Can I detail my frustrations...
- Thread starter tfunk
- Start date
No, some of us are ex-editors, six years for me, who have moved onto spending our free time doing things that are more enjoyable, but, we still like to pop up in various forums, 
.
Editors do not serve submitters like yourself, they build categories for web surfers, using sites they find from a variety of sources. Sites "suggested" by the public are only one of those.
You, the suggester, have no rights at all, you're merely being allowed to suggest a site as a help to the editor building the category. Whether the editor agrees and uses the suggestion, or even chooses to look at the suggestion at all, is at his sole discretion. The reason for that is that you aren't doing the work of building the category, the editor is, and he's doing it in his free time, so he's accountable to no one, and certainly not to you.
I don't work for an SEO, I have a real world business with a brick and mortar location. I don't even own a website, but when I did it was just one more tool, not "the tool" that my business depended on for success.
You have no right at all to be listed, none. If you're listed at all, it will be because your site is needed by the editor to better the category for the information seeker. If it doesn't, the Directory doesn't want it.
.Editors do not serve submitters like yourself, they build categories for web surfers, using sites they find from a variety of sources. Sites "suggested" by the public are only one of those.
You, the suggester, have no rights at all, you're merely being allowed to suggest a site as a help to the editor building the category. Whether the editor agrees and uses the suggestion, or even chooses to look at the suggestion at all, is at his sole discretion. The reason for that is that you aren't doing the work of building the category, the editor is, and he's doing it in his free time, so he's accountable to no one, and certainly not to you.
I don't work for an SEO, I have a real world business with a brick and mortar location. I don't even own a website, but when I did it was just one more tool, not "the tool" that my business depended on for success.
You have no right at all to be listed, none. If you're listed at all, it will be because your site is needed by the editor to better the category for the information seeker. If it doesn't, the Directory doesn't want it.
billmartin11
Member
- Joined
- May 7, 2008
- Messages
- 28
"McDonalds is not listed in
top / recreation / food / fast food"
I fully expected someone to say this... it was more a conceptual thing. As I mentioned we have plenty of money for SEO and also plenty of money for our website which is very good. Our category isn't obscure and most people would agree very relevant. If a editor in DMOZ has done something to prevent us for being listed, there really isn't much I can do or find ways to proof that is the case other then noticing new listings.
But one point which was brought up... our category has city/state/region placements, alpha placements... basically a lot of spots we could fit in. I believe I tried to submit us most recently into the most relevant category which was the alpha listing (currently with no editor). A better plan would be to find an edited category that we fit into.
ADDED: I checked about 50 categories, none have an editor.
top / recreation / food / fast food"
I fully expected someone to say this... it was more a conceptual thing. As I mentioned we have plenty of money for SEO and also plenty of money for our website which is very good. Our category isn't obscure and most people would agree very relevant. If a editor in DMOZ has done something to prevent us for being listed, there really isn't much I can do or find ways to proof that is the case other then noticing new listings.
But one point which was brought up... our category has city/state/region placements, alpha placements... basically a lot of spots we could fit in. I believe I tried to submit us most recently into the most relevant category which was the alpha listing (currently with no editor). A better plan would be to find an edited category that we fit into.
ADDED: I checked about 50 categories, none have an editor.
For nearly all entities (such as businesses, schools, churches, clubs, governments) where a geographical locus or focus is evident, then a listing in some Regional category is the best place.
Some entities with geographical locus (such as universities, churches, symphony orchestras, associations of clubs, labor unions, and uncommon businesses[*]) may also be of interest internationally: and for those entities, a listing in Reference/Business/Society may also be a best place.
Entities that meet both criteria may be listed twice, and if your company fits the criteria, and you haven't already suggested your site to both a regional and a topical category, then it would help the editors for you to suggest it twice.
And -- I mention this not because it matters to an editor, which it absolutely shouldn't, but because it may matter to you -- nobody knows which kind of category will be reviewed most quickly, but with two chances for review in a right category, a site may get a quicker listing that way.
[*]"Uncommon" businesses are, roughly speaking, those that aren't everywhere, that someone might actually cross state lines to patronize: i.e. definitely NOT including restaurants, florists, travel or real estate agents, hotels, plumbers, etc. If a user wants to find a real estate agent in Lower Sniveling, Berwickshire, they can go to the LS category and look for real estate. But it would be stupid to go to the master list of ten billion real estate agents and hunt for the three names associated with LS or its suburbs. And it would be a waste of editor's time to build that list.
Some entities with geographical locus (such as universities, churches, symphony orchestras, associations of clubs, labor unions, and uncommon businesses[*]) may also be of interest internationally: and for those entities, a listing in Reference/Business/Society may also be a best place.
Entities that meet both criteria may be listed twice, and if your company fits the criteria, and you haven't already suggested your site to both a regional and a topical category, then it would help the editors for you to suggest it twice.
And -- I mention this not because it matters to an editor, which it absolutely shouldn't, but because it may matter to you -- nobody knows which kind of category will be reviewed most quickly, but with two chances for review in a right category, a site may get a quicker listing that way.
[*]"Uncommon" businesses are, roughly speaking, those that aren't everywhere, that someone might actually cross state lines to patronize: i.e. definitely NOT including restaurants, florists, travel or real estate agents, hotels, plumbers, etc. If a user wants to find a real estate agent in Lower Sniveling, Berwickshire, they can go to the LS category and look for real estate. But it would be stupid to go to the master list of ten billion real estate agents and hunt for the three names associated with LS or its suburbs. And it would be a waste of editor's time to build that list.
spectregunner
Member
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2003
- Messages
- 8,768
Nope, just a retired editall with more than 20,000 logged edits and one or two posts on this forum.
DMOZ is washed up and not worth the effort
I HONESTLY believe DMOZ is washed up and boring. I have been watching one catagory since 2000, and it has only 11 sites. It haS NOT CHANGED ONE BIT SINCE THEN. cONSTANT COMPLAINTS AND SEEMS LIKE LAZY EDITORS. sEEMS ONLY ONE GUY WANTS TO CONTINUE TO DEFEND dmoz. nOT ME. lIST ELSEWHERE.tfunk said:
If one category has had only 11 sites -- the same 11 sites -- listed since 2000, then either the category is one that no one wants to edit or very few sites are actually appropriate for the category. I think I mentioned last year when you dropped by to rant that, while you feel your industry is important, it probably isn't all that exciting to edit. The fact that it hasn't changed much in the last year (except apparently to go down by 2 listings) pretty much bears that out.
You've mentioned several times how worthless you think the ODP is so one wonders why you keep coming back here to complain.
Looks like what I'm ranting about is old news:
http://www.corruptdmozeditor.com/
His blog has been inactive for 2 years, but was active the 2 years prior.
Those that regularly post here seem to be the faction of DMOZ editors that enjoy posting on the forums, just as those that like helping noobs on PHP. Except here they only like to belittle and gawk at how few people actually make it into DMOZ, and portray themselves as God.
The other faction of DMOZ editors edit for fun here and there, make 20000 edits and a forum post or two and think they were already translated and gone to heaven as Enoch.
The other faction keeps it simple. Edit for hobby, and go home, just as one would play world of warcraft until their life was sucked dry.
The final faction keeps it real, making a living as a dmoz editor. Corruption is what the blog dubs it when it is a stark reality. "Oh if we caught them all their sites would be blacklisted". Yeah, as if you could prove anything.
Lets face it folks, we need to pay these poor volunteers to get their seats motivated, and us listed. Unless of course your competitor would rather you not. Then, sadly, you'll have to sit tight, or come up with a price that is right.
And more sadly, I have wasted my breath as these volunteers have no resources to bring about change, or hell just admit a problem.
Cheers,
T
http://www.corruptdmozeditor.com/
His blog has been inactive for 2 years, but was active the 2 years prior.
Those that regularly post here seem to be the faction of DMOZ editors that enjoy posting on the forums, just as those that like helping noobs on PHP. Except here they only like to belittle and gawk at how few people actually make it into DMOZ, and portray themselves as God.
The other faction of DMOZ editors edit for fun here and there, make 20000 edits and a forum post or two and think they were already translated and gone to heaven as Enoch.
The other faction keeps it simple. Edit for hobby, and go home, just as one would play world of warcraft until their life was sucked dry.
The final faction keeps it real, making a living as a dmoz editor. Corruption is what the blog dubs it when it is a stark reality. "Oh if we caught them all their sites would be blacklisted". Yeah, as if you could prove anything.
Lets face it folks, we need to pay these poor volunteers to get their seats motivated, and us listed. Unless of course your competitor would rather you not. Then, sadly, you'll have to sit tight, or come up with a price that is right.
And more sadly, I have wasted my breath as these volunteers have no resources to bring about change, or hell just admit a problem.
Cheers,
T
It's always kind of funny to me that people would rather believe an anonymous source than people who actually know what's going on. If you're that determined to believe that the ODP is full of corrupt editors, what on earth are you doing here? Clearly, you don't want to hear what actual editors have to say so what's the point of continuing to post here? As far as I can see, we've been trying to correct misconceptions but if you're that attached to your misconceptions, enjoy.
You'd be surprised.
What change were you looking for? Your initial posts indicated that you'd really only come here to complain. You've done that. Were you hoping for something else?
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2002
- Messages
- 10,093
Yes, there is a big problem.tfunk said:
The problem are people like you who are not interested in what DMOZ is and how it is working. These people are only interested in themself, the sites they own and how they can change DMOZ in such a way that their sites will get as much attention as possible. And if DMOZ is not willing to do what they want there can only be one explanation, DMOZ must be corrupt.
If you have a solution for this problem please let us know.
We don't mind if you prefer to keep on being part of this problem but please stop your bickering about us not doing what you want us to do.
spectregunner
Member
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2003
- Messages
- 8,768
And see if you can do it without taking cheap shots at other posters....you only demean yourself in the process.
lmbo, good one. Don't know about my life gettin sucked dry, but I sure enjoy playing it. The funny thing is, since I resigned as an editor, I seem to have even less time to play the game than I did when I was an editor.
Like Gunner, I also have over 20,000 edits, so I think the pair of us have made a substantial contribution of our free time to the Directory, but, you're right, I did get lazy as far as editing goes (which is why I fired myself)
.To my way of thinking, that's not particularly good news for you, because the next site either of us might have reviewed next, might have been yours, lol.
But surely you don't object to what we decide to do with our spare time do you? Now that we've left as editors, the work we've done still stands, so I don't feel it was a wasted effort. The web surfer will continue using what gunner and I have done for years to come, and that's all that really matters,
.