I've been thinking to that giant renewal since Friday. I haven't slept for a few nights, I'm knocked down to say the truth. I devoted a lot of my time to the Squidoo community and seeing the way I'm treated, makes me sad.
It's a first time for me as I'm not accustomed to sharing my state of mind and very few things actually touch me deeply. I mean things as trivial as those, of course.
Not so long ago, I made a post in SquidU stating why I loved Squidoo - yep, loved... in the past. To be honest, today, I don't believe a single word I wrote at that time. And would really like to remove that post because it was what they wanted us to think and believe. Not the truth.
Oh, well, after all, Squidoo is just Squidoo. Nothing more, nothing less. Not being a giant any more won't change anything in my life.
I can live without Squidoo and I can live without that giant status. After all, the only thing that's important, is the way I consider myself. Not the way unknown people consider me.
If they're stupid enough to believe that, because I don't have a "giant" badge, I'm not interesting... good on them. They aren't worth my interest.
So, last night, still awaken at 3:30 AM, I made my decision on not reapplying.
Here are a few motives that helped me making my decision:
1. I've already worked hard for making giant and 100 clubber and don't see the point in reapplying for something I earned the hard way and that they're literally stealing from me: giving is giving, taking back is stealing! I know, this is a childish expression but it speaks the truth.
2. I just can't fill this application form: questions don't match my culture, my personality and my mentality and I do NOT allow Squidoo to force me to change my mind and adopt another culture. After all, Squidoo's filled with worldwide members and should respect everyone's culture and modesty.
3. If I reapply for giant, I feel like I'd be ready to agree with whatever Squidoo comes up with even if it's detrimental to the entire community. So, let's say that, tomorrow they require from us to pay a $50 monthly fee to keep our accounts active, are we going to all be OK? Me... I won't, for sure!
4. HQ tends to more and more consider lensmasters as their employees... Sadly, those lensmasters don't get fixed monthy wages to justify the treatment.
5. Several threads have been opened yesterday, in which "new giants" claim that they have been granted the status once again. So, let me sum up: a very small team of 2 community organizers carefully checked thousands of lenses for quality, duplicate content, copyright violation, spam, etc. in only 5 days (if they took the weekend off, it would mean only 3 days!!!!)?
So, last night, still awaken at 3:30 AM, I made my decision on not reapplying.
Here are a few motives that helped me making my decision:
1. I've already worked hard for making giant and 100 clubber and don't see the point in reapplying for something I earned the hard way and that they're literally stealing from me: giving is giving, taking back is stealing! I know, this is a childish expression but it speaks the truth.
2. I just can't fill this application form: questions don't match my culture, my personality and my mentality and I do NOT allow Squidoo to force me to change my mind and adopt another culture. After all, Squidoo's filled with worldwide members and should respect everyone's culture and modesty.
3. If I reapply for giant, I feel like I'd be ready to agree with whatever Squidoo comes up with even if it's detrimental to the entire community. So, let's say that, tomorrow they require from us to pay a $50 monthly fee to keep our accounts active, are we going to all be OK? Me... I won't, for sure!
4. HQ tends to more and more consider lensmasters as their employees... Sadly, those lensmasters don't get fixed monthy wages to justify the treatment.
5. Several threads have been opened yesterday, in which "new giants" claim that they have been granted the status once again. So, let me sum up: a very small team of 2 community organizers carefully checked thousands of lenses for quality, duplicate content, copyright violation, spam, etc. in only 5 days (if they took the weekend off, it would mean only 3 days!!!!)?
I'm really surprised to learn that it didn't take more than a few days to separate bad apples from the good ones! Wow! It's better, quicker and more effefctive than Samantha would have done in Bewitched!
I'm sorry but 5 days weren't enough for all those lenses to be deeply and carefully checked. Even so, I know giants who have their accounts filled with legit AND illegal lenses...
This new giant programme looks more like some kind of alibi for some unknown future.
I've made a list with my personal thoughts regarding this mess. In this very long list, I could only place arguments against my application.
However, yesterday, there was a post on HQ's blog that made me see things differently:
I've made a list with my personal thoughts regarding this mess. In this very long list, I could only place arguments against my application.
However, yesterday, there was a post on HQ's blog that made me see things differently:
- Not being a giant any more would allow me to split my account into a myriad of different ones: one account per niche I have built.
- Losing my giant privileges by the end of the year will also reset the famous - and infamous - 9 outbond links limit on my account. This means that, by the end of the year, I'd rather stop updating my lenses. As, if with this limit I happen to update my lenses, they'll get locked! Which translates into... having more time to dedicate to something else...
I already deleted all my work in progress lenses as well as a few low performing lenses. I will continue deleting low ranked and no traffic lenses. This will clean up my account and leave me with a more accurate view on my work. It will also ease the process to split this account into several ones.
I thought HQ wanted us to be active in the community. This giant programme change will have me stop being active on Squidoo because I'll lose my privileges. Opposite effect, then...
I'll just check new lenses looking for bless worthy ones because, and unless they revoke my status, I'm still an angel on Squidoo.
To sum up my Squidoo membership, I'd say that, I devoted a lot of my time helping people in the forum with critiques, helping people in Fresh Wonders with critiques, suggestions, tips, etc.
Fresh Wonders is becoming a place for some to drop links and go away, doing what they wanna do, leaving us with links to check, vain suggestions, waste of time. Critique Me section of the forum is also more a place to drop links and certainly not speaking our mind as it seems that honest opinion isn't welcome.
I also volunteered for angeling during the first quarter of 2010; how much time did I spend on lenses, checking them for duplicate content, checking proper graphic credits, proper module edition, etc. I remember, checking the daily digests - which I quickly called "daily indigestion" - took me three hours per day! None of these hours were never paid! I didn't want to be paid for this, but consideration would have been welcome right now... seeing the conditions of the new giant programme.
And Squidoo has become more of a place to promote ourself than an actual helpful community.
No, instead, their thankfulness translates into taking back my status.
As said earlier and posted on HQ's blog: I've never thought that, one day, Squidoo would chase me away.
There is definitely an ocean between us.
There is definitely an ocean between us.
Posted by Squidoo Angel Prosperity66
I enjoyed reading this, and was going to apply for Giant status. I still might. It would be frustrating to have to re-qualify for something you were already qualified for, so I hear ya.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Based on you being detailed just like myself and how you write, I feel that you have spent too many hours contributing and helping out in the Squidoo community.
Instead of focusing solely on your lenses, you have volunteered your time and effort to Squidoo as a whole.
I'm not sure if you're required to do a set minimum amount of effort as a Squid Angel, or if you place expectations on yourself.
I think you will feel less 'burnt-out, with all due respect, if you give less of yourself! This way you will feel more appreciated, and less of an employee. You're right, Squidoo puts a lot of tasks on members that they should be paying staff for!
Always put yourself first 'cause no one else will!
Cheers,
Kat (careergirl on Squidoo)
Well, we're not required a certain amount of work or blessings in our angel duties but as a matter of fact, when there's one or more angels in the team who systematically bless all lenses they see, you feel yourself like the laziest person out there if you bless only 2 lenses a week - more particularly because you check for duplicate content, make sure all titles and subtitles are edited, that the lens isn't filled with Squiddon't or TOS violations, and that the lensmaster didn't plagiarized anyone.
ReplyDeleteAlthough they pretend that its not our job to do the squidoo police, we're not allowed to bless duplicate content and anything that's against the TOS. Not to mention that you don't want to be considered as a fool because you didn't know what you blessed - self-respect, isn't it?
This means that our task is huger than supposed.
I think indeed that I spent too much time volunteering on squidoo - not just the angel programme, but all sides of the "business" as I also sometimes coach lensmasters in private. And it's time consuming.
Now, I won't have as much work as previously, just remaining an angel. And I'm going to wait and see how things are going in the future.
Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete