I have never received a response...
I have a legitimate site that meets the guidelines. there is no doubt that I have submitted to the correct category. I offer tons of useful music information, articles that I have personally written, original content and unique items that are not easily found.
Just reading that, I have a great deal of doubt that the site was submitted to the correct category. "Shopping/Instruments" is sort of like, you know, websites of businesses that sell instruments. The number of "articles" or "music information" is profoundly irrelevant to a listing in Shopping. The expression "unique items that are not easily found" is today's leading candidate for being "unclear on the concept". But whatever was meant, it is also irrelevant. Walmart.com is listed, although you could hardly say THEY have anything that's "not easily found"!
What is relevant to a Shopping category is possessing a significant number of items and offering to send them to people (for money).
I've been in business, serving my local community since 2003...
That might well be relevant information. But ... it doesn't matter what you say in the forum. Do you say it
on the website?
... and I also have hundreds of repeat international and thousands of national customers.
It doesn't matter whether that's relevant or not. The editor who reviews your site won't know it.
Obviously I'm not the only one who thinks their site should be included but 4 years is a long time isn't it? is there an outside time frame for including or rejecting a site. surely it can't be more than 4 years?
It's been at least 5 years since 2003. (As soon as the website is posted, which might not have been at the same time the business opens, it starts waiting for review. When, how often, or even WHETHER it's EVER suggested, doesn't matter. If it's listable, it's listable now without a suggestion--a suggestion doesn't change anything. If it's not listable, a suggestion isn't going to change anything either.
So....there CAN'T be an "outside time frame" even for FINDING a site, let alone including or not including it!
If you need more editors I would be happy to oblige. Have already applied for that too. no rejection letter, no confirmation letter.
Unfortunately, that's a really bad place to start editing. (I was the main editor working in Music/Shopping at one point....it just got too ugly. Drop-shippers and affiliate doorways up the kazoo, little if anything to distinguish between sites, ...) I decided to focus on what was important to me, and finding places to buy guitars or saxophones by mail wasn't it.)
there are dead links in the category mentioned and everything.
Please, report them in our quality feedback thread. That DOES usually get quick responses.
multiple editors per category?
Every category works the same way. As many editors as are interested, and can find something to do, can be accepted. It's just that not a lot of people interested in the Open Directory Project idea, have also been interested in that Shopping category.
You might consider offering to edit your locality's arts and entertainment category--that's something you might well have firsthand knowledge of--and, if you enjoyed reviewing websites, move on to other interesting local categories before stepping into the cacophony of Shopping.
