My Site has been removed?

Dear Editor(s),

I was granted a link on your directory a few years ago by fknuchel - I believe it was under http://dmoz.org/Business/Business_Services/Communications/Crosscultural/

I only noticed today while using a tool that it had disappeared? Can anyone tell me why?

Thanks
Neil

Nobody can know anything right now: all our development tools are down.

Normally, editors might have some access to other editors' notes, which might give some information. But we don't discuss those publicly.

If I were to answer such a question, it would have to come down to either (1) the removal was justified by ODP guidelines, in my judgment or (2) the removal wasn't justified.

In case (2) there's no point, no possible gain to the directory, in discussing it with YOU--I could just fix it (discussing with other editors if I thought discussion was necessary.)

And in case (1) there's extremely good reason not to discuss it with you.

So, what do you do?

You can re-suggest the site, and an editor will re-review it (at that point determining whether it's a case 1 or case 2 situation, and determining which set of reasons for not discussing it with you are applicable--but in either case doing what the directory needs.)

There is a possible case 3 that you might be able to detect: if there were a mass removal of sites, and you looked at other removed sites and found that they were listable by ODP guidelines -- and you checked to make sure it wasn't just a matter of moving them to another category -- then it might be a pattern of abuse, and it might not be unreasonable to file an abuse report. (There are multiple possibilities other than abuse even in this case, so I emphasize that it "MAY OR MAY NOT" be abuse.)

And, right now, there's a possible case 4: crash-related problems. In that case, resuggest the site and try to avoid bugging the editors with questions without relevant practical consequence. (A "relevant practical consequence" is a case where you would need to do something different to help the editors build the directory, based on what answer you got for that question.)

Even if the editor's side of the ODP wasn't unavailable (per the announcement at the top of every forum here), we wouldn't be able to give you the information you are asking for, as it constitutes a site status check (which we no longer do here).

It's possible that what you are seeing (or rather not seeing) is just a result of the fact that the public pages are currently very out-of-date because of the technical problems.

Thanks

OK thanks for your time. I shall wait till things sort themselves out and submit again as I can't see what we could have done wrong to be de-listed.

It might not be your mistake. It might have been our mistake (either the original listing added in error, or a removal in error: the former being in my experience much more likely.) And there might have been no mistake at all, just reorganization. In all cases, you have a way to provide information (that is, that you think a site might go in a specific category). That way is the "suggest a site" link.

And in all cases, editors can look at any information they have (suggestions or listings or unlisted sites) and make judgments about how they can make the directory better.

As hutcheson suggested, it's entirely possible that your site was moved from one category to another because of a reorganization or other editor activity.

Perhaps a silly question, but did you do a search for your site? Or did you just check the category where (you think) it was once listed?

At best, search may not always find a site until a week or two after the move. And this is assuming the site is immediately reviewed into the new category, which is the much-preferred but not the universal approach.

And right now, with the crash and all, well.

Yes, as csbjr says, do due diligence. First give it two weeks, and then do the search. The site may return later, but ... assume it won't. So suggest it once more -- then assume that's all the information the editors will need or can use.