Category description different to index description

Hello
I wonder if anyone can help direct me?

If a site description in a category shows something different to the entry in the index (i.e. when you search on the domain name the index holds a different description and category to the directory listing), how is this fixed?

If a defamatory entry is removed from a category but remains in the index (when a more accurate category listing exists), how is this fixed?

I understand that the forum charter says:

"It's in plain sight before you enter this forum:

Generic discussion on types of abuse with no mention of specific URLs, editors, or categories. Specific cases will not be handled here. Please report them to a meta-editor, or to staff@dmoz.org ."

... and that has been done - but I am at a loss as to what happens when a fix is not forthcoming and a defamatory description starts to propagate around the web.

Thank you for your help.

Karl

Karl this must be distressing for you, but it will fix itself. The Open Directory search is not updated in real time. So at the moment it reflects the situation before the change was made to your site description. But once the search index is updated, it will show the new description. This should happen within a few days. One comfort is that our search index is only visible to people who search on Dmoz.org. It isn't affecting anything else.

Propagating changes to ODP clones takes time also and it is not under our control. The Google Directory for example is usually updated about once a month, but we can give no guarantee on the schedule, because that's up to Google.

But from what you say, you have done everything you can, and so have we.

Hi and thanks for a quick response.

"One comfort is that our search index is only visible to people who search on Dmoz.org. It isn't affecting anything else."

Sadly, the entry has been there long enough for it to start appearing on google and dictionary.com as well as other sites that draw results from the open directory - that is how we first discovered what was going on.

Apart from the potential business effect, I am concerned about how such an entry gets listed in the first place.

The original entry appeared in a category with no editor - this was removed and another entry added to a different category; but the editor of the category in question has told me that she has not reviewed the site and does not have any information and I haven't had any other feedback.

I wish I'd found this forum earlier - I have been going round in circles trying to get information!

Do you think the index will be updated soon? I know you have no control over other search engine refreshes, but at least I'll know that the source index has been corrected.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to explain some of what happens.

The ODP search can lag behind by several weeks.

Karl - The relationship between the ODP and its downstream users is quite complex. The crumb of comfort I was giving you is that our own search index doesn't spread to other sites. That is just used to search Dmoz.org. So delay in updating that doesn't affect anything else.

What does spread is the actual directory and components of it, such as the descriptions. That's what you have been seeing. See my article on the relationship between the ODP and Google: http://www.building-history.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ODP/Dmoz.htm