Hey DMOZ! A general question

I've submitted our website (www.alphatickets.com) twice over the last 6 months. I did a ton of researchto b e sure I submitted to the correct category and created a listing that was "non-commercial".

Now I realize you guys over there are back-logged something fierce, but is there anything I can do to expidite this process? I don't care how it helps in Google (I don't have the millions the competition has to buy PPC), but I refer peple to DMOZ because of the human aspect to it, but they can't find me so it hurts credibility tremendously.

How is it that you guys can be 3 years behind (as I've read in this forum) in approving links? Even with 10,000 active editors, do new submissions overwhelm you to this extent? (no sarcasm here, just an honest question)
Thanks in advance.

Gary

Behind? Backlog?
Not in my eyes.
If you mean the are suggestions that haven't been looked at yet you are right. But as suggestions are only one way of finding listable sites (and in some categories it is only a small or a very bad way of finding these sites) I don't think this is a problem. And as far as I know many editors don't see it as a backlog.

Yes. There is something you can do. Not for the site you suggested but in a more global way. Become an editor. If you review sites in any category the directory will grow. And maybe some other editor might find time to review your suggestion because they didn't have to look at the category you are helping to build. As many small drops of water will eventualy fill a lake many editors doing only a few actions each day/week/month will make a very large directory.

Thanks for taking the time to respond pvpool.

I'm just a newbie trying figure things out, and I appreciate your response.

My expertise is in scuba diving and as a percussionist. Both categories are already taken. Any suggestions?

Just a suggestion for you...

Presumably you live somewhere - there is nearly always a category for the place you live.. Look in the Regional tree and keep drilling down. You know the local businesses and could probably really easily find out who has a website....

Usually (and there are some exceptions) these locality categories are small enough that they are a good starting point for an editor. Not the only one, but an option for you, at least.

From the sound of your post, it seems you don't really understand DMOZ.

DMOZ is not a listing service, so the concept of a backlog really doesn't exist.

Goal #1 is to build a directory. One of the methods we use to accomplish this goal is to take suggestions from the general public, but it is not our only means of finding sites.

The directory is NOT years behind. I would suggest you take a look at our category for the recent London Bombings, something that just occurred a few of weeks ago. Or the category for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a movie that has only been in release a week or two.

is there anything I can do to expidite this process?

Click to expand...

If you've suggested your site, you've done all you can.

I refer peple to DMOZ because of the human aspect to it, but they can't find me so it hurts credibility tremendously.

Click to expand...

Whose credibility? Not ours, we add thousands of sites a week. Not yours, your cedibility should be apparent from your site.

It sounds to me you don't really understand the directory, but worry not, there are plenty of places where you can become informed. There are FAQs on this forum and there is a great deal of information about DMOZ.

ScubaDiver said:

My expertise is in scuba diving and as a percussionist. Both categories are already taken. Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

While both of those (fairly large) categories may have an editor at the top level, they both have many smaller subcategories without named editors that might be more suitable for a new editor. Also, categories may have more than one named editor.

Please note, I'm just a regular editor, and I have no say in new editor applications being accepted or denied. I just wanted to point out that if you wanted to apply to edit in either of the subjects you mentioned, there is opportunity.

Don't think about "categories taken." Because no category is "taken" in that sense. If you can figure out how a category can be improved, then ... it needs all the help you will give it, regardless of how many editors it already has. And if you can't ... then it doesn't need your help, regardless of how many unhappy webmasters there are.

So what do you know? Are all the local band sites listed in your city's Arts&Entertainment category? Are all the scuba businesses in your usual diving haunt listed in THAT locality's Business category?

If not, then those categories are among the potential first categories that may turn out to need your help.