May I know why some categories are not updated for years

Dear Sirs,


I do want to place my query with honor that, I have noticed many categories are not updated for years. Some categories are not updated after 2006, some are not after 2007, 2008, 2009.


Getting the categories not updated have brought up the thought in my mind that there must be thousands of sites suggested for that categories in that long period of years. And this huge list of suggested sites must be panic to review. Going through all the guidelines of ODP, I have also felt that there must be 1% or may be less genuinely informative sites suggested in these not-updated period of years for those categories.


If Senior Editors & Administrators of the ODP look after this issue, I think ODP will be stay updated and it will be able to maintain the value of Open Source Development.


I do have the honor to stat that being not updated for several years may move people away from interest on Open Source Development, as being human nobody can have the patience of waiting where there is no activity for more than 2 or 3 years. This thought came of my mind because I have submitted several Government websites, College's websites and Newspaper's websites, but those are not listed yet on the relevant categories even after 3 years(Those categories are not updated even after 2007 or 2008).


Kindly do not accept my words as an offence. I have expressed my feelings because I do have the honor for Open Source Development and I do want ODP will be able to keep the Web beyond of commercialization of information.


Regards-

First, ODP isn't Open Source. It's Open Content. The content is free for use if one follows the requirements - attribuition and similar things.

If you read through the Guidelines, you've found that there is no mechanism to force someone to edit in a category. Editors edits when they want, and where they want, within their permissions. That's also how the categories first came into existence. If someone wants to edit in a category, they will. If they want to work their way through submitted sites, they will. If they want to find sites for the category without taking a look at the submitted sites, they can. And there are things that an editor can do to improve a category without ever adding a site. ODP is completely volunteer driven. The volunteer decides what they will do.

If someone looks at a category and decides that it needs to be updated, they can go there and work on the category if they have the appropriate permissions. If they are an editor without permissions in that category, they can apply to that category. If they aren't an editor, they can apply, assuming that category is appropriate for a new editor.

Rbiz,
I must say, I can see the validity of your politely made point that an irregularly maintained website may loose some of its value in the eyes of those visiting it - up to date content is a most important factor in any website, particularly a directory. I'd guess those administrating the Open Directory Project will appreciate this.



Whilst I note your reply, Gloria, I am curios whether there is any mechanism by which those noticing dead links within a category can bring them to the attention of of the editors of that category?

I ask this because I, too, have noticed one or two dead links within categories and I'm keen to assist where I can in this respect. I ran a forum-search for various phrases along the lines of "dead link" etc. without result so, perhaps, this may be a topic worthy of examination.

You could always post in the Report Hijacks, Dead Links, Inappropriate ODP Content, and other issues here ONLY thread at the top of http://www.resource-zone.com/forum/index.php?showforum=11

jimnoble said:

You could always post in the Report Hijacks, Dead Links, Inappropriate ODP Content, and other issues here ONLY thread at the top of http://www.resource-zone.com/forum/index.php?showforum=11

Click to expand...

Aha - thanks for that Jim. I'll go there forthwith.

Still, I'm a little perplexed by the forum-search function not returning any result (other than this thread) in response to the input "dead links".

I get 116 results on RZ for "dead links" - could you be accidentally restricting the search to this particular forum or thread?

Elper said:

I get 116 results on RZ for "dead links" - could you be accidentally restricting the search to this particular forum or thread?

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure I wasn't, but I'm now also seeing 116 results so I suppose I must have been... oh well, hey-ho. :unsure: