How can I check the status of my subission?

I have submitted my site 6 month ago, and I have not heard anything from dmoz and my site is not listed.

So I thought, wow, these people must be busy, so I will help out and volunteer to be an editor. Well, my submission was denied because I am associated with a site that belongs in a category that I offered to edit.
So would it be better to lie about my association with any site or do you guys want someone that is honest?

Don't get me wrong, my hat is off for the volunteers, I know it is hard work, but why does it take so long?

I read somewhere that volunteers rewrite badly written site descriptions and post site into correct category if it is miss-categorized submissions.

My question is: why?
If submission is badly written, shoot back an email explaining what happened (could be canned email) with a link to a how-to and a link that allows user to change their own submission, with a "re-submit" button.

This will help volunteers process much more submissions and lets people know what is going on and keeps them from complaining and submitting same site several times.

Also volunteers could be helped out if the system would have a catch, if a site is being submitted several times, have a message "your site has already been submitted on dd/mm/yyyy and is in the process of being approved. You may edit your submission by clicking here" After clicking, have an email send out to original submission email with edit link.

I'm sure someone will address all of your comments (or at least point you to the FAQ and countless other threads where they have been raised before ), but I would like to stress that reviewing site suggestions is only one of the many activities undertaken by volunteer editors, and not a very high priority at all, for many of us.
Our goal is not to provide a free listing service, but to build a great directory, and there are many more useful ways of doing that than by waiting for people to suggest sites to us. That is simply one source we can use, if we feel like it.

So I thought, wow, these people must be busy, so I will help out and volunteer to be an editor. Well, my submission was denied because I am associated with a site that belongs in a category that I offered to edit.
So would it be better to lie about my association with any site or do you guys want someone that is honest?

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You having a site that belongs in the category would never be the sole reason why your application to become an editor would be rejected. I think you may have misinterpreted the rejection you received. Many editors started out editing in categories where their site belonged, myself included. It's not a showstopper, as long as you can demonstrate that you'll be able to edit without self-interest.

If submission is badly written, shoot back an email explaining what happened (could be canned email) with a link to a how-to and a link that allows user to change their own submission, with a "re-submit" button.

This will help volunteers process much more submissions and lets people know what is going on and keeps them from complaining and submitting same site several times.

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Since we have to rewrite 99.9% of titles/descriptions suggested by site owners, we'd be better off turning off suggestions completely than bouncing poorly titled/described suggestions back to the site owner.

I think you're misunderstanding what we're here to do. We're not here to "process submissions". We're here to build a directory. We offer the ability to suggest your site to us as a courtesy, but we don't insist that you have the editing abilities of an ODP editor to do so. That seems reasonable to me -- the point of suggesting your site is to alert ODP editors that a site exists and might be worth listing; introducing additional hoops for people to jump through seems counterproductive.

Also volunteers could be helped out if the system would have a catch, if a site is being submitted several times, have a message "your site has already been submitted on dd/mm/yyyy and is in the process of being approved. You may edit your submission by clicking here" After clicking, have an email send out to original submission email with edit link.

Click to expand...

That suggestion (and ones similar to it) has been made before and I'm sure will be considered if AOL ever decides to put any kind of suggestion interactivity in place in the future. In all honesty, though, I doubt anything like that will ever be implemented, for a variety of reasons that have already been discussed in this forum many times over the years. But you never know.

motsa said:

... the point of suggesting your site is to alert ODP editors that a site exists and might be worth listing; introducing additional hoops for people to jump through seems counterproductive.

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As someone who is trying to get my site listed, jumping through additional hoops would be much better than waiting 6 months for a site to be listed and not knowing what is happening, no word from dmoz, no listing, nothing. I have read here that some people are still waiting to get listed over a year.
I would much rather have to re-write description in order to get listed quicker.

And the bad part is that not being listed at dmoz is really hurting my business. Google directory is based on dmoz and I can't get listed on google directory until I get listed on dmoz.

But introducing extra hoops isn't going to reduce the amount of time your site awaits review. The biggest reason that a suggested site doesn't get reviewed quickly isn't that the site owner suggested it with a bad title or description but rather that no editor has chosen to (a) edit in that category and (b) review suggested sites there. Even the most perfectly titled and described suggestion isn't going to be reviewed quickly if no one goes into that category to edit.

And the bad part is that not being listed at dmoz is really hurting my business. Google directory is based on dmoz and I can't get listed on google directory until I get listed on dmoz.

Click to expand...

Not being in the Google directory doesn't mean you can't be listed in Google. Thousands, if not millions, of sites manage to rank well in Google without being listed in the ODP so an ODP listing will not make or break you. If the survival of your business relies on the actions of volunteers at a site you have no control over, then you have more problems than the lack of an ODP listing.

motsa said:

Not being in the Google directory doesn't mean you can't be listed in Google. Thousands, if not millions, of sites manage to rank well in Google without being listed in the ODP so an ODP listing will not make or break you. If the survival of your business relies on the actions of volunteers at a site you have no control over, then you have more problems than the lack of an ODP listing.

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I never said that I am not listed on google, but google's biggest ranking criteria is number of links pointing back to your site. And being listed on dmoz really boosts link back which in turn boosts my google standing.

And I disagree with you that making people re-write descriptions will not speed up the process. If the auditor spends less time on each submission, he can process more submissions, intern speeding up the whole process.
Also making each volunteer do less work, might attract more volunteers. Right now people see how much work it is and say "forget it"

Calisun said:

As someone who is trying to get my site listed

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Just one small problem. DMOZ does not provide you any means through which you can try to get your site listed. We only offer you an opportunity to bring a website under the attention of the editors. That's all.

And the bad part is that not being listed at dmoz is really hurting my business. Google directory is based on dmoz and I can't get listed on google directory until I get listed on dmoz.

Click to expand...

And how is that hurting your business. If the succes of your business depends on someone else than yourself your business has already failed.

Calisun said:

I never said that I am not listed on google, but google's biggest ranking criteria is number of links pointing back to your site. And being listed on dmoz really boosts link back which in turn boosts my google standing.

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This is all not true according to Google.
Number of links is a criterium but not the biggest. How else could sites with few links be listed higher in search results than sites with many links pointing to them.
A link from DMOZ is just as good as any other link to your site. There is no magical boost.

And I disagree with you that making people re-write descriptions will not speed up the process. If the auditor spends less time on each submission, he can process more submissions, intern speeding up the whole process.
Also making each volunteer do less work, might attract more volunteers. Right now people see how much work it is and say "forget it"

Click to expand...

This all would be true if reviewing suggested sites is our 'work'. But it isn't. Or atleast it is only a small part of all the types of 'work' and editor can choose to do. An editor can also chose never to review any suggested site and concentrate on other ways to find sites and improve the directory.

And I disagree with you that making people re-write descriptions will not speed up the process. If the auditor spends less time on each submission, he can process more submissions, intern speeding up the whole process.

Click to expand...

The site reviews would not be speeded up, and those are what takes time. Once you've learnt to write titles and descriptions, that part is usually very quick compared to the time it takes to review the site.

And you missed the fact that the site still won't be reviewed until an editor takes an interest in that category. Even if the review time were halved, it wouldn't automatically cause sites waiting for review in categories people are not interested in to be reviewed any faster. Editors have many tasks other than reviewing externally suggested sites; existing site listings need to be checked periodically, categories need to be interlinked in various ways, new categories are created and old ones disbanded, and so on and so forth.

This doesn't mean that any categories are "abandoned" (although unfortunately some categories especially in the non-English-language parts of the directory are quite neglected), just to make things clear. Sooner or later somebody comes along, either because they are interested in the subject or because they are interested in improving the directory even if the subject isn't particularly exciting.

>And the bad part is that not being listed at dmoz is really hurting my business.

This is simply not true. That's like saying not being admitted to Metropolitan General Hospital is really hurting your health, when what's REALLY hurting is just the knife between your ribs. You could get similar help elsewhere: go to another hospital, wrap yourself up in a bandage, go to a veterinarian--or you might fail to get help because all the ambulances are busy elsewhere. But in no case has the MGH hurt you.

Apparently you hope being listed at dmoz will give your business free help. And that may even be true. Nobody really knows, because nobody really cares: all that matters is whether being able to find your website would help some surfer.

And you can estimate whether that matters or not. Go to the category where you suggested the site. Imagine what would happen if a surfer were to be looking there for the information on your site. Can they find the same, or very similar, information elsewhere? If they can, then obviously your site is relatively unimportant. If they can't, then your site may be important for someone.

Again, look at your site. The investment advice racket is filled to overflowing with people who are simply clueless salesmen at best, and often pure and simple frauds. Does your site clearly set itself apart from those: does it describe the background to your experience, reputation, and credentials, in a way that can be checked by potential clients (checked in the real world, of course)? If not, then it can't be very important to anyone. If so, then it may still be important for someone.

After all that, it's worthwhile to think about the site SUGGESTION. (The ODP mantra is--site suggestions don't get listing. SITES get listings. But a well-done site suggestion might help a site get noticed.)

Does the site SUGGESTION clearly indicate what kind of (1) information is being given, and (2) with what kind of authority it is being given?

"Joe Dunn, Stockbroker in Gary, Indiana: offers advice on when to sell GM stock short."

That's a really really good description: someone reading it knows immediately what to expect on the site, and someone reviewing it knows what kind of information and authority to be verifying.

"Hot Stock Tips, News, and recommendations for all your investment needs"

That's a pretty good description also, for our purposes. From experience, the editor knows that the "news" will probably be a RSS feed from somewhere else, the "tips" will be anonymous (and therefore certainly either fraudulent or fraud-enabling), and the "recommendations" will probably be paid ads. And again, the reviewer knows what to look for. But there will be no rush to review that site, and certainly little chance of its being listed.

A review is still necessary, because occasionally it happens: honest but non-web-savvy businessmen fall into the hands of SERP perps who've never shilled anything but crooked sites before, and don't know HOW to write a description of an honest site. So they write a description as if the site were just another doorway. This misleads the editor, who may prioritize that site much lower than he otherwise would have.

Hutcheson
I could not understand how can it take 6 months, a year, and even I see a posting right now, 4 years and still not listed. I could not understand until your posting, Your comment says it all:
"Nobody really knows, because nobody really cares"

Calisun said:

"Nobody really knows, because nobody really cares"

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It all depends on who you are and what you are talking about.

Do editors care about the DMOZ directry as a whole: yes, they certainly do.
Do editors care about the categories the manage: yes, they certainly do.
Do editors care about a specific website being listed: no, sorry we don't.

Do website owners care about a specific website being listed: yes, if it is their own website
Do website owners care about a DMOZ categorie: most do only because their website "should" be listed there, a few show more interest
Do website owners care about the DMOZ directory as a whole: no, from what I read on all kind of forums and webslogs they only care about what DMOZ can do for their website. A few show more interest.

The website owners that show more interest in DMOZ than only what it can do for them and their website(s). Many of them get so interested that they decide to become editors. [which does not mean that all people who ask to become an editor are website onwers or that all website owners who want to become an editor do it for the greather good]

Calisun, we have word for people who edit based on caring which webmaster makes how much money off of the ODP listing.

We call them "abusers". So, yes, I do not care, and I promise you I will not ever care, how much money you hope to make off of your website, or how much money you actually make. That's your business, and your business alone.

But there are things I DO care about, like surfers finding good information.

And that's what _I_ work for.

surfers finding good information?

I don't know of anybody that uses dmoz.org to look for information, everybody uses google, yahoo, msn etc. And actually I don't know of anybody that even knows that dmoz.org exists, when I mention DMOZ or ODP, they say what? What is that?
Only people I know of that use dmoz are web site owners that want to get sites listed because it does help with rankings. There are at least 200 sites that create links to sites from dmoz directory, including google directory.

And for you to say "I don't care about you" is the same thing like me seeing you spin off the freeway during rain and end up in a ditch, and I just keep on driving because I don't care. What kind of world we world we would live in if everybody had your attitude of I don't care?
I know that my profits are not your concern, and being listed on dmoz has nothing to do with profits, it is just a way to let people know I am here. My profits are based on my service/ product I offer. But not caring if someone is listed or not, that is un-human. Many small mom/ pop business that offer great product but don't have funds for big advertising campaign, hope to get the word out with help of sites like dmoz. And if it takes years to get listed, poor mom/ pop will be out of business long before they will get listed on dmoz. That is cruel.

Next time I see you in the ditch off the side of the road, I will just drive by, open my window and yell, "I DON'T CARE!!"


.

>Only people I know of that use dmoz are web site owners that want to get sites listed because it does help with rankings.

That's the great thing about the web. Everyone can choose to collaborate with people all over the world sharing the same interests, whether those interests involve folk dancing, Siberian tree frogs, mystical experiences, subatomic particles, reality TV, or subverting Google rankings.

But there is always the danger of assuming that your associates constitute a representative sample of humanity--or even that your associates have a relationship with reality. For safety's sake, look for people who share your interests, but challenge your presuppositions.

I see a lot of contradictions in your statements

> I don't know of anybody that uses dmoz.org to look for information,
> everybody uses google, yahoo, msn etc.
OK, let's asume this to be true.
According to you people are using things other than DMOZ to find websites.

> Only people I know of that use dmoz are web site owners that want to get
> sites listed because it does help with rankings. There are at least 200 sites
> that create links to sites from dmoz directory, including google directory.
DMOZ helps as much with ranking as does any other site linking to you.
And the time that the copies did add value has long be gone.

> and being listed on dmoz has nothing to do with profits,
Correct.
> My profits are based on my service/ product I offer.
Corect.

> Many small mom/ pop business that offer great product but don't have
> funds for big advertising campaign, hope to get the word out with help of
> sites like dmoz.
Why? You self told us that nobody is using DMOZ to find websites.

> poor mom/ pop will be out of business long before they will get listed on dmoz. That is cruel.
Why would we list a website of a company that will soon be out of business.
If a business is not capable of making profits by the actions of its owners there is nothing that can help such a business. The success of your website / business comes all down to you. Never put the chance of succes in the hands of other people / companies, certainly not people / companies you have no control over.

>Many small mom/ pop business that offer great product but don't have funds for big advertising campaign

The ODP wasn't set up to provide funds for ANYONE'S big advertising campaign, or little advertising campaign. And trying to make it do that would be a betrayal of all the volunteers, and a sick perversion of the ODP goals.

The ODP was set up to provide information to surfers. Anyone can help do that here. Anyone who wants to raise funds for advertising can go somewhere else. I personally don't see "too little advertising" as a problem the world has, and I wouldn't lift a finger to solve it. But you're welcome to use YOUR time and energy and money to give free advertising campaigns to YOUR choice of moms, pops, orphans, or international conglomerates. I think it's pretty unrealistic to expect many people to share your goals. But that's the great thing about the web. You can work with people all over the world to fund anything you want.

>Why? You self told us that nobody is using DMOZ to find websites.

It is all about google rankings and 80% of all web users use google for their search. Google not only bases their rankings on number of back-links to the site but the quality of the links. If I get listed on dmoz, I instantly get 200 good quality links like aol and google directory.
I could get 400 back links from Joe, Jane etc. Blogs and I could not get same ranking as I would get from 200 good quality links.

>Why would we list a website of a company that will soon be out of business.

SO what you are saying is why bother listing anyone on dmoz but big companies like Starbucks, Macys, Chevron?
Many small business go out of business with no fault of the owner.
In my town there was a best coffee and pastry shop which was open for several years with good profits. Last year a Starbucks opened up across the street from them, within 6 months they were out of business. Their product was much better than Starbucks and prices were comparable. But Starbucks had one thing that small business does not, big advertising budget. Starbucks outspend them 100 to 1 in advertising and free gifts.
So if a small business can't afford big advertising budget and they get no sympathy from dmoz, where is small business supposed to go?

>The ODP wasn't set up to provide funds for ANYONE'S big advertising campaign, or little advertising campaign.
>And trying to make it do that would be a betrayal of all the volunteers, and a sick perversion of the ODP goals.

I never said to use dmoz to raise funds for anything, all I am simply asking is to be listed in reasonable amount of time, not 1 - 4 years, so if people google for coffee shop in my town, I would be at least on the first page of google search as opposed to list of all Starbucks shops in the town and several neighboring towns before my business is listed on 2nd or 3rd page. And to give people choice if they prefer not to go to Starbucks (I am not in coffee business, just an example)

Calisun, here's another way to think about it.

You spend your free time on what you think is important, right?

No sane person would ever complain about that, right?

What would you say to a maniac who told you that you should work on what they think is important just because they think it's important?

Now, what did you just try to say to the ODP editors? That they should work on what you think is important, even though they don't think it's important at all?

Or may we have your permission to spend our own free time on something we ourselves think is important?

Yet another stalemate thread closed. Please don't start a similar one.

<added> ..or attempt to continue your ill-informed wrangling by PM </added>