How to be removed from DMOZ?

I have sent several requests to change categories over the past 2 years. Our site has changed and the categories no longer apply. These changes have not been made and because of this we are loosing ALOT of revenue. It has been determined that our site will be better off to not be listed at all on DMOZ/ODP because of the current categories it is listed under. How do we get unlisted/removed from DMOZ/ODP?

OK, I don't believe that an ODP listing is costing revenue. I simply do not believe that it can have that effect. But that really doesn't matter one way or another. The listing wasn't added to give anyone _revenue_, it was added to give _information_. If it happens to cause revenue or losses, that's an irrelevant side effect.

It might or might not be better for the site to be listed--I don't have an opinion on that, but it is totally irrelevant anyway. All that matters is if it's better for SURFERS that the site be listed.

So, if you were making either of those points as arguments for a change, it's no wonder nothing happened.

If you'd like to make an "update listing" suggestion, you can propose a more relevant category or a more concise and informative description, or you can explain why you think the website is of no use to surfers (which would convince the editor to remove it.)

But that's a suggestion. As for all directory changes, it's the volunteer editors who decide whether that suggestion is better for OUR customers.

Thanks Hutcheson

Our intentions were to change category and description listing. Our site has changed completely from what it used to be and currently does not match what is listed on DMOZ/ODP there by making it inaccurate for surfers.

As I said I have made many requests to have the category and description changed to no avail. Changing the category and description would be our first choice but because this has not been done we would accept having our site removed from the ODP.

We need to have the category and description request approved and changed or our site removed from the ODP as soon as possible. What is the most immediate course of action I can take? Any information for getting either option completed as soon as possible would be most helpful.

Thanks.

One problem that a lot of companies have when making the request, is that they make the request look like an attempt to keyword stuff the title and description. That gets about one second of editr time before the delete bnutton gets hit.

In the proposed description area simply write:

Site content has changed. Please re-review as the description and cateogry are no longer correct.

That will get the attention of an editor. At least it used to get the attention of this editor when I was still active.

I will add that if the site content does not support the request, nothing will change.

Getting a site removed from DMOZ is possible but I don't know if you want to do what is necessary for such an action.
DMOZ will not list or remove sites that
- are not available (remove your site from the internet)
- have no (unique) content
- are the type of sites we don't want to list
As all these options are very destructive to your site also I doubt you are interested.

Moving a site or getting its description changed is not to difficult.
Make an update request. Write a new,guidelines compliant, description. Write in the reason field why we should change the description and why it schould be moved to another category.
Now comes the difficult part. An editor will look at the site to see if the change is appropriate. If the site does not match the requested change we will not honor the request.
Many change request provide descriptions that are totaly not complaint with our guidelines but ar full of marketing hype. Such a request will most of the times be rejected at once.
And remember. The editor is always the one that decides if a change is appropriate. You might think that your site would better fit in another category, the editor might not agree and the site is kept in the current category. To be honest, most requests to move a site I have seen are not appropriate.

So.
Write a good request.
Take care that the site matches the request.

What is the most immediate course of action I can take? Any information for getting either option completed as soon as possible would be most helpful.

Click to expand...

One of the great things about being a volunteer here is that one can get on and do things that one is interested in doing and not have to do anything that one doesn't want to do - and certainly not to anybody else's time scale.

The downside, from your point of view, is that response times are totally uncontrolled. Concepts such as 'immediately' or 'as soon as possible' just don't carry any weight I'm afraid.

Here's what to do. Visit the category where your website is listed, click on the update listing link and state your case. Somebody will evaluate your request and, if valid, will action it (as far as they are able). We can't predict who or when that will be.

That's the process. We don't have any alternative process. Please follow it.

It may be that you have been taken out of the listings and await re-review in some other category. In this case, resubmitting will do you no good whatsoever.
Finally, your site may have been removed as it was originally listed in error, or no longer meets the guidelines for inclusion. In this case, any further resubmission would be treated as spam.You need to find out which case your site falls under.
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james wilkins