How small is a "smaller category"?

A few weeks ago, I applied (for the second time) to become an ODP editor in a subcategory of World/regional/europe/france...
I have lived in this country for over 30 years, am an experienced writer, and have specialist knowledge in the category I applied to, which is editorless.
I was rejected, and invited to apply for a smaller category, in spite of the fact that the category I applied to edit had (and still has) the grand total of zero entries in it, and represents just a small area of France.
I also submitted a site to the editorless category in question. Yesterday, however the site concerned was (thanks! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> ) added to the DMOZ directory, but (a) not where I had asked for it to be included , and (b)in the WRONG <img src="/images/icons/shocked.gif" alt="" /> DMOZ geographical area. A quick check shows other misplaced entries in similar categories.
So I'd really love to know why my editor application was refused, whether knowledge of an area is really a criterion, and how small a category has to be for it to be suitable for a new editor?

When judging how big a category is, you have to take into account not only the amount of sites listed in it, but also how many sites are listed in all of its subcategories as well. (I am assuming that you applied for a category with no listed sites but one or more subcategories, similar to the example below)

This is because an editor granted privileges in that category will also have access to all its subcats as well.

So for instance,

http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/France/Regions/Ile-de-France/

has zero sites and no listed editor, but actually contains 535 sites when you take into account all the subcategories.

Typically new editors should aim to apply for categories that have up to 50 sites total. You can tell the total by the number next to the directory tree at the top of the category's page.

It's also important to understand that new editors should start off in small categories because experience of editing is what needs to be gained before higher categories are granted. Life experience and knowledge of the subject etc. is of course useful but that will not tell you how to interact with the ODP properly.

Good luck

There are at least two ways that I can think of in which a zero-site category might be "too big."

One is a category such as http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/France/Localities/ which will probably never include any site listings. This category exists primarily as a convenient way to help users who are not familiar with France's geography find the category for Dijon or Strasbourg.

The other is a category like http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/France/Health/ . Currently it has no listed sites. Theoretically, it could have sites included there in the future. But they would have to be of national importance, or, at the very minimum, be relevant to at least two or three of France's regions, http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/France/Regions/ .

If someone applied to either one of these categories and suggested only dentists in Nice, he or she might be told to apply for a "smaller" category. In this case, it would mean that the applicant seems to be interested in something narrower in scope.

<img src="/images/icons/confused.gif" alt="" /> Chillysnow writes:

So for instance,

http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/France/Regions/Ile-de-France/

has zero sites and no listed editor, but actually contains 535 sites when you take into account all the subcategories.

Typically new editors should aim to apply for categories that have up to 50 sites total. You can tell the total by the number next to the directory tree at the top of the category's page.
********

All told, the category:
Top: Regional: Europe: France: Regions: Auvergne: Travel and Tourism: Lodging
plus its subcategories amount to 36 sites (adding the braketed figures), though a few have been added since I applied. Of these 36, my area knowledge lets me see immediately that at least three (I haven't checked them all) are placed in the wrong geographical subcategory (good "editor", poor knowledge of the area?) and one appears twice, almost identically, on two successive lines.
The categories remain editorless.

If you applied for Regional/Europe/France/Regions/Auvergne/Puy-de-Dome/Travel_and_Tourism/Lodging it would seem indeed curious to get a "cat too large" answer. That cat has 11 sites left now - I moved the 3 misplaced sites and deleted the dup, thanks for that tip!