| A Squidoo lens is designed to be a highly focused | | | | In a very real sense a Squidoo lens can integrate |
| window to other directly related resources - blog | | | | many elements of Web 2.0 technology - blogging, |
| posts, websites, Flickr photos, YouTube videos, | | | | Flickr, FaceBook, YouTube, RSS feeds and Twitter. |
| web-based articles or e-books. Hence a lens is not an | | | | Fundamental to Squidoo is the connections it creates |
| end in itself but a means to an end - a window on | | | | - between people, between lenses, between |
| other information about a topic, issue, problem, | | | | resources and between social networks. |
| product or service of interest to the reader. Each | | | | Squidoo enables you to contribute to Squidoo |
| Squidoo lens you create has a unique URL. | | | | charities as a by-product of lens creation. You can |
| There is no limit to the number of free Squidoo | | | | also promote a charity of your choice, a location and |
| lenses you can create. At the time of writing this | | | | community, a local artist or a local business. |
| article, I have in excess of 50 Squidoo lenses which | | | | You can recruit people to your favorite hobby such |
| are catalogued in my "lensography". | | | | as scrapbooking, model trains, electronic toys, |
| Each lens has AdSense ads and other ads that | | | | photography, model planes or stamp collecting. |
| generate revenue for Squidoo, charities supported by | | | | You can even create a Squidoo Group, or join an |
| Squidoo and the lensmaster (lens creator). The | | | | existing group, to link to people who share your |
| lensmaster can choose to give all or some of their | | | | interests and passions. |
| share of this direct revenue to charity. | | | | What also appeals to me personally is the |
| Squidoo lenses can be used for endless applications, | | | | opportunity to be creative and extend my "learning |
| for example, to promote a cause, support a charity, | | | | edge" or "push the envelope". The numerous Squidoo |
| educate, showcase an artist or photographer or | | | | lens templates, modules and widgets provide endless |
| generate affiliate income. | | | | opportunities to be creative and to develop different |
| Each Squidoo lens is made up of modules and | | | | lenses for different purposes. For example, I have |
| widgets (like WordPress blogs) that can be accessed | | | | created a photographic exhibition, a simulated tropical |
| by a unique point-and-click technology. You don't | | | | rainforest walk and my e-portfolio. |
| even have to know HTML to create and market | | | | Squidoo can tap your creativity, build your income, |
| your Squidoo lenses. There are even lenses on basic | | | | grow your connections and enhance your Internet |
| HTML and advanced HTML if you want to be | | | | presence. You learn Squidoo by building lenses - but |
| creative. The design of each lens is limited only by | | | | beware, Squidoo is addictive! |
| your imagination. | | | | |