Please add my site

I would like to add my site to Top: Shopping: Directories but there isn't an Add Site link. I was told by one of the editors that the link had been removed and that I could have my site considered by posting my information here.

Bargain Martian Bargain Finder Directory
http://www.bargainmartian.com
Whether you are searching for a Bargain Book, Cheap Clothes, a Cheap Ticket, a Discount Hotel Room, or a Free Cell Phone you will find all of them and more using the resources in this comprehensive bargain finder directory.

Thanks!

Heather

I'm sorry but your site isn't listable.

May I ask why not?

Inadequate unique content?

The idea of a shopping directory is ... not particularly new. Five years ago, there were so many of them that we were having to re-examine our listings in the light of our guidelines, and our guidelines in the light of our mission. Today, with the plethora of retailers listed in the ODP, it is next to impossible for even a small army to create a shopping directory that provides what we'd consider "unique content". Most currently listed ones would probably be deleted if they were re-reviewed. And new ones have to compare with the best of the currently listed ones as well as the ODP. It is almost a superhuman challenge.

You're not being singled out. We reject hundreds of similar sites every week.

Well that's great practice of the idiotic in my opinion "unique content" rule. So all we other guys who have a "common" content have to be left out, no matter if our website is good enough. I wonder if you realize that you are promoting only a piece of the market as it suits you. Is this fair? I bet my website can beat most of other websites of it's kind but guess what: web design isn't enough "unique". Awww... too bad. But that's DMOZ. And i think it has started to become kinda gay, no? (let dmoz editors not answer to the last question please)

And for all those who can't get listed...
Um keep praying to God, lol.

>> I bet my website can beat most of other websites of it's kind

You'd be wrong and we're not talking about design. Your site lacks sufficient content, period, not just unique content.

The web is large, and it needs multiple perspectives. You are welcome to pursue your own vision, no matter how puerile it seems to us, or how poorly we think you pursue it.

We would judge, from our experience as surfers and directory-builders, that you are hundreds of man-months of directory-building effort from what we'd consider something useful to surfers.

But there may be surfers who disagree. So do what you think best. We'll do the same, and let the surfers decide.

I just wanted to post a message distancing myself from the most of the opinions posted by leandro. I do agree with his/her stating that DMOZ is too selective, but then again I realize that it is your directory and you don't have to list my or anyone else's site if you don't want to.

I just wanted everyone to know that leandro's opinions where not my own with the exception of that one point, but again your directory, your rules.

Yeah well "let the surfers decide" nice one hah! OK just one question. Being submitted in DMOZ is very important for appearing in search engine results. So, if you don't get accepted in DMOZ, you won't be seen by surfers. How is it they will "decide" then? If you accepted more sites, and im just saying more and not all, then the surfers would be able to compare and decide. That's what i think.

And please know that any of my sites can get into the directory in some minutes... As long as it fits in the proper category (or should i say categories?). I'm sure u get me. And that is why DMOZ is being gay. I'm just expressing my personal opinion, and just remember what i just said: minutes. What about others who wait even for moths?

Motsa u've never seen any of my sites so how can u express an opinion on them.

RenFromPenn your last post seems kinda like *** licking to me, personal opinion.

PS: Oh and the directory isn't "theirs" by the way...

Well that's great practice of the idiotic in my opinion "unique content" rule. So all we other guys who have a "common" content have to be left out, no matter if our website is good enough. I wonder if you realize that you are promoting only a piece of the market as it suits you. Is this fair? I bet my website can beat most of other websites of it's kind but guess what: web design isn't enough "unique". Awww... too bad. But that's DMOZ. And i think it has started to become kinda gay, no? (let dmoz editors not answer to the last question please)

Click to expand...

Personally, I don't see how listing a bunch of websites with the same content serves anyone viewing the directory. I'm annoyed when I do searches on paid engines and all I find is the same thing again and again and again, and so on. Also, the design of the site is never judged, what it looks like has no part of the content.

It might also be worth noting that it was I who sent RenFromPenn to this forum, as she emailed me--without providing the url for her site--asking me how she could get listed. I explained in my response that more than 99% of what was being submitted to that category (in bulk quantity) was affiliate link driven sites so that if hers was of the variety that met the criteria for listing she could post in this forum to request that someone add her site to that category.

Unfortunately, as we now know, that isn't the case. It isn't that we begrudge anyone for trying to make a buck. However, just say for instance that we did not have this rule and listed every single affiliate link site site submitted to this category. There would be thousands of listings with the same links, for instance, each site you go to would get to to Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com and so on. That would bury the few sites that have obsure, not affiliate driven links, to unique sites. Someone would have to view hundreds, if not thousands, of sites to find one that offered something all the others didn't have. Personally, if I was that viewer, would be annoyed and give up--not to mention I can find amazon.com on my own.

Building sites like this, or other affiliate schemed sites, have their place. If one wants to build one, there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing so--but the owner just needs to pursue other avenues of promoting it. Listings with the ODP are free and we are looking to build something with unique content which is why someone views each site before being listed rather than blindly accepting any site that is submitted. When I am looking to buy something specific, that is the reason why I come here after I take off my editor hat. If I'm looking for something more generic and in bulk, I go to a search engine, like aol.

RenFromPenn, I don't think anyone interpreted your response to be negative at all. You were also very polite in your email to me, and you were obviously looking for information and not a special favor since you didn't provide the url in your original request via feedback to me. Good luck, I do hope you find an alternative and are able to promote your site.

[edited to add]leandro's response wasn't there when I started composing my reply, I did not see it until I had posted.

I guess I could respond to leandro's latest post, but life is too short IMO. The site has been denied, so this thread has served it's purpose. The offical status is "denied, and not likely to be listed".

Kokopeli is wise, but there is one thing that I think needs to be addressed for the record:

>Being submitted in DMOZ is very important for appearing in search engine results. So, if you don't get accepted in DMOZ, you won't be seen by surfers.

You could visit some webmaster or site promotion forums where the experts will tell you how wrong you are, or you could take our word for it...or you could even check it out for yourself.

Obviously the ODP did not get where it is today by being listed in the ODP! And Google lists millions of other sites that are not in the ODP. Pick your favorite common search, and check the top 20 sites. I'm confident you'll find the truth quickly enough -- that there is no direct correlation between high Google rank and ODP listings. Many ODP-listed sites are buried in the Google rankings; a few rank high. Many non-listed sites are buried in the rankings; a few rank high. ODP is considered a slight help, but nothing worth obsessing over. Many other single sites can give a bigger boost than a typical ODP listing.