Please Remove My Link From DMOZ

C

chyna

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2004
Messages
30
Hi

Ok, I tried a couple times at the DMOZ site to request this, but after months, I've yet to receive a response. I'm hoping to reach someone here....

My request is simple: please remove my site, <url deleted> from your index (it is currently here: <url deleted>)

What's funny about this is that I didn't submit this site for inclusion in your directory, but I've been trying for 3 years to get my other site listed with you with no luck, even though I followed your guidelines to a tee.

Anyway...would you be so kind as to please remove my site from your directory?

How long do you think it will take to do this...?

Thanks!!
 
H

hutcheson

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There is basically never a reply to a directory suggestion (either to include or re-review a site). Some editor will look at it, and decide what to do. (Regardless of what is suggested, the editor may do whatever seems appropriate based on ODP guidelines: whether to add, remove, move, or modify a listing, or to do nothing.)

Since the suggestion process at dmoz.org is so efficient (I didn't say "expeditious!"), there's no reason to allow the forum to be used as an alternate suggestion process. So we don't.

A suggestion to you, though (which, of course, like yours to us, you may take or leave):

If you have two websites, and it's clear that they both are about the same business, the best thing to do might be to suggest that one URL be changed to the other.

If it is clear from the two URLS themselves that the owner intends the other of them to be the doorway to all his content (note: this is not necessarily at all the same thing as the owner prefers to be listed!), and there's no evidence of deceptive manipulation involved, then the editor would typically change the URL.

How quickly will this happen? Um, we can't ever know.
 
C

chyna

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Jun 22, 2004
Messages
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hutcheson said:
There is basically never a reply to a directory suggestion (either to include or re-review a site).
Click to expand...

Sorry. I guess I mis worded it. I didn't mean "reply" per se...what I meant was...my request is continuously ignored.


hutcheson said:
Since the suggestion process at dmoz.org is so efficient (I didn't say "expeditious!"), there's no reason to allow the forum to be used as an alternate suggestion process. So we don't.
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Sorry. I saw similar threads of this nature and didn't realize...

hutcheson said:
If you have two websites, and it's clear that they both are about the same business, the best thing to do might be to suggest that one URL be changed to the other.

If it is clear from the two URLS themselves that the owner intends the other of them to be the doorway to all his content (note: this is not necessarily at all the same thing as the owner prefers to be listed!), and there's no evidence of deceptive manipulation involved, then the editor would typically change the URL.
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They are sites of entirely different natures. Nevermind about the other one though-after 3 years I've pretty much given up on it, and quite frankly, I'm glad it wasn't listed now, because as I'm finding out, it's just as difficult to get a link removed.

But I would actually like to know why it's even listed when I NEVER submitted it...?
 
gloria

gloria

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But I would actually like to know why it's even listed when I NEVER submitted it...?
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It's proof of what we keep saying on this forum...We are *not* a listing service. We are a group of editors who are growing a directory, and our customers are the users of the directory. We appreciate suggestions, but frankly, in many categories they are very far from the best sources of links. In other words, we go out looking for links. We use search engines, including Google, we use the URLs of restaurants and local businesses we find, from billboards and numerous other sources.
 
C

chyna

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Jun 22, 2004
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Well, I'm glad I could help you prove a point, anyway...but I sure do wish someone would just take a minute and remove my link :blank-sta
 
S

Sachti

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Jan 21, 2003
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chyna said:
But I would actually like to know why it's even listed when I NEVER submitted it...?
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Because Site proposals are not the only source for editors to identify listable websites. Editors are encouraged to search for listable websites on their own initiative.
 
C

chyna

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Jun 22, 2004
Messages
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Sachti said:
Because Site proposals are not the only source for editors to identify listable websites. Editors are encouraged to search for listable websites on their own initiative.
Click to expand...

Wow, ok...well that clears that up, I was kind of baffled by that one. Cool :cool:

...I'd still like to have my link removed though
 
C

chyna

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Jun 22, 2004
Messages
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Interesting thread, thanks.

"We don't remove sites that still fit into the category they are listed in. If you think the description isn't apropriate any longer, file an update request to have it changed."

Like Venusblau, I've tried this. I've also tried changing the description-both following DMOZ guidelines and also blatantly going against the guidelines (in the hope of having the listing rejected and thus removed)-nothing.

"In both cases change the site and make an update request"

Um...change my site...?? Not to be rude, but...no.
 
H

hutcheson

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There are a couple of good reasons why we don't take removal requests:

(1) How does it serve our users? (it can't)
(2) Even if we wanted to make "webmasters" a privileged class, with special rights over and above mere humans like editors and surfers (which we don't) -- tow do we tell whether or not the requestor really owns the site (only with great difficulty, if at all, and why would we want to bother with this great difficulty just to harm our users?

It's much easier for us, and better for our users, to take suggestions from anyone (whether or not they ever owned any website), but always let the website itself be our sole guide to its own listability.
 
gloria

gloria

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but I sure do wish someone would just take a minute and remove my link
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This forum is not for that type of request. And we do not remove working sites which meet our Guidelines.

I rarely edit in that part of the directory, so I would not be handling your request anyway. But I make it a point that I do not touch sites when I have read an addition, removal, or "change my title/description" request unless I stumble into that category for other reasons and would normally touch it. I doubt that I'm the only one.

Um...change my site...?? Not to be rude, but...no.
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You have the right to say no, so do we. You can decline to change your site, we can decline to delete an appropriate working listing. (Please note, I have not looked at your site or update request, so I am assuming that you have an appropriate working site.)
 
gloria

gloria

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I've also tried changing the description-both following DMOZ guidelines and also blatantly going against the guidelines (in the hope of having the listing rejected and thus removed)-nothing.
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Suggesting a keyworded or inappropriate description will not result in the removal of a working site. Never has.
 
C

chyna

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Joined
Jun 22, 2004
Messages
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hutcheson said:
(2) Even if we wanted to make "webmasters" a privileged class, with special rights over and above mere humans like editors and surfers
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First off, I do own the site, otherwise, why on earth would I be bothering to spend the time I've already spent on this thread when I could be doing any number of other things.

Second, regarding the quote above...wow, someone's a little touchy, yes? I don't think I'm some kind of "privileged class", and I think it's just a tiny bit rude to insinuate that I do, especially when all I did was try to get help with a simple request. But maybe I don't really understand DMOZ, my bad-I didn't realize that I may as well be asking you to move mountains for me. ;)
 
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hutcheson

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>Um...change my site...?? Not to be rude, but...no.

I trust, then, you will know in what spirit to take a firm demurral (if such be the implied response) to your request to change a site which ISN'T yours.
 
C

chyna

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2004
Messages
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hutcheson said:
>Um...change my site...?? Not to be rude, but...no.

I trust, then, you will know in what spirit to take a firm demurral (if such be the implied response) to your request to change a site which ISN'T yours.
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Ah, I see. So you think it's not mine. ok fine, check out this page...
<url removed>

If it's not mine, why would this page even exist (This is only going to be up for a couple minutes)
 
lmocr

lmocr

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Jun 8, 2005
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Hutch was telling you that the ODP (site) isn't yours - and the people responsible for making changes on that site feel the same way, about making certain changes, that you do about being told to change your site.
 
H

hutcheson

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chyna, you apparently didn't even realize what an arrogant assumption you so blatantly expressed. See, mere editors couldn't possibly do anything on their own initiative -- that was just absolutely inconceivable to you. You had this vision of editors just sitting around bereft of purpose in life, until you came in to tell us what to do. You had not vouchsafed to tell us that ... how dare we -- how COULD we -- find a site on our own initiative? So much, in your opinion, for editors.

But that wasn't all. That was the more blatantly expressed assumption, but there was another one. It also hadn't occurred to you that anyone else but a webmaster (certainly not a lowly surfer!) could possibly suggest a site. Again, inconceivable.

Why do I say that, when you didn't make it so explicit? Because if you HAD realized that ANYONE (not just you) could have asked to remove your site, you'd have been concerned about your site being removed (by those old editors without any initiative, remember?) at the instigation of a suggestion, perhaps from a COMPETITOR!

Because that's the panicked reaction we get from people who make your FIRST arrogant assumption, but not your SECOND one. They wonder how we keep their competitors from fouling up their listings by all manner of nefarious site-suggestion strategies.

But, instead of all those imaginary problems, we have editors who can (and do) find and review sites all on their own. And who would do that, even if nobody ever suggested anything. And who take suggestions from anybody -- no privileged classes whose every whim is granted instanter, and no inferior classes who are incapable of having a useful thought without external assistance.
 
gloria

gloria

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No response now? I've not proved this is my site...?
Click to expand...
It doesn't make any difference. To reiterate, we don't remove working sites which meet our Guidelines.
 
C

chyna

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2004
Messages
30
hutcheson said:
chyna, you apparently didn't even realize what an arrogant assumption you so blatantly expressed. See, mere editors couldn't possibly do anything on their own initiative -- that was just absolutely inconceivable to you. You had this vision of editors just sitting around bereft of purpose in life, until you came in to tell us what to do. You had not vouchsafed to tell us that ... how dare we -- how COULD we -- find a site on our own initiative? So much, in your opinion, for editors.

But that wasn't all. That was the more blatantly expressed assumption, but there was another one. It also hadn't occurred to you that anyone else but a webmaster (certainly not a lowly surfer!) could possibly suggest a site. Again, inconceivable.

Why do I say that, when you didn't make it so explicit? Because if you HAD realized that ANYONE (not just you) could have asked to remove your site, you'd have been concerned about your site being removed (by those old editors without any initiative, remember?) at the instigation of a suggestion, perhaps from a COMPETITOR!

Because that's the panicked reaction we get from people who make your FIRST arrogant assumption, but not your SECOND one. They wonder how we keep their competitors from fouling up their listings by all manner of nefarious site-suggestion strategies.

But, instead of all those imaginary problems, we have editors who can (and do) find and review sites all on their own. And who would do that, even if nobody ever suggested anything. And who take suggestions from anybody -- no privileged classes whose every whim is granted instanter, and no inferior classes who are incapable of having a useful thought without external assistance.
Click to expand...

Hutchenson, please get a grip. Sorry, my life isn't DMOZ, so you're correct to an extent-I didn't realize exactly how your directory worked; everyone seems to think you're all some sort of Gods. Why everyone wants to be listed in your directory though is beyond me. I was merely making a simple request, I had no intention of ruffling your feathers so. One thing though...you do sort of crack me up. Thanks, I needed that laugh, it's been a long day.
 
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