lissa

Are you fishing for a particular answer? If so, just come out and state it. The short answer is that the guidelines are not hard and fast rules, and editor discretion developed with time and experience is what drives listing decisions. In other words, there is no such thing as "the only way". The long answer is that there are many reasons why a particular site could have multiple listings, many of which have been discussed on this forum repeatedly. Some of these include: - evolving guidelines - evolving category structure - categories being reorganized - a site fitting two or more specific topics well - editor finding a better fit for a site, but didn't have permissions to remove it from the previous location. - a site accidentally getting listed under different urls in different categories, then an editor fixes one of the listings (either correcting a redirect or fixing a dead url) - a site being so darned good that we want to list it in multiple locations If there is a specific example that you think is inappropriate, post it in the abuse forum thread. :moz:

You've definitely been getting information from a poor source. There are lots of editors from all around the world. In particular there are a lot of UK editors who work as a close team on UK related categories, in addition to being very active across the directory. Sometimes it may appear harder for non-native English speakers to become accepted to an English language category due to irregularities in grammar or spelling. However, I'm sure far more native English speakers from the US are rejected due to poor spelling and grammar than any other group. :o [Note - I am not a Meta, I am sure only because of the poor skills exhibited on so many of the US websites I review. ] Anyway, it seems like you'd fit in and do well as an editor. I hope you apply again. There's good advice in the Becoming an editor forum. I just wanted to comment that the reason we don't actually handle sites while providing status, is that this forum would rapidly become a mecca for every over-anxious webmaster trying to get an instant listing. We do try to take note of areas that have been neglected for a long time and raise awareness of the need.

Re: Application Re-Submit - is it possible However, you have to fill out an entire new application. The system doesn't save the old one, so you can't modify or append to it. (If that was your question.)

As a follow up - we try to keep editor training in the internal ODP forums or to personal email/mentorship and focus on submitter realted issues here. There wasn't any great mystery or faux pax that kctipton was trying to deal with offline, and it was also fine to ask for clarification on the question. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

Re: Regional Submision He didn't say you were rejected, he said "your site is now listed there". The public side hasn't regenerated yet, but the site will eventually show up.

Re: Status request for http://www.candybardesigns. <img src="/images/icons/crazy.gif" alt="" /> It is a slippery slope going from pyramid/MLMs to independent reps/distributors to wholesale/retail sales. I wasn't part of the discussions that eventually led to the removal of the MLM sites so I can't really explain why the line was drawn where it was. However, I would speculate that it has to do with the one-to-one relationship between the company's products and the IRs. Each IR sells the same set of products, and commonly the IRs can all be found from the company's website (locate a dealer near you). To a large extent, it all looks like part of one big company with a distributed sales force. In contrast, an average store buys products from a variety of manufacturers and doesn't have a special relationship with them. Different stores carry a mix of different products. Yes, for any given product you can find lots of stores selling it, but each store is different. Confusing, yes. From one perspective it seems unfair, but from another it is very consistent with the unique content rule. <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Yes you may. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> <obligatory spam disclaimer> As long as they aren't mirrors/deeplinks/etc. of the same site. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

That is an unacceptable description. We don't do hype. We don't do opinions. We don't do advertising. We certainly don't do exclamation points!! We describe sites. If you request that you will be ignored. Try actually requesting something that describes more of your site's content. Maybe something like: Walkthroughs, hints and screen shots for both Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy Series. Includes articles, forums, and fan art.

Re: Status request for http://www.candybardesigns. I'm sorry that this is frustrating. The ban on individual representatives for MLM types of products includes direct selling, multi-level, and network marketing businesses. These all offer products through independent representatives, distributors, resellers, and consultants, and every IR for a company offers the same set of products. The ban isn't against the business technique, it is just that by definition, the products offered are not unique. We tend to focus on the MLM aspect because that is the biggest sorce of spam, and inadvertently confuse the issue to mean ~only~ MLM. One possibility for creating an informational site for some of these businesses would be to focus about the personal business aspect in a regional sense. For example, some businesses are such that an IR might attend local fairs and thus may have a "show schedule". This may not apply to your business - just giving an example. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> I hope this clarifies a bit. <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" alt="" />

>>I feel as if you summarily dismissed the fact that I've been a professional in the security alarm industry for over 25 years<< I'm sure it seems that way, but in fact I'm sure there are several of us drooling over the fact that you are interested in the category and really want you to apply to a different smaller category to get started. The first category for an editor is more about learning the entire process of editing than it is about the category. Not only is there a ton of supplementary information about the job of being an editor beyond the basic guidelines, there is a community to join and learn how everyone works together. The reason for a small category at first is so new editors aren't either completely overwhelmed with both the information and the editing or manage to miss all the information and make a really bad mess with a lot of sites. My suggestion is to apply to one of the smaller related categories. If you really are as interested as you seem, you will probably really enjoy editing and end up eventually editing all the related categories anyway. So just think of applying for a smaller category as groundwork for the bigger picture. Some suggestions: Business/Business_Services/Security/Products_and_Equipment/Armored_Vehicles/ Business/Business_Services/Security/Products_and_Equipment/Article_Security/ Business/Business_Services/Security/Products_and_Equipment/Personal_Protection/ Shopping/Home_and_Garden/Emergency_Supplies/Security/ Shopping/Home_and_Garden/Home_Improvement/Hardware/Safety_and_Security/ Home/Home_Improvement/Safety_and_Security/ If you start with a small category, you will then be able to demonstrate by doing your ability to edit and be in a better position to apply to the one you want. Please apply again! <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" alt="" />

>>why do we need the detailed description ?<< The most important thing in the description is to describe the contents of the site itself. A commonly used format is <describe business> <describe site> but when the category path makes it extremely clear what the business is, you can drop the first part. e.g. in Business/Widgets/Blue/Manufacturers since you know the category is for manufacturers of blue widgets, you would have listings like these: Widget Wonders - Includes product catalog with prices, company history, and description of services. Wonderful Widgets - Offers online ordering, product specifications, and factory virtual tour. Unfortunately far too many are simply: Blue Widgets - Company overview, contact details, and photos.

There are many ideas and initiatives discussed internally. The average editor isn't a programmer and has no idea if the suggestions are easy or hard. Some things are easy to program, get quick agreement and get changed rapidly by the staff programmer. Usually these make some little editing task simpler. Some tasks are something that editors who can program write tools to facilitate doing, such as repetitive tasks like interlinking categories. Editor produced tools are a huge productivity enhancer. Some editor initated projects are so successful that hard-coding them becomes high priority. Greenbusters was one that went from a manual project to programmed permission level. The hardware, software, guidelines and editor community are in constant improvement. An idea that isn't feasible now, may be feasible in 6 months. An idea that would've been great last year might not matter at all now. Strangely, that's part of the fun. <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" alt="" /> >>So Lissa, what are you going to do about this ? << Ask you if you can program. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" /> I work to my strengths, and programming isn't one of those things. One of my current side projects is trying to prevent new editors from timing out because they never logged in to edit. Ball in your court. <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" alt="" />

We don't care what a company does, what services are offered to members, or what a company's business model is. We care about the content present on the site. Persisting isn't going to change the answer, sorry.

jameskal - you have some good ideas, and I'm sure they will go into the looonnnngggg list of suggested improvements. (Improving the ODP is a favorite editor topic. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> ) However, as has been said before, our one programmer already has a lot of other higher priority stuff and unfortunately cannot work some of the nifty ideas. >>ODP has to gear up to clear the backlog in a short time<< A common mis-perception is that dealing with unreviewed is the main thing to be done. It's not at all - editors spend a lot of time ensuring quality of existing listings, improving ontology and finding sites on their own. Yes, we'd like to get the unreviewed quantities down, but it isn't the only thing we are focused on. There is lots of discussion about ODP needing help. Obviously, the most helpful and within current abilities is to become an editor. But for anyone who can't get accepted as an editor or doesn't want to be one, there are still other ways to help. For example, clicking listings to see if the site is still there, doesn't redirect, and hasn't turned into something else. For sites that give an error, there is then research time to see if a new location can be found or if the business/organization is really gone. Problems that are found can then be summarized for a senoir editor to fix. ~Anyone~ can do this, and it really is helpful. When I start working in a category that hasn't been tended in a while, this is the first thing I have to do. What's the point of adding a bunch of good listings if half the ones there are bad or misplaced? If someone had already verified what was there, I could spend more time on listing unrevieweds. OK - that was longer than I intended. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" /> Maybe someone can build on this idea.

Don't forget that there are plenty of editors who are not "computer savvy" and don't use or try a variety of different browsers. If your site doesn't work in the browser they are using, it is likely to get deleted for being incomplete or having no content.

>>Isn't it going to be very difficult to find sites that are not on the dmoz?<< Goodness no! There's tons of stuff not listed. If you don't have a particular category in mind (hobby or interest) consider trying for your hometown in the Regional branch. Finding sites is pretty easy searching by ZIP code or locality name. Finding 3 new sites appropriate for the category you are requesting is the first part of the test. Being able to title and describe them according to guidelines is the second part. Good Luck!

Congratulations and welcome aboard!

Re: Submission Status - http://www.webpublicitee.c >>I wonder why as I have applied for editor at DMOZ why I have been turned down three times.<< Usually the rejection letter gives some indication of why. Judging from your post, I doubt it was an instant spelling or grammar reject. Perhaps you tried too large of a category? Or maybe one that's considered too spammy for a new editor? Why not try applying to your hometown or a hobby - a smallish (20-50 sites) category is usually pretty safe. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

>>Triple-X dive – Maybe go straight to the English page and forget the Japanese choice? -- FINE AS IT IS << I just wanted to say that the reason we don't go straight to the English page is so we can see the URL propagation in the directory - i.e. that it is also listed under World/Japanese.

>>I do not understand this since I looked at the style of other desriptions.<< Sometimes this isn't good, because the descriptions may be out of date with the current guidelines. (If you are accepted, one of the things you'll be expected to do is check and review existing listings and improve them as required.) A common, guideline compliant style is to use two sentences - the first describes the business, the second describes the website. For example (and I'm just winging it) The Armory: A community arts center that offers innovative approaches to creating and presenting the visual arts. Includes show schedule, programs and classes, history, and virtual gallery. Good Luck! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

Re: But what happens if there's no editor? >>How long can a site sit there before it's escalated (hopefully) to higher powers, because there are no editors at the helm?<< There are no higher powers who deal with individual site listings. It's just editors, some with access to more of the directory than others. There isn't a management to complain to, we are self-managed. There isn't a "they", it's just "us". >>Who does it if there are no editors?<< We do our best, but there is a huge backlog in general. Some areas of the directory have better coverage (more interested editors) but some areas do not have enough experts available or are so constantly immersed in misplaced submissions and spam, sites practically cannot be reviewed. If you want to help, apply to be an editor. Otherwise, you'll just have to wait and hope others do. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

Re: http://www.treasuredlocks.com/ Apparently this is an area of the directory where there isn't an editor very active. Care to apply? As long as you disclose affiliations and treat all sites equally, it is acceptable to edit in a category that you have a site. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

Since this was an existing listing, I corrected the URL and title. The editor who moved it actually noticed the content change and rewrote the description, but http://www.avolia.com/ doesn't redirect, so they didn't see the new URL. If the description is still not to your satisfaction, please submit another update request. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> Lissa

Re: status update? http://www.realtime-advantage.c That category has a fair amount of backlog, as do most of the Society/Law categories. Perhaps you would consider applying to become an editor to help with the backlog? That particular category is probably too big for a new editor, although you could try. Otherwise, perhaps you could find another smaller category of interest to start in. After you have gained enough editing experience, you could apply to the category in question. If you choose to apply, be sure to disclose you affiliation with the site. Thanks! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

No need to wait - the wonderful state of Hawaii would love to have another editor on board now! Editors are allowed to edit categories in which they have a site, as long as they follow the guidelines and treat all sites equally (do not unfairly promote theirs, or demote competitors). However, I would suggest applying to a smaller locality (20-50ish sites) without any (or many) subcats to get started. It is just plain easier to learn how to edit in Regional when you start with a locality. Once you've tamed your first category, you can apply to edit more categories, and eventually that particular one. Be sure to disclose your affiliation to that site on your application, find 3 good URLs and describe them well, and you'll be fine. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />