Excellent post! 

Great post, well said. Bling is annoying and makes me not trust the page I'm visiting. I don't know how I feel about the tip jar thing yet, but it drew my attention, I'll say that much..

Just read the post and found it very informative. Sometimes being naive is a blessing. I didn't have a clue what a bling was and didn't know that tip jars existed. What next on the World Wide Web - lap dancers?

Great post!
Ladymermaid

Thanks guys, I really wanted to help people out with this post and get them thinking.

As far as the Tip Jar is concerned. I just don't see a need for it. I can't imagine that it would generate that much extra money and I think that the icon just will distract  and possibly offend readers.

I must say I am really concerned after reading this post. I am new to squidoo as far as activity is concerned, only since September 08, I have worked very very hard to learn as much as I can and to make my lenses special. My lenses do have css on them I didn't even know what that was until recently. My lenses are a more serious subject sometimes, medical issues as I am a nurse, and that is what I know about.  Others of my lenses are about animals also something I know about. And various other subjects. I am not sure what bling is, I thought it was big gaudy rings, which if I associate that, I don't think I have bling on my lenses but I am not sure. I do like to put spacers on my lenses and I have one that moves in a slow roll.

I am going for giant squid in March. I do not want to lose out because what I think is beautiful is a big gaudy ring to those that will judge my lenses.

I am asking people  and you especially Bonnie to take a look at my lenses and tell me your thoughts regarding their quality and my direction toward giant squid, am I on track or really not. And I confess I read the lens about tip jars and last night for the first time, I put one on one of my lenses. I will even admit I was not sure how I felt about it. but that is how hard I am trying to get this right. I feel now I will remove it.

thank you very much. This is my lensmaster page. A few of them are still in evolution. But you'll know which ones I am talking (and worrying) about.

Susan http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/nightbear

nightbear - I just e-mailed you : )

"New ideas travel fast and far - sometimes so quick that we don't stop to realize whether the idea is good or bad before implementing them."

WebSpinstress - Very well said!

nightbear,

Everyone has his own opinion. But your lenses are not "blingy" to me. The main offender in my mind is overuse of ads, and the use of anything that blinks or moves. Using colored borders and backgrounds is effective to attract the eye, not offend it.

Well, I only have 8 tentacles here but there is a difference between enhancing a lens with css and html and over doing it.  Nightbear, your lenses look find to me.  I would have told you if I didn't think so. 

I don't think the tip jar just is not apropos to Squidoo.