Could not submit site ( http://www.bp-books.com/pcb )

Hello,

I have tried to submit the site listed below. When I had completed the submit form and pressed the submit button my browser page was never updated. I waited for about 5 minutes while the browser was loading and then stopped the browser. I then restarted the browser and went through the process a second time and waited about 30 minutes before stopping the browser (NS 7.2). Now I not sure if my submission really went through or if I have already submitted the site more than once! What should I do?

Site: http:// www.bp-books.com/pcb
Category: http://directory.google.com/Top/Shopping/Publications/Books/Children/Personalized

Supply an ODP category, to avoid any confusion, since we are not Google.

[readme]Please read the guidelines[/readme]

category: Shopping > Publications > Books > Children > Personalized

>> Please read ATTENTION - Forum Guidelines - READ BEFORE POSTING.

I did.

Randy2004 said:

category: Shopping > Publications > Books > Children > Personalized

>> Please read ATTENTION - Forum Guidelines - READ BEFORE POSTING.

I did.

Click to expand...

Apparently not closely enough.

Here's a clickable link to that category: http://dmoz.org/Shopping/Publications/Books/Children/Personalized/

Randy,

your site suggestion was received; however, the category description specifies why that site is not listable in the ODP. You'd be better advised to seek other venues for promoting your site. Best of luck!

nea said:

Randy,

your site suggestion was received; however, the category description specifies why that site is not listable in the ODP. You'd be better advised to seek other venues for promoting your site. Best of luck!

Click to expand...

Thanks so much for your helpful reply. I read the description at the link you provided which stated;

To be listed a site must offer unique content--meaning the site must be offering products not found on other sites. Distributors for sites such as "Create-A-Book" and "Best Personalized Books" will not be listed.

I don't wish to argue the point but I do need to understand this so that I have something to tell my employer. Does this mean that if I list a site that sells “#1 widget” that no other company can list a site that sells “#1 widget” in the directory? My employer will see all the other companies listed in that category that does the same thing we are doing and wonder why I can’t list our site? Is it the company name “Best Personalized Books” the problem? Thanks again for your help.

Your best best is to give your employer a copy of the relevant guidelines. That category guideline is pretty specific, and well written.

We are reluctant to parse the guidelines in great depth because those discussions usually erode into "it depends upon what the definition of is, is." and we don't have either the time or the inclination to do so.

Ok, let me ask this. I choose the site title as Best Personalized Books because that is the name of our incorporated company. If I changed the title of the website to something else and resubmitted it, would it be rejected again because the site was submitted more than once? Or will it always be rejected because of the name of the company?

I can tell you this with a gret deal of assurance -- the name of the company and the title you submitted would not have been the basis for the site being declined a listing. Company names are, well, company names. Submitted titles are something we change >90% of the time.

Content. It is all about content.

Can you give a couple of examples of other companies that are doing what you are doing and yet are listed?

We can certainly re-review those sites.

hutcheson said:

Can you give a couple of examples of other companies that are doing what you are doing and yet are listed?

We can certainly re-review those sites.

Click to expand...

Out of the 10 sites list here;

http://dmoz.org/Shopping/Publications/Books/Children/Personalized/

These seven companies do the same thing that we are doing and are competitors in the same type of business.

M & M Publishing
Created 4 Me
Greatness Industries
I'm A Star Personalized Books
Life and Times Record Book
My Name Starts With
StarChild Storybooks

I wouldn't want anyone removed from the listing because of this. I only want to know what I need to do or change so that we can be listed with them!

Thanks for your time!! I know that you don't have any more than I do.

I looked at three of the sites on the list. Not one of them does what you do or vice versa. One probably shouldn't be listed there, as it's a publisher and doesn't seem to do retail at all, but none of them seem to require removal, using the same rules applied to your site.

>> I looked at three of the sites on the list. Not one of them does what you do or vice versa.

Now I am at a loss!! Not only are these sites doing exactly what we are doing many of them sell personalized books but some of them have similar book titles thought they are not the same books! The sites do sell other personalized products that may be different from site to site but all sell personalized children books just like we do. You enter information about the child and a book is created that makes them the main character in the story. Are you looking at the correct site?

http://www.bp-books.com/pcb/

>> but none of them seem to require removal, using the same rules applied to your site

I agree totally that none of the sites require removal but what rules are being applied that exclude ours? That’s what I have been trying to find out so that maybe I could make changes but no one is answering that question. I have now read the guidelines twice, in full, and don’t see anything that applied to our site. We are not affiliated with any of the sites that are listed and each site has their own personalized material they sell that each company has designed. I was told in post #5 that the ‘category description’ was the problem but then told in post #9 with a “great deal of assurance” that that wasn’t the problem. I will be happy to change the site title or description or do what I can to meet those guidelines.

Getting listed always comes down to "enough unique content".

post #9 with a “great deal of assurance” that that wasn’t the problem.

Click to expand...

You might want to re-read post #9, in which you were told that the company name and title you submitted were not the problem. No other issue was addressed in that post.

I do not think the impression you are describing is one that an unbiased fluent reader could get. You're welcome to read the posts again.

As for suggestions for changing the website to make it listable, I see no indication that such would be possible. The ODP guidelines (as may have been said once or twice before) boil down to "unique content and how to recognize it." If you had unique content, why wouldn't you publish it? And if you don't publish it, how could we know you had it? Therefore, what advice are you supposing that we could possibly give?

So if I understand how this directory works then its on a “first come first serve” type basis. If I was the first leather belt salesman to list my e-commerce that sells leather belts I would be ok. But no other leather belt salesman would be allowed to list their own e-commerce site because it would not be considered to contain “unique content”. Is this a correct understanding of, “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.”, from the guidelines?

No, you're not right, you're very unclear on the concept. We list salesman at all only by accident.

We list people who provide goods and services to consumers. That is a very very different concept. But if you can figure that out, and once you grasp the concept that salesmen provide services to retailers, the ODP practices follow immediately.

hutcheson said:

No, you're not right, you're very unclear on the concept.

Click to expand...

I am very clear on the concept. I have been developing software in this business for about 15 years. The site that I submitted allows individuals to purchase a personalized book for their child just exactly like the other seven listed sites that I have previously posted. The only difference being some sites offer other personalized products besides just books. But I will drop it because it is obvious that the site will not be listed no matter what. Thanks for your time in explaining your position.