Google’s goal in search is to provide useful and fulfilling results to its users. To the extent that a lens meets that criteria, I think it is great that it shows up. There are, after all, some great lenses out there. There are also a lot of bad ones that most users would consider spam. If Google can banish these its a success.

In regards to Squidoo, I really see it as a platform for expression. It provides the tools to make a resource page. I don’t see so many conceptual differences between it and Blogger which Google owns, for example. Both offer means of expression and revenue sharing features, making them enticing for spammers. But there are some good Blogger blogs — they aren’t all spam.

I’ve been sitting here trying to think of any user controlled resource that isn’t plagued in some way by what I would consider spam, and I can’t think of one.

Any time users create content, a lot of junk will be created. But of course, one man’s junk is another’s treasure. It’s difficult to police in absolute terms of grey and black, and where possible its best to let market decide and its in Google’s interest to follow the market so that they can keep their customers satisfied.