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Squidoo cracks me up (got an email noting that my account has been deleted)

by Tom Goodwin
14 replies
Back in September of last year I set up a squidoo lens in the hair loss arena. That was back before I figured out that squidoo wasn't a good place to try and do IM (as compared to other places), at least for my business model.

I did nothing against Squidoo's TOS at the time or since. I didn't do any sort of rank swapping or illegal ranking, etc.

Anyways, I got the email below from Squidoo just now saying that my account engaged in some sort of malicious behavior trying to fake out visitors. I think Squidoo has finally gone off the deep end. Since I really hate Squidoo I am debating whether to even reply back, but probably will out of sheer curiosity.


Email:

"Yikes! We've noticed that you have done something that violates our Squidoo Terms of Service. Squidoo : Terms of Service.

Your entire account has been terminated and its lenses deleted.

The top 5+ reasons an account could get shut down can all be viewed here: Top Reasons Squidoo Accounts Get Deleted

Specifically, your account was flagged for deletion because you employed malicious means or intent to fake people out on your lenses. Our records show that your account has engaged in a significant effort to manipulate star ratings, and therein the LensRank of various lenses. This usually means creating multiple accounts to cross rate and boost your own lenses and/or lower the rank of others.

As we've posted many times in many places, star ratings manipulation is against our TOS and will get your account locked or deleted entirely.

Please read up on our policies here:

--http://www.squidoo.com/pages/faq#ratingpolicy
--http://blogs.squidoo.com/squidblog/2009/03/12/more-on-multiple-accounts/
--http://www.squidoo.com/pages/tos
--http://www.squidoo.com/locked

Your account has been locked, as well as the other accounts that were involved, and will be deleted soon.

If you believe you've received this note in error (double yikes!), you have 24 hours to request another review of your account. Just drop us a note at locked@squidoo.com with the following information:

1. Your main account URL
2. Why you believe you're exempt from the policies above
3. Acknowledgment that you've read our policies.

(Don't reply to this email, it won't reach us. Thanks.)"
#account #cracks #deleted #email #noting #squidoo
  • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
    Originally Posted by Tom Goodwin View Post

    1. Your main account URL
    2. Why you believe you're exempt from the policies above
    3. Acknowledgment that you've read our policies.
    If I received such a message and I hadn't violated the TOS, Item #2 would really, really tick me off. The way it is worded very much implies that you did do something wrong, and you need to explain why you should be exempted from the policies everyone else has to abide by. In other words, guilty until you prove yourself innocent.

    Granted, it's their site; they can do whatever they want. But, from a customer service perspective, I think that's a very poor way to ask, especially since they want you to reply if you believe you've received the note "in error."
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    • Profile picture of the author Tom Goodwin
      Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert View Post

      If I received such a message and I hadn't violated the TOS, Item #2 would really, really tick me off. The way it is worded very much implies that you did do something wrong, and you need to explain why you should be exempted from the policies everyone else has to abide by. In other words, guilty until you prove yourself innocent.

      Granted, it's their site; they can do whatever they want. But, from a customer service perspective, I think that's a very poor way to ask, especially since they want you to reply if you believe you've received the note "in error."
      I agree. I did just reply and for #2 I put "N/A as I didn't violate your TOS"
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      • Profile picture of the author HigherPrThanGod
        Originally Posted by Tom Goodwin View Post

        I agree. I did just reply and for #2 I put "N/A as I didn't violate your TOS"
        Just Google potpie girl and her experience with them deleting her accounts. Needless to say, I don't use Squidoo. They're a mess. They start going nuts trying to police everything because they got "google slapped", whatever the hell that is. It's probably just a myth.

        lol, isn't everything with Google a myth?
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  • Profile picture of the author GeorgR.
    *#'&/*!! Squidoo!

    Probably alone the fact that you covered "hair loss" was reason enough to boot you because its on of the topics on their "dont do it" list. Along with other "horrible" niches like "acne" "xyz remedy" or basically everything where there's the slightest hint you are doing affiliate marketing, even worse IM related subjects.

    GOD FORBID someone making a lens or site and might make money from it.

    That's why i say *#'&/*!! Squidoo!
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    • Profile picture of the author Ralf Skirr
      It's the general problem with those sites that become big players on the internet.

      They frequently end up being so big that they don't look at the individual user/customer/business partner anymore.

      We may hate it, but we have to get used to it. The big boys like google, paypal, ebay, and the almost big boys like squidoo, ezinearticles etc. etc. are going to disable accounts on massive scale to protect themselves. They do not care if they lose a few honest people during the process.

      I do not understand however, why they do not at least try to find a wording that does not imply that you're half criminal.

      Ralf
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Yeah, that is STUPID!

    "2. Why you believe you're exempt from the policies above"!?!?!?!?!?!?

    How about "I'm exempt from punishment because I DIDN'T VIOLATE YOUR TOS!"!

    BESIDES, they say "If you believe you've received this note in error ..." meaning that you believe they made a mistake, and they then STRONGLY imply that they KNOW they DIDN'T!

    If I were the one accused, I would say I don't use their account anymore, never violated their terms, and that, if they continue to do this with people, they will find that existing customers will simply LEAVE!

    HigherPrThanGod,

    Saying that you got slapped by something often indicates some kind of punishment or harsh admonition. They probably had their rank lowered, or got a warning from google.

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Worner
    according to Wikipedia they were punished by Google a few years back for paying people to write content or something of that nature. Possibly happened again?
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    • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
      Originally Posted by skyfox7 View Post

      according to Wikipedia they were punished by Google a few years back for paying people to write content or something of that nature. Possibly happened again?
      The major newspapers and magazines are going to be in big trouble with Google then...

      Doesn't Google pay some of its employees to blog and stuff? Has Google punished itself for that? Oh, wait... Google is a PR10. Guess not.
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      • Profile picture of the author John Hixson
        Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert View Post

        The major newspapers and magazines are going to be in big trouble with Google then...

        Doesn't Google pay some of its employees to blog and stuff? Has Google punished itself for that? Oh, wait... Google is a PR10. Guess not.
        Is it? Google.co.uk is only PR 8...
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  • Profile picture of the author kevinfar
    I used to use Squidoo when I got into IM last year. However it's not really worth the effort in my opinion.

    And with all the changes in their policies and what not, it's much less user friendly to make use of.

    So I wouldn't really worry too much about that.

    Kevin
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    • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
      Originally Posted by John Hixson View Post

      Is it? Google.co.uk is only PR 8...
      I guess they must be doing something that displeases the mothership.

      Google.com is PR10.

      Originally Posted by kevinfar View Post

      I used to use Squidoo when I got into IM last year. However it's not really worth the effort in my opinion.

      And with all the changes in their policies and what not, it's much less user friendly to make use of.
      I still have a few lenses, but I really don't put much effort into them anymore. Doesn't seem worth it to build backlinks to something that could be gone the next time Squidoo goes out on a whim.

      By the sounds of it, I kind of get the impression what Squidoo really wants these days is retired people who write for pleasure and not to try to market anything. That way, there will be fewer of those pesky marketing links to draw people away from the AdSense links...
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      • Profile picture of the author Taylor French
        Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert View Post

        By the sounds of it, I kind of get the impression what Squidoo really wants these days is retired people who write for pleasure and not to try to market anything. That way, there will be fewer of those pesky marketing links to draw people away from the AdSense links...
        Which is pretty stupid, really. I mean, considering it was created by Seth Godin... a marketer.
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    • Profile picture of the author Tom Goodwin
      Originally Posted by kevinfar View Post

      I used to use Squidoo when I got into IM last year. However it's not really worth the effort in my opinion.

      And with all the changes in their policies and what not, it's much less user friendly to make use of.

      So I wouldn't really worry too much about that.

      Kevin
      I'm with you. Squidoo really does s*ck for IM. There is a reason I haven't logged in there since October. It is more the principle of the thing for me I guess. In addition, if it was a topic on their "don't" list (it wasn't when I put it up), you would have thought that they would have just locked the lens, not deleted the whole dang account.
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  • Profile picture of the author Spiritjoy
    I have never liked squidoo. I have received a couple sales from them but I have never liked the feel of the site. I just do not like them and it pains me to update a lens. I have not touched a lens in a longtime..i have finished with them. I have discovered if i dont like the feel of a site i cannot post to it.
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