in our in-house forum where I questioned the SquidAngel program - questioned is probably a "big" word for the actual post, however, it opened the Pandora box and became some kind of open fight between those that agreed with me and those that didn't.

Problem being that I never questioned the angel program itself and certainly didn't want to start a fight.

Not so long ago, I was a SquidAngel myself and was really happy to see my term come to an end as all those responsibilities kept me away from building new lenses - to the exception of three/four only in three months!

During my three months term, I've seen some lensmasters - and one more particularly for reasons I'm going to expose below - complain all over the forum that they didn't get the number of blessings they used to get to their lenses as if an angel blessing was a due for any of their newly published lenses.

Actually I always considered - and I'm sure all angels do too - a blessing as a reward to the cream of the crop lenses. I even thought many of my lenses weren't that good for getting the blessings they got in reality.

In addition, still in the forum, I also saw an increasing tendency to post the same links in every other thread - once again, one lensmaster particularly.

And this led me in replying to this lensmaster regarding both matters: the complaints for not getting blessings and the link spamming. This lensmaster was also some kind of "online friend" (at least I thought they were) and we exchanged some friendly emails.

However, one day this person sent me a mail stating the angels didn't do their job properly because they didn't bless all her lenses as the former angels used to do and that this prevented her newly published lenses from entering the top tier; which would lead into lack of visits (that's what she thought) and of course, earnings.
 

This made me angry because I KNEW FOR A FACT that angels work all day long, visiting lenses, checking for potential duplicate content, checking bios and pictures, checking althrough the Web to learn if pictures are used in compliance of their terms and properly credited before blessing THAT lens that make their heart beat.

The lack of knowledge of the amount of work required from angels led me into kindly replying to this person that she shouldn't count on blessings to get her lens rank higher as other lensmasters also deserve to have their lenses ranked in the top tier and that she should instead learn a bit of SEO and promote her lenses OUTSIDE of Squidoo.

She replied that she wasn't interested in promoting her lenses nor in getting external traffic, that her lenses were made to promote her sites and for lensmasters to read only and that she just wanted to get the Squidoo rewards; which in my opinion is unfair for the hard workers who bring the most traffic to Squidoo and thus allow us to earn money!
 

Those mails are saved in my mailbox. I replied a last time, stating that she must learn how to bring traffic from outside sites but she definitely didn't want to listen to me.

Since then, we never exchanged emails any more and I only posted in her forum threads when I had enough of her many complaints and spams.

Don't believe that I didn't appreciate her any more, but the problem is that since she's extremely present in the forum and that she's teaching newbies how to Squidoo, many copied her and started to spam and complain too. This was the real matter. 

How can you tell a newbie "you can't do that" when an old timer makes it all the time?

Because she became an angel and of some threads she opened, I opened my thread in full respect of SquidU tos - thus NOT naming anyone - that many considered as a questioning of the whole Squid Angel program and, since they tought I was complaining about them, I've got some attacks. Those were frankly exposed in the thread itself and I respect those lensmasters while we didn't agree.

However, the lensmaster that was concerned by this thread never replied into the forum and chose to attack me in private.

She sent me a hateful and insulting email where she stated that now I only have enemies on Squidoo; which is false but well, she's free to think whatever she wants and I wasn't offended at all. She stated that I'm the kind of person who lowers the quality standards of Squidoo, she's free to think whatever she wants and I wasn't offended at all. 


However, she did more! She doesn't attacked me regarding my lensmaking but she attacked my private life.  

She doesn't know me, she isn't a "real" friend, she never met me, she doesn't know where I live, nor if I'm married or not, she doesn't know how many children I have, nor if I'm disabled or not, she ignores the kind of life I have, she knows NOTHING about me and she attacks me on this part of me, a part that she doesn't master at all and which isn't tied to my Squidoo profile!

I don't write from the heart - as some lensmasters do - because I don't want anyone to enter my private life, I never speak about me in public, I even cured my "personal" lenses in such a way that they don't look personal and you'll never know anything about me except what you can read in my lenses and that I allow you to know.

Stating that I'm a History lover doesn't mean that I'm not an historian... Maybe I'm one. Stating that I was secretary in the past doesn't imply that I'm not any more nor that I'm not the secretary of our Prime Minister... Well, actually nobody knows anything about me. And this lensmaster knows less than anyone else.

• I am NOT politically correct
• I don't follow the crowd
• I do my own things
• I think by myself
• I never copy others
• I won't agree with you when I actually disagree just to make you happy
• I am NOT a boot licker
• I am against the unique thought

To me such attack is cowardice. What a beautiful "enthusiastic" and "generous" lensmaster (as she is considered like this in the forum)! This is the kind of person I don't want to hear about any more.

This being said, I'm currently coding a new site that uses PHP only and I'm not that familiar with PHP; which is the reason why I couldn't post here for a while and won't be posting till the beginning of May. But after May 1st, I'm going to speak about the last lenses I blessed and didn't post yet.

There will be one lens per day along with the link included in the title. Hopefully this will bring those lensmasters an additional valuable backlink. And when the stock of lenses will be finished, I'll try to make a post about a lens that I particularly liked from time to time.

Happy Squidoo-ing.

Posted by Squidoo Lensmaster Prosperity66

Yahoo Pipes, Paragliding Experience, Christmas Trip, Baseball, Earth Angel, Appalachian Trail

A Guide to Yahoo Pipes by thefluffanutta
First time I went to thefluffanutta's SquidUtils, I was looking for my lens feeds. What I wanted was the feed link that would bring to my most recently updated lenses. This brought me to Yahoo Pipes. Oh, when I saw this, I thought I entered a hidden world and definitely wondered how I could get the right rss link to my lenses. This is where I started browsing thefluffanutta's lenses and finally discovered A guide to Yahoo Pipes that he created for us, lensmasters. This is, like most of his guides, a tutorial that teaches you step-by-step how to use Yahoo Pipes and makes you understand that using Yahoo Pipes is easy as pie. A must-read guide for any lensmaster out there.

A Tandem Paragliding Experience in Switzerland by WordCustard

Wordcustard is addicted to mountains. This is a healthy addiction and allows you to travel abroad, particularly in European mountains without moving from your chair and allows you to keep doing what you best like: browsing the Web. This page invites to you to discover this activity that WordCustard likes and enjoyed herself: paragliding. In this page, she relates her overall experience, from the day she started looking for more information to the wonderful time she spent flying like a butterfly. As usual with WordCustard, the page is not only informative but also visually really attractive.

An Empty-Nesters Christmas Trip by Wednesday Elf
How to survive Christmas when children are grown up, got married and couldn't spend Christmas time with you? Until now, I didn't know and to say the truth, I preferred not to think about it as I'm pretty sure this would get me depressed! But I visited Wednesday Elf's marvelous page that relates how her dear hubby and herself spent their Christmas time alone... Well, not so alone since they left town for a trip. And what trip!

Crazy about Baseball by Wednesday Elf
Wednesday Elf is one of those lensmasters who take their time to create a lens. Once the lens is made, she presents it and you can't do anything else but bless it because she put so much work and all her heart in her lens creation. This is why, while I definitely don't like any kind of sport - I even hate tennis, while having a grand cousin who's World Champion (guess who's my grand cousin, lol.) - I blessed this lens that I really enjoyed reading. Baseball; which is a sport that isn't popular in my country, is Wednesday Elf favorite sport and she shares her passion with you. This is brilliant account of her favorite baseball teams, matches she saw, and so on. I spent good time on this page and wish you'll like it too.

Are You An Earth Angel, Incarnated Elemental or Star Person? by Ener-G
A friend of mine is highly interested in such subjects and definitely thinks she had other lives, that her last life was the one of a wealthy and bad person and that she pays the bill in her present life. She believes in stars, angels and so many other things. But sometimes, when she speaks about her beliefs, she seems so passionate, trying to convince me that her statements are true and that I must believe myself, that I can't "play the game" and am quickly fed up. So, when I first went to Ener-G's lens I was a bit suspicious. However, the page is clear, objective, simple, and doesn't try to sell anything that you wouldn't want to believe in. It just lists clearly the different symbols and their particularities. An interesting and entertaining read.

Become An Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker by MysticTurtle
Ok, let's go for another seance of vertigo, lol. MysticTurtle went hiking on the Appalachian Trail and created this lens that is an account of her trip. Once again, I couldn't do such thing so, I admire her for this! Once again, this allowed me to travel and discover areas I've never seen and will surely never see in my life. Another great mountain lens on Squidoo.
 

Posted by Squidoo Lensmaster Prosperity66

Easter Eggs, Australian Natives, Death Masks, Alien Orchids, Earworms, Bald Eagle, ADHD Traveller

Gardening With Australian Natives by oztoo
First time I discovered the existence of Australia and New Zealand was in elementary school. Next time I discovered something more regarding those countries from the other hemisphere, was when I was a teenager and used to read novels between two historical memoires. And as far as I remember, I've always been interested in both countries because their location makes them highly attractive. And so, I loved to discover those very special Australian flowers that I've never seen before and that oztoo features in their Gardening With Australian Natives lens. A beautiful lens that makes me want to travel to Australia right now!


Death Masks and Post-Mortem Photos by happynutritionist
The page I'm presenting here might look a bit morbid but is higly interesting since it's an old custom. Lensmaster happynutritionist gives you an account of her interest in death masks and post-morten photos. In my opinion, a very interesting read. We never waste our time when we learn something new :)


One of a kind painted Easter Eggs by d-artist
I knew her pages regarding her crest and family research, and was really seduced by her works. But I didn't know that she was such an artist! Delia created one of a kind painted Easter eggs and those are eggs you owe yourself to see! You'll discover tiny painted eggs that are as exquisite and marvelous as those of Fabergé. How is she doing to paint horses, dogs, characters on such tiny supports, I don't know and certainly envy her skills. In the same vein, she created one of a kind painted rocks page on Squidoo that features her paintings on tiny rocks. Most are sleeping animals but on some other rocks she painted running horses, I rarily am speechless but both pages are pieces of art that make me think I need to buy a new dictionnary so that I can find words to describe the beauty of the things I saw!


Alien Orchids by 4U2C
I call this lensmaster Emily Poppins as she told me she has a very special disease that is called "supergratitudinitis", yep, Emily is always grateful for anything you do... and she's a very nice person. In addition, she brought back so memories to my mind! I liked the TV series Nero Wolfe, you know, the one who grew orchids and solved mysteries... Another thing that hit my memory stick (the one located in my brain) while visiting her lenses, was James Hadley Chase's Grimson Gang. The title was translated in French into "No Orchids for Miss Blandish". So, along with those Alien orchids, miss Poppins created Angel orchids ; which is a lens I definitely love as it makes me think to our small group of Squid Angels. Err, by the way, the angel orchids featured in this lens really look like angels; how strange is this...


The ADHD Traveller by AddaptAbilities
Our dear Addy is our in-house disabilities lensmaster expert. This time, she created a special page on Squidoo for persons who have attention deficit disorder and are about to travel. After having read this page, I definitely wonder why I always prepare so many different clothes and stuff whenever I travel - fortunately, I rarily travel! People generally laught at my face while I say that I always have everything with me while travelling but I'm probably the only one out of my group of friends who never forgets something and whenever I leave with any friend they know they can count on me for whatever THEY forgot. This page I blessed is some kind of checklist that is in my opinion a must-read for anyone who's about to travel.


Earworms: Making Language Learning Fun with Music by WordCustard
Few weeks ago, my son was told by one of his teachers that he should definitely try to study with music. Not with musical background... but with materials that are recorded IN music as they state that this is the easiest way to remember what one learns. Indeed, isn't it easier to remember your faovrite song lyrics than a lesson about history? Not only easier but less boring, lol. And so, WordCustard invites you to discover a fantastic way of learning foreign languages with music! Earworms: making language learning fun with music is all about this way of speaking a language that isn't yours. And it's certainly one of the best since Berlitz bought the concept and distributes the product. And I learned with Berlitz and state that they're the best language teachers ever... So I recommend reading this Squidoo page and give the product a try!


Bald Eagles in Voyageurs National Park - Eagle CAM by Tipi
Along with Tipi the Tipigal is Susie Lehto, Bald Eagles in Voyageurs National Park is a page that makes you travel out of your home right to the United States of America without even lifting a leg! Just take your mouse, click on the links and visit the page. Is there a best way to visit foreign countries than this one? Since the very first day lensmaster Tipi created lenses she always built interesting pages. Both pages include a lot of fantastic big pictures, a lot of information and details regarding their topic, personal advice and experiences, news related to the area she's talking about; which make Tipi's lenses great informative resources and tourist guides! Once again, must-read lenses.

Posted by Squidoo Lensmaster Prosperity66

Alexander and Alestria, Silent In The Grave, Kabetogama Lake, Diary of Anne Frank, Learning to draw

Alexander and Alestria by SusannaDuffy
Alexander the Great... Alestria, Queen of Amazons (not the store, the tribe, lol)... Does that mean something to you? I love history and learn everything about it (unless it's before the French Revolution). And so, I've read Susanna Duffy's Alexaner and Alestria book review. I'm not fan of novels, I prefer memoires and alike. However, Susanna made a great review of this book and now I'd like to read it. I have to say something that doesn't relate to the book but only to the review: I've only seen four or five SquidLit that were well done and this one is one on my list. So, whenever you'd like to read this book OR would like to know how to make a GOOD SquidLit, I recommend to visit this one!


Silent In The Grave by Stazjia
This one is also a book review but made by Stazjia. Once again, it's a master piece because it's really well done. Just like Susanna, Carol didn't use the default modules to review her book, she actually created a master piece too. This is the way a book review should be done and this is the kind of book review I will bless. Because books are my best friends for many years. Silent in the Grave is a Mystery that occurs in the late 19th century. I would say that Brits master the genre and obviously the action is located in England. Once again, the review makes me want to read the book. What about you?


Kabetogama Lake a Wilderness "God's Country" by Tipi
Each time I visit a lens made by Tipi, I feel like if I travelled from my home to the place she invites me to go. Each time I definitely think I was there without actually moving outside nor even from my chair. And so, the impression was that one when I visited Kabetogama Lake a Wilderness "God's Country" page she created on Squidoo. The page includes marvelous pictures, a bunch of details that even if you were there you maybe wouldn't have known, a historical part so that you know everything that must be known about the area, animals you might meet if you go to Kabetogama Lake, and much more. This is a real tourist guide... A must read, of course!


The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) Movie Review on Blu-ray and DVD by Treasures-by-Brenda
Who wouldn't know what the Diary of Anne Frank is? One should have live on Mars if one isn't aware of what such a wonderful piece is. The book is so famous that many movies have been produced after it. Which one do you prefer? Personally this version - the one of 1959 is my favorite one, starring Millie Perkins in the role of Anne Frank. Oh, I know that the cast doesn't exactly reflect the 40's and that Millie's hair aren't combined like Anne's hair or clothes don't look like those of Anne or people living in the same period but the overall atmosphere reflects the 40's because 1959 was still a period of remembrance. In this time, everyone on Earth knew WWII and those who were born after had parents who knew it and lived those horrible years; which were so close... 70 years later, nobody's able to reproduce the exact atmosphere of the times any more and that is what makes this movie the one I prefer and the one you should watch.


Learning to draw by MicheleWebber
I used to draw many years ago - since I have a computer at home, I don't draw any more because computer takes most of my free time, lol. So, when I visit a page that teachees how to draw, I'm interested. Michele Webber's Learning to Draw page is a great resource for anyone who would like to start drawing. Michele Webber is a Squidoo beginner and she already masters the way of crafting a lens (a Squidoo page). So, I couldn't do without blessing this fantastic peace of art.

 

Posted by Squidoo Lensmaster Prosperity66