My Squidoo Lens About GCFN Has Been Locked

Hello faithful readers, and fellow GCFN victims. I am sorry to report that Squidoo has decided that my lens (formerly at http://www.squidoo.com/gcfn_story) was locked just before Thanksgiving and will be deleted in a few days.

What Happened?

On Nov 24, Squidoo sent me a computer-generated email that cryptically claimed my lens was violating their Terms of Service and other Policies, but admitted it might have been a mistake, and that I could write in for a "human" review of my case. An appeals process, as it were. Here is their original email text:

Dear Squidoo lensmaster:

It looks like your Squidoo lens is violating some of our founding principles and Terms of Service. Lenses like this tend to get locked by the community, for any number of reasons.

http://www.squidoo.com/gcfn_story

In particular, your account has one or more lenses on some of our SquidDon't topics. It's simple: given our pedigree, our point of view and our dyed-in-the-wool, we-will-never-change-our-mind conviction on this issue, spam is not okay at Squidoo. Some topics are just so irresistible to spammers that we don't allow them, even for the good guys.

You can read up on our policies here:

http://www.squidoo.com/squiddont
http://www.squidoo.com/locked
http://www.squidoo.com/squidspam
http://www.squidoo.com/pages/tos
http://www.squidoo.com/pages/faq
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoo-policy-update

As a result, we've put the lens on probation and marked it for deletion within the next 30 days.

If you believe you're getting this note in error, and that your lens should be exempt from our SquidDon't policies as outlined above, then you may request a review of your case by doing the following steps.

1. Forward this email, to locked(at)squidoo.com, within 7 days.
2. Include a written explanation of why you believe your lens is not violating our Terms of Service or the policies above.
3. Include the link to the lens that's been locked
4. Acknowledge that you have indeed read the policies above.

If we get a review request that doesn't contain the information we've asked for, we won't be able to consider it.

(Don't reply to this email, it won't reach us. Thanks.)

Sincerely,

The SquidTeam

So I wrote in to their "locked lens" department and requested a manual review. Naive on my part, I should have paid more attention to the "even the good guys" phrase in the top of their email. As I explained:

Dear SquidTeam,
I was most dismayed to see this lens of mine was locked today: http://www.squidoo.com/gcfn_story
This lens has been up since 2007!

My lens is not violating the TOS. I provide and fair and rational expose of a less-than-reputable company (Global Cash Flow Network). I would offer that this lens is the definition of an ANTI-spam lens that ultimately shows people just what a rip-off GCFN is (yet doing so in a good-natured and upbeat way!).

I have given the lens a scrub, to make sure I don't have too many outbound links to one domain and to be sure I'm not "overly advertising" anything. The fact is, I am anti-advertising. Please see the many comments...this lens has saved many people the heartache and cost of signing up with GCFN by warning them!

I request a manual review of my lens to unlock it. http://www.squidoo.com/gcfn_story

** I have read the multiple pages of squiddont, squidspam, tos, etc etc. I have studied all 6 links. My best guess is that my lens was locked due to an overabundance of links to the GCFN domain due to the July policy change, which I have now attempted to correct.

Please restore my lens! If you find there actually is some problem I have overlooked, I would appreciate your human assessment so I can fix it.
Thanks

Unfortunately, Squidoo! didn't see things my way. They must have decided they just don't want any mention of "disreputable" companies like Global Cash Flow Network on Squidoo (I can understand that). They are hypersensitive!!

Their response was polite. In their beneficence, I am allowed to keep my other lenses (on unrelated topics), but my GCFN blog remains abhorrent to the Squidoo gods and will be eradicated in a few days. As they explained:

Thanks for writing in.

There are topics we're just not going to let people write about. We wish we didn't have to do that, but it's the best plan available to remove the bad actors that want to take advantage, while keeping the site open for passionate people of all stripes. We're happy to let these topics exist elsewhere, but not on Squidoo.

It's simple: given our pedigree, our point of view and our dyed-in-the-wool, we-will-never-change-our-mind conviction on this issue, spam is not okay at Squidoo. Some people disagree, and we're ok with that. Some topics are just so irresistible to spammers that we don't allow them, even for the good guys.

You can read up on our policies here:

http://www.squidoo.com/squiddont
http://www.squidoo.com/locked
http://www.squidoo.com/squidspam
http://www.squidoo.com/pages/tos
http://www.squidoo.com/pages/faq
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoo-policy-update

We've looked at your lens(es) again, and considered what you've shared with us in your note.

Alas, our original decision stands. Your lens(es) are violating our Squidoo TOS and policies, and as such will remain locked from view, and will be deleted in a few days.

But there's good news, too! It's actually really easy to create successful content on Squidoo. Just make useful, authentic, unique pages, don't scam or spam or steal or trick. Play hard and play fair and no one gets hurt.

Best of luck with any future lenses,

The SquidTeam
www.squidoo.com

OK, so at this point, I am giving up on the lens. But I am confused. Which "Squiddon't" topic did I violate?

SQUIDDONT WHAT?

Looking at the squidoo http://www.squidoo.com/squiddont page, I see the following list of no-no's:

• "spambait" -- There are topics we're just not going to let people write about. We wish we didn't have to do that, but it's the best plan available to remove the bad actors that want to take advantage, while keeping the site open for passionate people of all stripes.

Umm, ok. So what are these topics? Does GCFN qualify?

• miracle cures & pharmaceutical sales (nope)
• weight loss and dieting (nope)
• gambling (negative)
• illegal downloads (no sir)
• credit card debt, cash gifting, envelope stuffing, mortgages, currency trading, Forex, Regenesis, etc. (no)
• hate lenses (no)
• ringtones (no)
• illegal adult material (no!!!)
• copyrighted lyrics (nope)
• promotion of illegal activities (no way)
• promotion of unhealthy activities (no)
• affiliate lenses promoting other affiliate programs (YES, ok, should have seen it right away...that's what GCFN is...but I would hardly call what I was doing "promoting")

I can only assume Squidoo considers GCFN a "spambait" topic under the "affiliate" clause... Even though I was never really promoting GCFN (at least not if you actually read what happened to me!!)

If you ask me, Squidoo is over-reacting here. I was not promoting GCFN. I was doing a public service, sharing exactly the process and what happened in the process of me getting ripped off. All without at any point calling anyone bad names or otherwise pointing fingers. The reader can decide ... was I a lazy idiot who failed to do well with a good program, or is GCFN a rip-off ? ... (the answer was always obvious).

As far as I know, most of the people who land on this blog got here through the Squidoo lens. So without that lens, I am expecting little or no new traffic here (which means GCFN should no longer have to worry about my story on the web hurting sales)

Anyway, I'm past GCFN, and have never really gotten too excited about using Squidoo! either.

Time to move on!

This blog, hopefully, won't get blocked any time soon. Though these days, I don't know what to expect.

Yours Truly,
KB

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