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Squidoo has changed the way its Angels operate again. Now that there are more categories and sub-categories for lenses, Angels look after a particular sub-category – mine is Growing Plants. It’s a subject in which I’m interested so I enjoy looking at these pages and have given out blessings on several. I’m pleased to say that so far I haven’t come across any lenses violating the site’s Terms of Service.

I’m really happy that my page called My Father – In Memoriam has received a Purple Star. I am so pleased because it’s such a personal and emotional subject. I’ve also had several pages blessed, including one of my earliest lenses – Dartmoor, Devon. The lensmaster and angel MakingaMark is the one who blessed it and also put a link to it on her own page called The Best of the UK.

Squidoo's Purple Star

When I was a little girl in primary and junior school, getting a tick and a gold star for my work was a real thrill and encouraged me to try harder. I’ve always been a sucker for praise.

It looks like 50 years later I haven’t moved on much emotionally. Since Squidoo introduced Purple Stars for exceptionally good lenses made by Giants, I’ve been just as thrilled as I was when I was seven years old each time one of my lenses has got one.

Last week, one of my earliest lenses, The Historic City of York, England, was awarded a Purple Star and, this week, a lens I made a few months ago, Art Nouveau – A Beginner’s Guide.

I think that one of the big addictive factors of Squidoo is the praise that lensmasters can receive for good lenses. This comes mostly from other lensmasters leaving comments in the Guestbook although we can set the Guestbooks so non-Squidoo visitors can leave comments too.

If you want to get good comments, 5 star ratings and being recommended for Lens of the Day or Purple Stars, you really must take an active part in the Squidoo community. That way people know who you are and will visit your lenses.

Being active in the community means visiting the Lensmaster Lounge (Squidoo’s forum), looking at other people’s lenses and giving them a star rating and leaving a comment. Of course, you should only give the star rating the lens deserves and that includes not rating it at all.

Squidoo’s community is one of the best I’ve ever joined on the web and I would recommend anybody who likes making web pages and being part of an active, supportive community to come and join Squidoo.

My Purple Star Lenses

• Crazy Quilts With a Difference
• Make Do and Mend from the 1940s
• Meccano – One of My Favourite Toys
• Make a Reader Friendly Lens
• I Had a Mini-Stroke and What Happened After
• Historic City of York, England
• Art Nouveau – A Beginner’s Guide