Deciding a Category for Website Submission into DMOZ

Some times its really difficult to decide a category for your website, is there any tool available online to solve the problem.

There really isn't any kind of a tool, but perhaps I can provide some generic advice.

First, remember that this is not life and death. You remember the old schoolyard saying "close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades?" We close count with DMOZ as well. We don't punish you if the best guess you make is off by a category or two. We don't even punish you if you miss by a whole lot more -- but the latter can really slow down your site reviews.

Many people look to see where similar sites are listed. That is not a bad approach.

If you have a business with a storefront/office that people can visit, you can suggest the site to the locality within Regional where the storefront is located. You can also suggest it to a category based upon the type of business.

Without giving the URL, tell us what kind of site it is and maybe we can offer a suggestion or two. is it the site in your profile?

You are right.. but you'll find a great number of people so called webmasters who really feel uncomfortable submitting their websites for inclusion into dmoz directory and you know very first question which strike their mind is a category although this is not difficult to get one the best and who could know and better judge then who build it, the site owner him/herself. Anyhow, if dmoz atleast point out the problem causing by a category, title or description.. otherwise, this is like playing a blind, having 3aces is a luck and no body knows he/she'll get it or not.

The DMOZ search tool -- while often aligned -- is actually pretty good for what you are asking.

The search is designed to help editors find categories.

So, if a companies makes or sells widgets, then a search for widgets will reveal all of the widget related categories.

Just remember to try and suggest to the deepest possible category that is relevant.

As far as pointing out problematic titles and descriptions -- we actually provide the best of both worlds. Not only do we not deny websites because the titles and descriptions are poortly written, we rewrite almost all of them when we do the review, since once a site is listed, the person who suggested the site can see firsthand what changes we made when we rewrote it.

Dear SpectReGunner, thanks for removing dust.. It sounds really simple and so much easy but question has moved from difficulty to doubt.. that why people keep trying to submit their listing in the hope that it will come up now.. editors are professionals but they watch and responsible for the 'category' with which most of them belongs too in having their own listings, that makes them to stand in the que of competition and its a fact that we also can't ignore. Anyhow, thanks again for providing me an answer which should read every dmoz editor who have accepted the 'category' and are going to edit 'titles' and 'descriptions' to replace one that comes from their master minds.

editors are professionals but they watch and responsible for the 'category' with which most of them belongs too in having their own listings, that makes them to stand in the que of competition and its a fact that we also can't ignore.

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It is not a fact, just a particularly nasty Internet myth, that is quite easily dispelled.

Let's play a game to see if we can shoot holes in that sad tale.

Let's start by trying to agree on the number of categories. For argument sake, let's say 500,000. The number is closer to 700,000, but we won't argue the difference.

Then let's agree on the number of editors. Let's say 10,000, even though the number hovers at around 7,000, but 10,000 makes for easier math.

Now, let's guess at the number of websites owned by each editor. Some have many, many have few or none, but for argument sake, let's say 5 per editor.

So if each editor has 5 websites, and each website is in a category that the editor edits (wildly unlikely, but we're not letting the facts get in the way here), and there are 10,000 editors, then somehow that accounts for only 50,000 possible categories. Way short of the 500,000 active categories.

So iN this horrid myth, if editors are somehow keeping competitors out of categories where they have their own websites, this could only be happening in 10% of the categories.

Now let's use some numbers that are closer to home: assume 7,000 editors and 650,000 categories. Let's also assume a more realistic 3 websites per editors: that's 21,000 categories out of 650,000, then that is fewer than 3.5% of the categories that are mythically blocked. For this to work, each editor would have to have about 35 websites.

Then there is the joker in the deck: there are about 200 or so editors who are allowed to edit in any category within the directory. That makes it pretty hard for an editor to block or control a category. This right to edit in any category includes the right to edit (without asking permission) in categories where there is a named editor.

Then there is the public complaint system. If you were to file a complaint saying that ODP editor spectregunner is blocking competitors from the category of category/subcategory/subcategory/subcategory it would only take a few minutes for the group we call meta editors to look at my public (within the editing community) editing logs and see what my history is with regards to that category -- since the first day I was an editor. Any editor can see any other editor's logs. It is like visiting someone's home, using the bathroom, and looking through the medicine cabinet.

You see, it really isn't possible, let alone practical, for this to be a widespread practice.

Does it ever happen? Sure, anything can happen. I might even grow hair again. But when it does happen, the members of the editing community eventually find out, and then there is another ex-editor making the rounds of the webmaster forums crying "woe is me" and complaining that they were kicked out for no reason at all. And certain parts of the webmaster community will embrace them and make heros of them.

'Grapes are Sour'.. Can't people eat such kind of behaviour, I am sure these people certainly have a sore throat. So after some reasonable time webmasters should submit their listing again by adding more value to their website if they are not coming up.. and it'll cost him/her to stand in the que to wait for his/her turn again from the last in the row..

Dear sweet fellow, I don't mean to say anything that disturb you, because your commitment with the subject and the source reflects how much you are sincere with your community and the people who want to be a part of this.