Progress Bar on Squidoo - Pros and Cons?

Have you seen the new progress bar on Squidoo?  In case you haven't, go look at one of your own lenses now.  On the right, just below your bio, is a green bar showing "lens progress" with a percentage posted next to it.  Click on "see your progress" below the bar for details.  There you'll see a list with 11 items, with the completed ones checked off.

New lensmasters that I know really like the progress bar.  As they make a new lens, they are prompted to complete each one of the steps (write more in your intro, add an intro photo, pick a topic and subtopic, add a social module, etc.).  It's very encouraging for these young Squids to achieve some immediate gratification as well as to be able to gauge their progress.

The last two items on the list, "Get at least 20 SquidLikes" and "Get SquidLiked By a Giant Squid," have generated some controversy among experienced Squids.  While the first nine items on the progress list are items that lensmasters directly control, completion of the last two items requires other registered Squidoo users to visit and "like" the lens, with at least one of those "likes" being from a Giant Squid.  While there are ways to promote a lens within the Squidoo community, most lenses are written with a different audience in mind.  Most lensmasters would be much happier with 20 visits to the lens from strangers rather than having 20 fellow Squidizens visit and like the lens. In fact, many people couldn't care less how many SquidLikes a lens gets in its lifetime - as long as it gets search engine traffic from shoppers.

While a number of people have voiced their concerns (some rather loudly) about these last two "requirements," at least one person has suggested that the first nine items on the list should comprise 100% completeness while the last two be added on as a bonus. That seems like a good idea.  Obviously having traffic from shoppers is very important, but it's also true that participation in the social aspects of Squidoo figures into lensrank calculation.  So, having those peer "likes" has potential monetary benefit, too. 

I've been around Squidoo long enough to know that almost all changes create controversy and, occasionally, chaos among the troops and some lensmasters can be very vocal about their disapproval.  "This too shall pass" is usually the way I handle situations like this one, but I'll admit that I was glad, and somewhat relieved, to hear the positive feedback from those in my small group of young Squids about the progress bar. 

My plan is to take those last two items on the progress list and use them as an object lesson for teaching promotion of lenses in general and participation in the Squidoo community in particular.  If others will stop worrying and simply adhere to TOS and not beg, bribe, or otherwise plead for their 20 "likes" but use good promotion and social media practices instead, I think they'll be far better off.  Which I'm pretty sure was the reason for the progress bar in the first place.