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Weblog from Katinka Hesselink on any lenses she may decide to make :)

why I did not get to be part of the giant squid top 100 club (this time)

October 9th, 2008 by spirituality | Filed under Squidoo tips 11 Comments »

Hi all,

I had a 100 lenses before deadline, but did not make it into the giant squid top 100 club. Reading through the giant squid guidelines I think the reasons that I did not make it are:

  • I have a few lenses that are quite similar. I experimented with templates and created some lenses that don’t add anything. Because I had precisely a hundred lenses – those lenses probably disqualified me.
  • I have a few lenses that were very easy to make. They involved gathering a few links of blogs and so on and putting them into RSS modules. While I like those lenses from a practical perspective, I can see that they aren’t the most compelling.
  • One of my lenses seems to have a programming error and therefor shows up completely mixed up on the screen. I put in a bug report, but I don’t think it helped in the count towards a hundred compelling, unique lenses.

Glad to have that off my chest: those of you working towards giant status yourselves can perhaps learn from my mistakes.

The main thing is: make each unique.


11 Comments »

  1. linda said :
    October 9, 2008 at 6:21 am

    Thanks for these insights… sorry you didn’t make it but hopefully you’ll be better prepared next go-round.

  2. spirituality said :
    October 9, 2008 at 6:42 am

    I hope so too :)

  3. EelKat said :
    October 9, 2008 at 6:54 am

    I didn’t make it either… :( (and I’ve got 408 lenses!) of course I saw a lots of peeps who I thought should have been made Giants this round, but none of them made it,I think hq is getting a lot stricter lately.

  4. aj2008 said :
    October 9, 2008 at 7:03 am

    Katinka, you have exactly the right approach towards what must have been quite a disappointment for you. Sometimes it is all too easy to put the focus on other people’s decisions as to why we do not get what we want, rather than look at what we may have needed to do differently.

    I certainly have learned something from what you have shared with us and that is when I get close towards that magical 50 lenses, I shall try and make sure I leave some time to do more than 50 before the deadline, just to allow a bit of room in case HQ decides any of them are not up to the standard they are looking for.

    But at least having already made 100 lenses, it may not be such a frantic time for you in the run up to the next deadline! Good luck and I do hope you make it next time.

  5. mulberry said :
    October 9, 2008 at 8:56 am

    I find it nearly impossible to hit goals when I’m so focused on a particular quantity. With a little time pressure off, you’ll have no problem with it I’m sure. I missed the 100 too but it’s almost a relief, now I can just proceed without the looming deadline over my head! I really marvel at the people who have a few hundred lenses that they created in a fairly short period of time, I’m not that fast even with my “crappy” one.

  6. Treasures By Brenda said :
    October 9, 2008 at 9:01 am

    As usual, you are here sharing from your experience. I’m not chasing 50 or 100 at this time, but lots of people are and your thoughts on the process are appreciated.

    And as has already been said, your hard work this time should make it easier next time.

    Brenda

  7. poddys said :
    October 9, 2008 at 11:22 am

    Sorry you didn’t make it this time around, but you will the next I am sure.
    I think there were some others that didn’t make it because Song Lyrics lenses are excluded too. Seems it’s a lot harder to get into than being just a Giant Squid, so I may never reach there…

    Don’t be too disappointed – just use it as a way to know how to go forward, and we will see you celebrate in 3 months…

  8. vbright said :
    October 9, 2008 at 9:55 pm

    I’m quite surprised you didn’t make it in! I know your content is wonderful, so if you have figured out why you didn’t make it, you should certainly get through next time! Good luck!

  9. naiza said :
    October 10, 2008 at 5:14 am

    I can well relate to that feeling.. The last few months I was kinda disappointed I didn’t make it to the Giant Squid program.. I did all my best to come up with unique ideas and I failed.. But, with the help of my fellow lensmasters.. I learned to trust in myself again.. and I just enjoy creating and creating until the coming of these October month and finally I made it! Hopefully, you will make it the next round for sure because your lenses are incredible.. Keep up the good work! Thank you for encouraging me always.. :)

  10. spirituality said :
    October 10, 2008 at 6:29 am

    Wow, thanks for all your support. :)

    This post was my way of dealing with the disappointment. It’s out of my system now.

    Eelkat: you not being in the squidoo top 100 club is quite a comfort. I think that might have something to do with your lenses not being all that polished – aka your writing style. It’s who you are, so who cares, right?

    Naiza: you made it this time – and with great lenses too :) Congrats again.

    To the rest of you: I don’t have any specific number of lenses as a goal. I just make them – and at some point I’m near the deadline and near the number needed – voila, one expects a certain result. It didn’t come. Oh well. Really content (and income) is more important than any label or award.

  11. willow said :
    October 14, 2008 at 2:51 pm

    Hey Katinka!

    I think that number of replies to this post can say that you are great lensmaster to all of us! And one that learned us all a lot! So we are all confident that you’ll make it next round! :D

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