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Back in mid November I posted about a new Web 2.0 service by the name of Squidoo. I was fortunate enough to receive an early invite to “test the waters”. I’m happy to report that the private beta is now open for registration.

So what’s Squidoo all about? It’s all about “Lens” & “Lensmasters”.

Squidoo is a co-op run on behalf of its members, the lensmasters.

We have built an online platform that makes it easy for anyone to build lenses on topics they are passionate about. These lenses help you find a unique, human perspective on things that interest you… fast. Not only can Lensmasters spread their ideas, get recognized for their expertise, and send more traffic to their Web sites and blogs—they could also earn royalties.

Once our closed beta is over, lensmaster royalties will go to the lensmaster directly, or to organizations chosen by the lensmaster, or to our charity pool. Squidoo’s goal as a co-op is to pay as much money as we can to our lensmasters and to charity.

If you’re passionate about a certain topic, share your knowledge with others. Register, explorer, and create your own lens. Need an example? Check out my lens on web colors: Colors make the web go ’round [#3 on the Squidoo Top 100]. Still not grasping the whole lens / lensmaster idea? Explore by topic, tag(s) and lensmasters, or view the Top 100.

Squidoo offers the tools and options for any users to become Lensmasters. The AJAXian interface provides drag n’ drop functionality for adding contents to your lens. Lens are created by selecting “modules” for content organization. Need to add text? Drag a text module into your lens. Need to add a linklog for all your recommended sites? Use a link module. The list goes on and on. Integration with Technorati allows lensmasters to specify tags which Squidoo automatically polls for updated Technorati content. Integration with Flickr provides lensmasters with the option to add specific images or sets. Updating your lens is even easier thanks to a handy bookmarklet which provides users with the option to add current webpages or text to their lens without opening a separate window.

Take a swim with Squidoo.