How to suggest new subcategory (and volunteer)

I searched in vain for "new category" and "new subcategory", so I applied to be an editor in the broader category, and in my narrative, suggested a new and fairly narrow subcategory, which I was volunteering to edit.

My application was declined on the basis that the parent category was too broad for a new DMOZ editor.

So... how do I propose a new subcategory?

Thanks much,

Bill

You're better off picking a different category to intially apply for -- meta editors don't often create a subcategory just for a new applicant since new subcategories generally require some internal discussion.

Once you're an editor, you can work with other editors to create the other new category you're thinking of (if it's appropriate).

Thanks for the feedback, but all of the existing subcategories and all of the "See Also" subcategories have explicitly defined niches that are not appropriate for the topic I was proposing, and I have no particular expertise in those specialty areas. It would be inappropriate for me to try and edit in those subcategories, and no one interested in the topic I proposed would expect to find relevant sites in those subcategories.

On the other hand, the parent category lists just a dozen sites, about half of which are at least somewhat relevant to the topic. This is why I applied in that category.

Specifically, I proposed a subcategory of Home: Personal Finance: Retirement: Early Retirement (or "Early Retirement Planning"). The existing subcategories within Retirement offer six different sources of income during retirement (Annuities, 401k, Social Security, etc). None of these are relevant to the matter of people saving and investing their after-tax dollars and using those resources to retire before the traditional retirement age, determining whether their resources were adequate for their planned retirement, dealing with the tax implications of accessing pre-tax investments before retirement age, handling health insurance after employment ceases and before Medicare, and so forth. (These are all the topics I wrote and facilitated discussions on for the past 8 years, as mentioned in my application.)

The "See Also: category of Business: Investing: Retirement Planning lists commercial investing sites.

The category of Home: Personal Finance: Investing lists subcategories specific to types of investments (Stocks, Mutual Fund, etc.), while the category of Home: Personal Finance: Money Management has subcategories on debt, credit, loans, and budgeting, but no subcategory on retirement saving or retirement planning, or even saving.

Clearly, none of these address the topic. On the other hand, in the parent category Home: Personal Finance: Retirement, about half of the 12 listed sites address retirement planning in general, and a few of those at least touch on the topic of planning for early retirement. This is why I applied at that category, and stated in my application my interest in the new subcategory.

Whether or not I am an editor, I suggest the editors at DMOZ look at adding this as a subcategory.

Regards,

Bill

You could always apply to edit a category somewhere else in the directory, say, for the town/city where you live or for a hobby. That will allow you to get some editing experience and work with other editors to get the category you want created, if it's appropriate.

Whether or not I am an editor, I suggest the editors at DMOZ look at adding this as a subcategory.

Click to expand...

Editors create subcategories as there is a need for them. If you don't want to pick a different category to edit in order to reapply as an editor, you could always suggest a number of relevant sites to the parent category. When an editor eventually reviews those suggestions, they may decide to create the new category for them.

Good idea -- I was focused on that topic pretty exclusively. There are others outside of that overall realm.

Thanks for the feedback --

Bill