DMOZ Search does not work

I've just found this in DMOZ FAQ's - "Because of these factors, it is certainly not a reliable means of finding out whether a particular site is listed in the ODP or not." - So let me ask the question - what the hell is the point of it and why then instruct people to use the search tool to find a site if the thing does not work?

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It does work, just not quite the way you are expecting it to. Searching on the domain name without the www will turn up reliable results, again keeping in mind that the search is based on the weekly RDF dump.

Surely, its a simple fix implemented in a shorter time frame than it is to discuss it.

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That's not our call to make -- we're just volunteer editors.

I'm really not sure why you're getting so worked up over this. You've found something you think is wrong with someone else's site. You've reported it. Move on. Is it really worth getting so upset over?

motsa said:

The point is that the search, such as it is, works the way it was intended. Whether that's a good thing or not is a whole different matter.

Well, actually, this forum isn't like most forums. It's more a venue for editors to answer questions than it is a venue for debate.

The problem is that you're looking for a different answer to a question that isn't open-ended. And discussion about how the search should work probably isn't going to be particularly helpful since the editors who post here don't have anything to do with the functioning of the search itself.

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I'm sorry Motsa - but i disagree with what you say about the forum.

It's a public forum for the project. I appreciate that most of the people who use it are editors - but the purpose and intent is for everyone - otherwise why would people be allowed to register?

thank you for at least pointing me in the right direction.

interestedguy said:

I'm sorry Motsa - but i disagree with what you say about the forum.

It's a public forum for the project. I appreciate that most of the people who use it are editors - but the purpose and intent is for everyone - otherwise why would people be allowed to register?

thank you for at least pointing me in the right direction.

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Thanks for your constructive feedback.

Hey - I agree with you - In the big scheme of life it's of no consequence at all whether DMOZ chooses to improve its service; However, as people dedicated to the project, I would have assumed that your passion and interest would drive the changes to improve the service rather than ignoring the issue and not doing something constructive to resolve it whether it's in your remit or not.

However, as people dedicated to the project, I would have assumed that your passion and interest would drive the changes to improve the service rather than ignoring the issue and not doing something constructive to resolve it whether it's in your remit or not.

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It's a peripheral function of the directory at best -- as a user, I've never used the search function on a directory site (directories are meant to be browsed), and I only use it on dmoz.org in my capacity as an editor -- it always works fine for me so for me personally, there is no issue with the ODP search.

Changing the search functionality ranks very low on my personal list of improvements I'd like to see. Where it sits in AOL's list of improvements they want to make, I couldn't say.

motsa said:

It's a peripheral function of the directory at best -- as a user, I've never used the search function on a directory site (directories are meant to be browsed), and I only use it on dmoz.org in my capacity as an editor -- it always works fine for me so for me personally, there is no issue with the ODP search.

Changing the search functionality ranks very low on my personal list of improvements I'd like to see. Where it sits in AOL's list of improvements they want to make, I couldn't say.

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Whatever your perspective may be, it's ironic that the final words of the submission guidelines reads... The Open Directory team welcomes comments and feedback about the directory generally. Please let us know what you think, and how we can improve the service. Thanks! - but it does not say how or who to feedback to and it becomes laughable that the DMOZ forums own search utility is far more advanced (and it works!) than that of the project itself!

I've made my suggestions, I hope someone, somewhere, has the grace and initiative to act upon it for the common good of all "clients" out there.

Exactly. You've made your suggestions (as have other people before you), but you seem to expect your suggestions to be immediately agreed with, accepted, and acted upon.

it becomes laughable that the DMOZ forums own search utility is far more advanced (and it works!) than that of the project itself!

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This is an unofficial forum owned, created, and managed by volunteer editors. It isn't owned or operated by AOL. It uses different software on different servers.

interestedguy said:

The service you provide to me is to provide me with a functional search tool - therefore i am a client.

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Then as you are unhappy with the service you have been provided, you should ask them for a refund.

motsa said:

Exactly. You've made your suggestions (as have other people before you), but you seem to expect your suggestions to be immediately agreed with, accepted, and acted upon.

This is an unofficial forum owned, created, and managed by volunteer editors. It isn't owned or operated by AOL. It uses different software on different servers.

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I'll leave you to ponder over your own conclusions to this issue.

In a matter of minutes, there will be another duplicate site submission to DMOZ as a resultant of an ineffective search utility and another editor and website owner wasting their time with the same issue. They'll have the same arguments and discussions with the same conclusions and the issue will continue until someone does something constructive about it!

I bow out gracefully and leave you to your cyclical task.

birdie said:

Then as you are unhappy with the service you have been provided, you should ask them for a refund.

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I don't think your being helpful nor constructive.

Services are supplied free of charge as well as charged for - and any client of any service has a right for redress, complaint and to be listened to by the service provider and with a dregree of respect.

Moreover, a good service provider will use client's feedback to improve their service offerings not to negate them.

Links have been removed

Is it just me or perhaps by sheer co-incidence that both listings (Alfreton Business Directory and Alfreton News Publishing Service which were clearly stated on the original post of this thread in the following location /Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Derbyshire/Alfreton/
have just suddenly been removed from the directory listing since this morning.

If you can't edit fairly - then don't edit at all! You're doing a public dis-service and you are letting down the DMOZ project.

I'd like to know who has edited these sites in the last hour and what justifies their unbiased editorial reasons for their removal.

Please advise how I can find out this information.

Moreover, a good service provider will use client's feedback to improve their service offerings not to negate them.

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You do know that the people who respond in this forum have no power to change anything on the technical side of dmoz.org, right? All we can do is listen, discuss, and pass on constructive suggestions to those who can do something. We can't influence their priorities however.

nea said:

You do know that the people who respond in this forum have no power to change anything on the technical side of dmoz.org, right? All we can do is listen, discuss, and pass on constructive suggestions to those who can do something. We can't influence their priorities however.

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I appreciate what you are trying to say - however: Someone, somewhere has the power to make decisions and prioritise them too - so why does it remain a secret as to who those people are and how we can communicate with them?

The attitude I have witnessed thus far (which I think is appauling) from editors is "This is how it is and how is will remain and we are powerless to act or influence".

No matter what the scope of responsibility is that volunteers have, it would have been very simple to answer my opening question with the detail of who I could contact to escalate my issue of concern and to have some constructive comment to say that they agree that the search tool requires modification to make it more functional.

If enough people form the same conclusion and view their opinions then a good decision maker will respond and make positive changes - thats not a difficult thing to do - but it appears that DMOZ finds it impossible to achieve.

It only requires action not rhetoric - no one has said "Hold on, there is a genuine issue here and yes, we could improve what we are doing - I agree with your comments, I'll escalate the issue for you, thanks for your suggestion, i'll drop you an email and let you know of my progress".

Instead, the issue has become a proverbial hot potato and to top it off I suspect (without having any proof as yet) that an editor has maliciously removed the two sites that were the topic of discussion - and that's a diabolical infringement of their powers.

I have expectations of DMOZ - that their systems and infrastructure is professional and works to aid the people that use the site.

From my limited experience they do not deploy enough resources or downlevel responsibility in order to offer a really useful, innovative and professional service. If you had to wait for over two years for a business service to deliver how would you rate that business? You'd never use them again!

And if, as in my experience, the editors remove your sites because they don't agree with your opinions and views - there's not a lot of hope for us to have our expectations met - Childish, immature, biased and pathetic comes to mind!

If DMOZ wants to play an important role within the development of the Internet, then they need to focus resources at developing the project to meet 21st century technologies - alas, they spend most of their time discussing issues about "self interested" website owners.

In the long term, I suspect that the DMOZ project will fail and another organisation will create a much more credible, professional and state of the art directory with SLA's, editorial histories and technologies that can automate a great deal of what they do.

In the interim, patience will is your only saviour.

I have expectations of DMOZ - that their systems and infrastructure is professional

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Well, you are free to "expect" what you like, but the ODP is built and maintained by volunteers, so perhaps you are addressing your concerns to the wrong people.

Most people expect to recieve a quality service delivery from any service provider, whether they be employed or volunteers. I don't think either I am alone in having an expectation of professionalism.

If, as you state, it is built and maintained by volunteers does not negate the fact that a certain pride should be present which displays a commitment to improving service provision.

Being a volunteer doesn't let these people off the hook so to speak nor reduce the level of responsibility they have.

The very first posting in this thread asked the question .... Who can I report this problem to?

So yes, I perhaps partially agree with you - as a generality - do these people really care about the service delivery of the project or are they self interested and self serving?

So far, my unfortunate experience is of agressive and poor attitudes in this and other threads denotes a very introspective group of self serving disillusioned people. I very much look forward to finding someone who is client centric.

The search works as intended. Could it work differently? Yes. Could it work better? Arguably. Is AOL aware of the various complaints people have about it? Indubitably.

motsa said:

The search works as intended. Could it work differently? Yes. Could it work better? Arguably. Is AOL aware of the various complaints people have about it? Indubitably.

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Superb! Thank you! At last - I feel a sense of progress with this subject thanks to your positive response.

So how many other editors and users share your opinion on this subject?
When was this issue first identified as a potential for improvement?
How many people other have contributed discussions to this subject?
How many people within the project as staff or volunteers have escalated this issue to AOL?
When will someone in authority act to make these changes?

As has been mentioned before, we are not going to get into a discussion or debate of your suggestion here. You've made your suggestion. You have the staff email address should you wish to send it to them. That's as far as is goes here.

... and please don't repost the same or similiar issues again and again. That's not going to help, it's only wasting your and our time. Thank you.