Make your own discovery Module

Hopefully this is soon to be redundant if Squidoo bring back their own official module. However this is how to produce the "Discovery Module" I have been using for my test. My Video games lenses have gained a box that looks like this:

Other Relevant Lenses:
Console Game Reviews, Suikoden IV, Ico - Ueda's classic game, Dark Cloud, Disgaea - turn-based strategy RPG, Dog's Life - Canine Capers

To create your own the code looks like this:
<p style="clear:both;margin-top:0px;padding-top:0px;padding:10px;background:#eeeeee; border:1px solid #cccccc;"><b style="#333333;font-size:1.2em;">Other Relevant Lenses:</b><br/><a href="/console-game-reviews" style="color:#333333;">Console Game Reviews</a>,<a href="/suikoden-iv" style="color:#333333;">Suikoden IV</a>, <a href="/Ico" style="color:#333333;">Ico - Ueda's classic game</a>, <a href="/DarkCloud" style="color:#333333;">Dark Cloud</a>, <a href="/Disgaea" style="color:#333333;">Disgaea - turn-based strategy RPG</a>, <a href="/dogs_life" style="color:#333333;">Dog's Life - Canine Capers</a></p>

To create the box:
<p style="clear:both;margin-top:0px;padding-top:0px;padding:10px;background:#eeeeee; border:1px solid #cccccc;"> ... </p>

To create the link:
<a href="/DarkCloud" style="color:#333333;">Dark Cloud</a>,
Change the words in Bold to the link for your lens, and the section in Italic to the name you want to show onscreen


This test has run for only three days, but the best places to put it seem to be at the end of the intro and at the top of a module below the Guestbook (if the guestbook is at the end). I have used six links since that rarely goes over two lines, and matches the original module. In practice, with some HTML skills you can add more links, make them open in new windows, or make the module's look match your lens.

I'll keep updating with test results as they come in, but it's getting tempting to add them to a few more!

Discovery module test update & new lens

Discovery Module
I couldn't resist so I added it to a few more lenses, and am waiting to see the results. However it looks like Squidoo might be bringing it back themselves (announced on Squidu today!) which will save a lot of time on trying to code the thing to automatically pull in the right lenses.

New Lens
Garnet Jewllery Making
http://www.squidoo.com/garnet-jewellery-making

Lens number I-really-don't-know-right-now is now live. It covers the basics of setting a garnet in a premade prong setting, as well as sources to get the settings and gems from (and suggestions to make it less expensive if you mess up the first few times). It's been a while since I made any jewellery, but I might fetch out my kit and do a few more like it covering different gemstones and techniques.

New lens: Topaz Jewellery

A new lens done - it's yet another jewellery one because I am not up to writing large pieces of original content at the moment (or I'd probably be doing bukisa articles instead of lenses!)

Zimbio seems to be working at rather well in terms of traffic, so I will have to sit down and write an article about each of my lenses and get them on there. Also, my Redgage traffic has gone up (did I mention Redgage was the only feed that worked in its default setting?).

I have made no changes to the discovery module. Although it's tempting to start tweaking, it won't be a valid test if I keep fiddling with it!

Projects updates

Discovery Module
My CSS box has been up on all the video lenses for one day, and already seems to be having an effect. The pages have had slightly more traffic than I expected, which seems to be cross-lens from the box itself. I've tried it in a range of places on different lenses and its interesting to see which ones it works on. At the end of the week I'll tally up my results.

Now I just need to figure out how to automate it.

Traffic seeker
Much pressure is being put on my finance department to approve a purchase of the software, since being able to automate search engine submissions completely would be ideal.

Zazzle
I have the new camera, which is great. I also have the blasted flu and can't go out of the house, which is not so great. This is why I am doing all the lens projects now, by the way...

Superbreak
That's right I'm now a superbreak afiliate, which means that tickets to the theatre shows (and hotels for the airshows) can be found on the lenses. At last.