checking to see if site was submitted correctly

I submitted a site, http://www.eureka-springs-arkansas-lodging.com, on 5-30-03. I submitted it to category http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/North_America/United_States/Arkansas/Localities/E/Eureka_Springs/Travel_and_Tourism/Travel_Guides/
I just wanted to make sure it was submitted correctly to avoid finding out later that there was a mistake. Thank you!

We generally ask that you wait at least one month before checking the status of your site, and, since you've already posted several times, you probably know that these requests belong in the Submission Status Forum.

Yes, your site was submitted.

However, I don't think it was submitted correctly. In fact, I don't believe that submitting it at all was correct, according to our guidelines. This site appears to be mirroring part of the content of the other site you submitted to the same category: http://www.eurekaspringsbest.com/ , and as a result, is not eligible for listing in the ODP. A random sampling of 5 listings showed that all were word-for-word identical on both sites.

Please note that the ODP submission guidelines ( http://dmoz.org/add.html ) state:
"Do not submit mirror sites. Mirror sites are sites that contain identical content, but have altogether different URLs.
Do not submit URLs that contain only the same or similar content as other sites you may have listed in the directory. Sites with overlapping and repetitive content are not helpful to users of the directory. Multiple submissions of the same or related sites may result in the exclusion and/or deletion of those and all affiliated sites."

Please do not submit any more mirror sites to this or any other category.

Thank you for your reply. Here is my response:
1. The reason I submitted to "submissions" rather than "site submission status" is because I just wanted to find out if the site had been submitted correctly. I was not asking the status.
2. Unless someone has been posting under my name I don't beleive I have posted several times. I believe I have posted twice. The first time requesting the status of another site. The second time, I waited thirty days from the date of the site submission date I was given and requested a status update. I did not put this request in the same thread and was corrected on this. I also was told to wait 30 days from my forum request date not 30 days from the date of the site submission. I have tried to follow the rules I was given and am patiently waiting.
3. I believe the 2 sites are different. That's why the second site was submitted. The first site is a variety of businesses and the second site focuses strictly on lodging facilities. There will be different listings on each site but some businesses may choose to have a listing on both sites. However, I understand that I need to follow your rules. Other than some of the listings on the 2 sites, the other information is different. I am working very hard on my sites to make sure they contain good, helpful information. I also am not trying to mirror sites or spam the engines. In fact, I have several competitors that actually have up to 6 sites with all of the exact same content and all point to 1 main site. I think this is wrong and I wanted to run my sites in a more ethical manner. That is why I am working on maintaining different content. Once again, I understand that I need to follow your rules. Do you have any suggestions for the sites that would help differentiate them enough to get them both listed? As I stated before, some of the listings will be the same and some of them won't. In fact, right now, the listings I put up on www.eureka-springs-arkansas-lodging.com, are just samplings taken from the other site until I have enough businesses sign up. I didn't want my visitors going there and finding empty pages plus it gives me an opportunity to show the listing samples to the businesses. However, there will always be some listings that will be the same on both sites.

I'm assuming that the answer to my own question will be to wait until the listings are at least somewhat different and then resubmit the site. If this is correct, I still have a question. As, I stated before, I will gladly follow the rules of the directories and search engines. I have a lot of respect for the entire process and enjoy trying to learn about it even though I am very new at this. My question is...by submitting this site already will the site be "blacklisted" (or whatever you call it)? Will I have trouble submitting it in the future? And, will this affect my first submission for www.eurekaspringsbest.com?

Your input would be appreciated. Thank you.

>> The first site is a variety of businesses and the second site focuses strictly on lodging facilities.<<

Yes, that's exactly what I was saying. Currently www.eureka-springs-arkansas-lodging.com mirrors the lodging content of http://www.eurekaspringsbest.com . The only actual content on www.eureka-springs-arkansas-lodging.com is in the form of lodging listings, and those currently are all available (as far as I could see) on your other site. As a result, it won't be listed. We don't care if a site is mirroring an entire site or just a single page; it's still a mirror, and the content is still not unique, so it won't be listed.

>>Do you have any suggestions for the sites that would help differentiate them enough to get them both listed?<<

Have completely different content on both, and they might be listed. I say "might" because as far as I can see it would be extremely difficult to justify listing the same business twice in the exact same category.

>>Will I have trouble submitting it in the future? And, will this affect my first submission for www.eurekaspringsbest.com? <<

Every editor should look at each submission individually, checking the site contents at the time of submission. We ask submitters to wait until their sites are complete to submit them, and we evaluate them based on current content, not on what was previously or might someday be on the site. That said, editors will certainly be aware of the connection between the two sites.

Your first submission, for the more comprehensive site, should not be affected. It is still waiting for review. No one is going to ban you for one submission of a mirror. We may be strict, but we're not entirely unreasonable. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

&gt;&gt; In fact, I have several competitors that actually have up to 6 sites with all of the exact same content and all point to 1 main site.&lt;&lt;

If you're saying that they are listed multiple times in the ODP, we would encourage you to report them, as they are violating our rules. You can PM any member of the forum with a "meta" title (preferably, although anyone with "editall" in their title should be able to help too).

Re: checking to see if site was submitted correctl

Our technical term for what you describe is "fraternal mirrors." Pick which one you'd like us to list, and link to the other one from it. We'll be happy to mention the contents of both domains in the one description.

In fact, best make sure both domains link to each other, with some kind of tag line like "see our accomodation listings at xxx", so that the reviewing editor will know to treat them together.

Re: checking to see if site was submitted correctl

&gt;&gt;...right now, the listings I put up on www.eureka-springs-arkansas-lodging.com, are just samplings taken from the other site until I have enough businesses sign up. I didn't want my visitors going there and finding empty pages plus it gives me an opportunity to show the listing samples to the businesses.

We don't list sites based on the potential of future content. Keep in mind as well that the criteria for the listability of a business directory site is getting more and more stringent every day and a directory site hoping to get listed today can't look at sites already listed as an indication of the minimum amount of unique content they need to have. Even considering possible future listings being added to the site, I don't picture the site being listable.

Thank you all for the replies. I am most concerned with getting the first site listed, www.eurekaspringsbest.com. Thanks again!

Re: another question

Ok, I've re-read your replies and I've been thinking...(my husband says that usually gets me in trouble so I better be careful <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" alt="" /> ). I really don't want to lose the opportunity to have www.eureka-springs-arkansas-lodging.com listed in the directory. What if I remove the listings and rather than make it a business directory site I put up pages for each separate business. The content would not be identical at all by doing this. Would this be acceptable to differentiate the sites enough to have them both listed?

Re: another question

Just a general reply (I didn't review your sites). If a site has contents A&amp;B and meets the unique useful content criteria for a cat, then splitting the site into two totally separate sites, one with contents A and another with contents B, would risk making both of them not meeting the listable criteria. Your choice. We prefer the former.