Need an education.

1 - Keyword and key terms located in the website title and description in relation to the category name and structure
2 - Google Page Rank of the category being submitted to
3 - Dilution of page rank caused by the number of links in the category

I understand #1, but could you explain #2 and #3 as if I was 2 years old. lol, in the world of page rank my brain isn't that advanced
So is #2 the page rank of dmoz's page? and #3 would this be the Dilution of dmoz page because of someones site?

I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place for those questions. This forum is for discussion of ODP issues only. Our only interest in keywords derives from wanting to recognize when someone is trying to stuff them into a description rather than accurately describing a site. Though some of us may, as individuals, have some interest in Page rank, as editors we have no interest in the subject whatsoever. It's a search engine concept, and has no relevance for a directory.

For more information, you may want to browse around in http://dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/Web_Design_and_Development/ and its subcategories.

Well, we do know it's a Google thing, so if you are going to look at a dmoz category, I'd start with http://dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/Searching/Search_Engines/Google/ instead of the one mentioned above.

Or search for page rank in on Google.
Or try a webmaster forum somewhere.
Or even the Members Lounge here, where some people may be willing to kick back share what they know - or think they know.

However, brmehlman's correct. Being dmoz editors doesn't give us any special knowledge about Google page rank. Google uses our data. They don't share their secrets with us.

Here's what you most need to know about #1: Each search engine uses the ODP data in a different way. Historically, some have taken the "ODP Listing" itself into account. Google constantly tweaks their algorithm, always without asking beforehand or confessing afterwards, but our belief is that at this point the Google algorithms have no concept of "ODP listing" other than the factoid "this URL is present in category XXX in the directory".

And #2: Submission of a site to the wrong category just because it has good page rank is nothing but a foolish way of delaying the review of that website.

And on #3: The ODP editors' mission is to seek to dilute the page rank of ALL listed sites, by constantly adding more well-defined categories and well-categorized sites. An editor found to be acting contrary to this mission will be invited to pursue his own goals elsewhere.

Thanks, I was reading a history of dmoz and just wanted to know some things I didn't understand. I was interested in the "why" of dmoz. Between reading and your answers, I have learned much. I am relatively new to computers in general and the on going development of the Internet is very intriguing. I think dmoz is a great development.
Thank You All.

Remember that the ODP is older than Google. I heard a rumor that the ODP's database was used in very early versions as a seed for Googlebot. And Google wasn't the first search engine to use ODP data: IIRC, the (obsoleted) Netscape search was. And Lycos/Hotbot did some interesting things with the data in the B.G. (before Google) era. There are parts of the RDF that Google apparently doesn't use that other search engines did; and there are parts that (so far as I know) no search engine has used -- yet.

From the ODP point of view, all these count as "clever abuse." We put the data out, let the universe make of it what it can, but (other than a bit of pride at having been found of some use) don't aim at building anything but a directory.

We add features because surfers may find them useful, never because they might help some conceivable search engine. (For one thing, we can't conceive what the next-generation search engine will look like.)

It's a different but complementary perspective on the web.

hutcheson
I have to say, that is the most fascinating piece I have read about dmoz so far....I didn't know that OPD was older then google - so google may go but OPD will still be there because it is comprised of people!
History being made. I am really amazed.
Thank You So Much.