Squidoo - a new approach for my links

In the past, people have told me that they had started using my 'Making a Mark' blog in preference to Google, Yahoo or other browsers when searching for something related to the topics covered by this blog. Apparently, my links generally produced the answer they wanted faster. When my links mysteriouly disappeared from my right hand column just recently I wanted to make sure this benefit could still continue and be available for both me and my readers.

Squidoo is the webware platform that I've decided to use to host all the resource links that I like to share. This means that in future I can:

• create a hand-built catalogue of my content links for my specialist interests - with my comments
• share what I like best with others with the same specialised interests
• raise the profile of websites that I enjoy and/or find helpful
  

In software terms, this also means that

• you or I can access and link to each of the different sets of links as a resource which has been developed independently of Blogger and
  
• if I want to move my blogging platform at any point in the future then my resource links can be reintroduced without any major hassle. (Like the one that occurred when they disappeared in the first place. I don't mind when I know why something has happened, but to still not know is very perplexing and I could do without the furrowed brow lines!)
  

Anyway back to Squidoo and some introductions for those of you who may not have heard of it before.

What is it and what does it do? It's a relatively new product (starting in October 2005) and is based on web software. All information and content can be designed to focus on a very specific topic. It was designed as a response to the tiresome way in which searches using current browsers tend to throw up a lot of information you're not interested in.

What does it look like? The Squidoo has individual pages which are called lens. You can have as many lens as you like. These, in turn, can have a number of different modules - you select these from a menu and order them as appropriate for your lens. You can determine the content for each module within a lens. Each lens also carries Adsense text ads. Although these are not too intrusive, I have no choice over which ones show up or where they are situated. It'll be great when each author can have a bit more input to the selection of these.

What does it cost? As with blogger it's free and all you need to do is register.

How many lens will you have? Rather than trying to create one website which tries to be all things (much as I was trying to with the right hand column of this blog), the best thing for me is the way in which it makes it a lot easier for me to comment on categorised links.

I plan a suite of lenses which will all relate to my artistic interests but, at the moment, everything is a "work in progress". Some are partially complete and have been published while others are still in the initial draft stage (although I'm very thankful that I'm an inveterate link saver/bookmarker!)

Here are the links to the Squidoo lens I've created so far relating to:

• Drawing and Sketching
• Coloured Pencils
• Pastels

These are very much a work in progress - there's a lot of links that still need to be included from those that were lost.

I'd be grateful for your comments and any suggestions about:

• suitable modules for summarising useful links
  
• useful links with good quality content
• useful lens for the lensroll!

Links:

Squidoo was introduced by Seth Godin who's a well known 'man about blogging' and internet communication. You can read about the progress of squidoo on the Squidblog.

• Seth's Blogs
• Squidoo
• Squidblog

Technorati tags: search software , squidoo