Lensmaster AJ2008 Interview

Squidoo Lens Reviews: What makes you passionate about Squidoo.com?

AJ2008: Through Squidoo I have been able to indulge in my passion to write about and comment about things that I or my family have experienced and boy, have we experienced many, many things. I also believe that everyone on this planet should take the opportunity to help each other when they can and Squidoo enables you to do this.

I have always wanted to write and having recently started suffering extreme symptoms caused by Otosclerosis it has forced me to adjust my life in order to cope with it. I am unable to work as I have to take it easy for the time being. For me "taking it easy" includes sitting at the PC and writing, as it is walking and moving around that can cause my balance and co-ordination problems. So in my case my illness has actually had some benefits as I no longer need to feel guilty about writing rather than doing the ironing!

Squidoo Lens Reviews: Is Squidoo perfect already or what could make it better?

AJ2008: Squidoo is amazing! I have nothing but admiration for Seth Godin - here is someone who is already a successful businessman and he has come up with a way to help other individuals and charities. He is giving something back to the world. I think Squidoo would be even better if ALL lensmasters shared this ideal. Don't get me wrong, I think many lensmasters do share this ideal but I am sure that many of us have clicked through to a lens, only to realise pretty quickly that the whole point of the lens is to make money for the lensmaster rather than help people. I don't see any harm in people making money as an added benefit, but would prefer that their main motivation be to create a lens to share information, rather than sell it.

Squidoo Lens Reviews: What inspires you to make a new lens?

AJ2008: I am inspired by many things, but mostly news items, webpages and books that are relevant to the topics in which I have an interest. I have identified two main "niche" areas where I feel I have sufficient experience to qualify me on which to write lenses: Children and parenting plus "Green" issues in the home.

Squidoo Lens Reviews: How many lenses do you have?

AJ2008: I have written 7 lenses so far (the list is at www.squidoo.com/alwaysjuggling) and have ideas for more. I have just formed a Child and Parenting Group on Squidoo, where I am trying to bring together some top quality lenses that deal with the many serious and sometimes difficult issues that face children, parents and carers.

Squidoo Lens Reviews: What is your most popular lens?

AJ2008: My most popular lens is www.squidoo.com/bullyingatprimaryschool, which has reached a lensranking of 245 and is still my most visited lens.

Squidoo Lens Reviews: What one sentence or one word describes your success?

AJ2008: I think other experienced lensmasters recognise me as someone who gives priority to writing helpful lenses, rather than trying to "make a quick buck" on Squidoo.

Squidoo Lens Reviews: What should a newbie do first?

AJ2008: Get a notebook or create a word document in which to save links to, and make notes about all the lenses that they find helpful as they navigate around Squidoo to learn how it all works.

Squidoo Lens Reviews: Which of your lenses do you want to make sure the whole world knows about?

AJ2008: As well as the Bullying lens, my lens on Auditory Processing Disorder is one that I would like every parent and teacher in the world to read. APD affects one in ten children, which is far more than dyslexia. However, the majority of parents, teachers and health professionals have not heard of it. As a result, many children remain undiagnosed and these children will have many, many difficulties both socially and academically if they don't get the support they need. One of my children has APD and dyslexia and my research into the condition has shown me that we are very, very lucky to have found out what was wrong relatively quickly. I have already had a message posted on my lens to say that the information has been of great help to someone and I hope it will help a lot more people, particularly parents who suspect that something is not quite right with their child but no one can tell them why. Just knowing that a child has APD makes all the difference. The irony is that the strategies used to help them can, in many cases, cost absolutely nothing to implement.

AJ aka AJ2008