When some people think of Squidoo, they think spammy lenses. Not all of squidoo is like that. If you can learn how to create great quality lenses, more power to you. You may come across those spammy lenses, but they won't be there long as long as they are reported. Its a matter of the members doing what they are supposed to be doing.

You may be asking me what makes me an authority on squidoo. I currently have 86+ lenses over there and with giant squid status. What that means is, is that I do know what it takes to make quality lenses. In 3 months, I had about 60 lenses, but didn't make giant squid that time around, but with me sprucing up the ones I had plus adding more along the way of improving those lenses, I made giant squid within 6 months. If they had giant squids appointed every month, then the time would maybe have been shorter but new squids come in every quarter. Being a giant squid means having both quality and quantity at the same time. They are the people that new members probably look up to. They know the system and they can help new people learn, but they are also a role model to all the new faces there. They have a high standard when it comes to giant squids. We have to show a good example for the rest of the people in the community.

Before starting a lens, you have to create a lens like you do here, but you do have more choices over there than you do over here. Here are the choices of different lens formats you can pick from:

• Regular lens
• Ever Project - If you see something like best-candy-ever, that is an ever project lens.
• Hey Monkey Brain - That is a debating type of lens if you want to do some sort of debate type of lens. I personally do not like them to much.
• Squidbids - Is one that I have never used as its mostly to deal with ebay and that is something that I do not use.
• Squidboo - This one is great for around halloween time. If you have something halloween related, this is the perfect flatform for it.
• Squid knol - I heard that it is a bit of joke. I've never used it, but if you do go and create one, it does end up using the regular lens platform.
• Squidlit - Is one you can use for when you are trying to write up a book review or something. I don't personally like that platform to well.
• Squidsports - That is for sports related lenses.
• Squidwho - That is a lens template you can use for when you are writing about a person or a fictional person.
• Squidzipper - That is when you want to write up about something around your town.
• Squidvids - This is where you can create some sort of video showcase.
• People who Matter - This is anothe people related lens. If there is someone that is important to you, then you can do this format.
• Photophights - These I have not done. They are all about photos where you can put flickr photos together. Honestly, they do not interest me to well.
• Cafe Press - I think this one is self explanatory. You can try to add cafe press stuff to this lens.
• Zazzle - This one is the same as cafe Press.
• Twitterstrm - Now these can be real fun. If you want to engage some people on twitter, this is the way to do it and on top of it all, you may get traffic to your lens.

Once you have picked out all of that, then its time to do what you are accustomed to. You need to create a title, address, category and tags for you lens.  Once that is done, you will then be taken to your workshop where you will begin working on your lens.

By now, you are problably saying what the heck you have gotten yourself into? Don't worry. Take one step at a time. Learn one or more things at a time and then come back. Don't give up. Squidoo is a harder system when it comes to creating lenses compared to hubs. If I work at it, I can make at least one lens. Depending, I can make two in a day. I can make 2 no problems when it comes to hubpages. I can make more if I work at it. The thing is, don't expect everything to happen overnight when it comes to learning the system.  There is help there.  They have mentors, people in the forums and even the answer deck.

The key to squidoo when it comes to creating quality lenses is to be you. Write from your heart and expain from your point of view why you feel a certain way about whatever you are writing about. If you are not passionate, they why would your readers comes by?

You have to create 3 modules except for the guestbook and intro. Those two do not count so you have to write what you feel about whatever you are writing your lens on. In the intro, you need to make sure that you do include a picture though. The most common things that can be added to your lenses are text, video and even amazon modules. There is still plenty of other modules and too many to even mention here.  When you do start added modules, please make sure you change the titles of the default modules.

Squidoo and hubpages are two totally different sites. They may be similar, but still the way the two operate is different. Squidoo is a great creative outlet and they do have html and css abilities.