Is DMOZ corrupt (as many SEO expert claim)?

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timamie261

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pvgool said:
And why do you come with this problem to us. Nothing we can do for you.

I think you should read the last paragraph (1) in this posting. IMHO it very clearly explains why many websites are not so succesfull as their owners hoped it would be.

(1) That is the paragraph starting with "Something that I'll just mention here as a bit of a side note is an issue that always makes me shake my head a bit in wonder."​
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I just get so angry when I see sites get listed who use the practices mentioned about, while there is nothing I can do.

What blew my mind is the reference to Dmoz to a customer of ours and the customer made references to the listing asking us why we were not listed there as well. I told them it is a human directory and we have no control if we get listed there. Being listed does not make for a better company or make it more valid. We told them to charge back the cards and beware of such sites that just because a site is in Dmoz does not make an honest site.
 
C

crowbar

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We're getting a little off topic. Investigating the business pratices of websites is way beyond this forums parameters, I'm afraid, it's not what we do.

If you suspect some kind of abuse: (once this form is available again)
http://dmoz.org/help/geninfo.html#abuse

How can I report suspected abuse of the directory?

If you suspect that a web site or editor is abusing the ODP, please contact ODP staff with a detailed account of your claim, using the feedback form. To ensure a speedier response, make sure you choose "Abuse Report" for your subject title.
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I'm not sure your particular problem falls under this, but, you could try.

A meta can correct me, if it won't be helpful to you.
 
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motsa

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We're getting a little off topic. Investigating the business pratices of websites is way beyond this forums parameters, I'm afraid, it's not what we do.
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Investigating the business practices of a site is really beyond the parameters of the ODP, period, not just this forum. As has already been said many times, we are not the Internet police. If someone is stealing your content, you really need to pursue civil legal action against them.

BTW that paragraph that crowbar quoted is a bit out-of-date. The best thing to do if you have a genuine case of abuse to report to the ODP is to use the public abuse reporting system (when it's available again).

Regardless of whether you decide to file an abuse report at any point, I expect discussion of your problems with that site to stop here. Thanks.
 
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timamie261

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Your right there are no guidelines out lining the business practices of sites nor rules how they should conduct business ethical or un ethical.

Rules would have to be added and your not the internet police infact there dont seem to be any rules inforced other then forum rules.

Maybe rules should be added concerning unethical business, listed in directories and search engines

So I will drop the subject.
 
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motsa

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The ethics of a site or a company is really not something that we as editors can or should investigate when it comes to reviewing sites for listing in the directory. That would be why there are no guidelines regarding it and why we keep saying "we are not the Internet police". We evaluate the content on the site.

So I will drop the subject.
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Thank you.
 
J

jmaresca2005

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Eric-the-Bun said:
If you look at any webmster forum, there will be a goodly percentage of SEO people cmpaigning against DMOZ as well as claiming that all editors are corrupt, lazy, dress funny etc. They also complain that they cannot get to be editors. :confused:

DMOZ is not about promoting businesses. Commercial categories only make up a small proportion of the directory. Proportionally the number of editors in commercial categories compared to the number of suggestions is low. Hence the time to review in these categories is long.

DMOZ has an application process designed to weed out the possible corrupt editors which is quite effective. However occassionally one slips through and operates until they are detectd and removed. In any organisation there will be a small proportion of 'rotten apples', it is a fact of life. Some will get away with it for longer than others , again a fact of life. This is why we have a 'report abuse' system so that people like you can report editors wanting cash/favours for a listing.

It is the SEO industry is corrupt as can be seen from your post. If you pay for a DMOZ listing, you are waving your money goodbye. Anyone and their dog can claim to be an SEO and charge for their 'services'. There is no application process and no 'report abuse' form. The ethical SEO's seem to be in the minority and the unethical ones will even risk their clients sites being banned by Google.

regards
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i think the reason why they campaign against the ODP is because they can not get in. it has nothing to do with odp corruption or anything else of that nature. it is being a "hater" at its best. to be honest, i have never had a site listed in the ODP. I dont blame the ODP for this. the volume of sites that are submitted must be very high. I am also sure that a large percentage of the sites submitted are not of ODP quality.
 
S

Skeletje

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I also don't believe there are many corrupt DMOZ editors, one time there was a corrupt one and that story circulates around the net and will keep doing so in the years to come.

Also don't say to the thread starter that a DMOZ listing doens't have any influence on the site's google rankings. I has a small effect on the site and this effect can be replaced by getting backlinks from other sites but not just any link.

To acquire the same effect from a backlink like you would get from a DMOZ backlink you need to get listed in 3 different directories that have at least a PR 7 on their main page.

I also discovered a very interesting effect related to DMOZ but I will keep it a secret :D
 
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erri2000

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My favorite "non-corrupt" action was was about two years ago when your classified ad section was full of adult, ppc redirects, and bad links, and all the websites where owned by the same person.

But hey I am sure that kind of stuff never goes on anymore right? No one at DMOZ has any form of self interest, right? You are just a bunch of the most honest hard working individuals with a cause. And hey it is all in the way you define corruption, right?

Yeah, you guys aren't corrupt all.

Well have fun with your little "Link Club", you guy should have jackets made or something.
 
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hutcheson

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erri, when did you file an abuse report on that alleged problem, or are you a co-conspirator?
 
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erri2000

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hutcheson said:
erri, when did you file an abuse report on that alleged problem, or are you a co-conspirator?
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Co-conspirator? Are you joking? I reported it as soon as I saw the problem.

So what are you implying? Or is this just an attempt to redirect the problem.
 
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erri2000

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crowbar said:
If we ever do get jackets, you won't be getting one of them, :D .
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Oh no what will I do. I am not in the "Link Club". What will I do? What will I do? I am so sad now. Boo hoo hoo hoo (This is me crying) boo hoo hoo (I am still crying) Oh why can't I be in the "Link Club", (Now I am raising my fist to the sky) Why! Why do you mock me!

I think sequins would be nice for the jackets then you could start a dance team too. And people could see them from a distance.:D
 
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motsa

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But hey I am sure that kind of stuff never goes on anymore right? No one at DMOZ has any form of self interest, right? You are just a bunch of the most honest hard working individuals with a cause. And hey it is all in the way you define corruption, right? Yeah, you guys aren't corrupt all.
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No editor has ever said there is no corruption or abuse. Why would we offer a mechanism for non-editors to report abuse to us if we thought there was zero chance of there being any? We take allegations of corruption and abuse very seriously. What abuse there is, though, is uncommon and I think that, yes, it is fair to say that most editors are "just a bunch of the most honest hard working individuals with a cause".
 
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erri2000

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motsa said:
No editor has ever said there is no corruption or abuse. Why would we offer a mechanism for non-editors to report abuse to us if we thought there was zero chance of there being any? We take allegations of corruption and abuse very seriously. What abuse there is, though, is uncommon and I think that, yes, it is fair to say that most editors are "just a bunch of the most honest hard working individuals with a cause".
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So what is your point? Nobody said you don't take "allegations of corruption" seriously. Al Capone did too. And "most editors" are not all of the editors.

And as for the report I submitted, what part of me seeing the "infected" category and reporting it to dmoz is considered an allegation? I saw the problem, I reported it, and it was fixed. You make it sound like I am throwing unfounded accusations. I saw the problem, I reported it, and it was fixed. Sounds more like fact. An allegation is made before it is proven, after it is proven it is not an allegation, it is fact.
 
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hutcheson

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>I saw the problem, I reported it, and it was fixed.

It's amazing what different impressions that simple statement and your original narrative give!
 
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erri2000

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The Old Sarge said:
Oh, crap!

If he knows about the jackets, it won't be long before he finds out about the Halloween parties and covens.
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Parties and covens!?! This goes deeper than I thought! The common man can only guess what type of brews are being concocted and what types of chants are being chanted to raise the spirit of the web. I can hear it now. The circle of hooded computer geeks holding flashlights to their faces repeating "Arpa Darpa Arpanet Iana Icann... Arpa Darpa Arpanet Iana Icann... Arpa Darpa Arpanet Iana Icann..." The chanting continues until it gets to a whirling hum and then in a puff of smoke Al Gore appears.

Am I close?

What is going on in the world of the DMOZ.
 
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erri2000

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hutcheson said:
>I saw the problem, I reported it, and it was fixed.

It's amazing what different impressions that simple statement and your original narrative give!
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And you perceive my statement to mean, what?
 
C

crowbar

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Have you been drinking, erri2000?

It would explain the abusive nature of your post.

What reason would I have to be corrupt or abusive in my editing? How would I benefit? I live in NYS, and I edit in every locality of the United States. I'm not a webmaster or an SEO, I have no Internet businesses, no Real Estate sites, no Travel sites.

I edit because I enjoy getting mom & pop businesses listed. I don't have to edit, it's a hobby, nothing more. I can walk away from it immediately, I'm under no obligation to ingrates like you.

People like you make it very difficult to be polite, you should be ashamed of yourself.
 
M

motsa

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So what is your point? Nobody said you don't take "allegations of corruption" seriously. Al Capone did too. And "most editors" are not all of the editors.

And as for the report I submitted, what part of me seeing the "infected" category and reporting it to dmoz is considered an allegation? I saw the problem, I reported it, and it was fixed. You make it sound like I am throwing unfounded accusations. I saw the problem, I reported it, and it was fixed. Sounds more like fact. An allegation is made before it is proven, after it is proven it is not an allegation, it is fact.
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Wow, you seriously need to relax. I have no idea what issue you yourself reported so I couldn't possibly have commented about that specifiically. My comment was a general one, addressing your facetious comments that implied that editors don't think there is any abuse or corruption in the ODP. I did you the courtesy of responding politely and seriously to your post. It would have been nice if you had returned the courtesy.
 
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