Site removed

RZ,
Our site www.artificialchristmaswreaths.com was listed in ODP for several years. I see that it has been removed. When it was originally listed I was ignorant of the affiliate site prohibition and certainly understand why it has in fact been removed. It is a part of Corner Crafters www.cornercrafters.com which has also been in ODP for several years. If that is not the reason for it's removal, I would greatly appreciate finding out the true cause, but I am under the assumption that it is the affiliated site ban that caused it's removal.

What I would like to know is if it is possible to remove one site (www.cornercrafters.com) and have the other (www.artificialchristmaswreaths.com) added in it's place? We have shifted company focus more towards the ACW website and would be more than willing to have Corner Crafters removed if that is required for ACW to be included again.

It was never our intention to skirt any listing guidelines by ODP. We simply added the site after it was developed several years ago. It was accepted and then we thought no more of it.

I have re-submitted the site this evening (9-27-04) under:
Top: Shopping: Holidays: Christmas: Wreaths

I submitted twice unsuccessfully (404 error message) and a third try I got to a page acknowledging that it had been received.

Please let me know what else needs to be done to have the site reincluded. With the Holiday season coming so quickly, I would appreciate any and all help offered.

Thank you.
sbox1

What I would like to know is if it is possible to remove one site (www.cornercrafters.com) and have the other (www.artificialchristmaswreaths.com) added in it's place? We have shifted company focus more towards the ACW website and would be more than willing to have Corner Crafters removed if that is required for ACW to be included again.

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Given the choice between the two sites, we'd list cornercrafters.com (the main company site) over artificialchristmaswreaths.com (a product-line-specific subsite) every time so the answer would be no, it isn't possible unless you are planning to turn cornercrafters.com into a complete redirect to artificialchristmaswreaths.com (i.e. making artificialchristmaswreaths.com your company's only site) and abandoning all the other non-Christmas-wreath products that you sell...which I would hope isn't the case.

Motsa,
Thank you for the prompt response and explanation.
I wish I agreed with it, but that really doesn't make much of a difference.

It seems a little autocratic for you to tell us what our sites should or should not sell (or do) and which site we should try to include. We wish to shift focus to www.artificialchristmaswreaths.com and gradually faze out www.cornercrafters.com and many of the non-wreath offerings.

If a "product-line-specific subsite" is where we prefer to focus, expecially with inclusion in editor maintained directories, we should have that option. We are not asking to include both sites.

I apologize for sounding argumentative, I just reread my comments and it sounds that way. That's not the intention. We are just very disappointed in your decision.

Thank you again and should you reconsider, I would be happy to give any additional information required.

sbox1

Nobody on ODP will tel you what to do with your site. They will only suggest what you can do to be listed in the way you desire. Oh, and is not about you adding or changing a site, it's ODP who wants to add something in their directory (if you think about this as free publicity you should thank ODP).

It seems a little autocratic for you to tell us what our sites should or should not sell (or do) and which site we should try to include.

If a "product-line-specific subsite" is where we prefer to focus, expecially with inclusion in editor maintained directories, we should have that option. We are not asking to include both sites.

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We're not trying to tell you how to run your business or how to set up your web site(s) but, likewise, please refrain from trying to tell us how to run our directory.

It seems a little autocratic for you to tell us what our sites should or should not sell

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Actually we don't do that. We only state which kinds of sites we choose to list and which we don't. Any proposals made on changing a site purely are made in regards "if a site was like our proposal, we would think about listing it."

We don't have any problems of you doing whichever business model you like, but we refuse to list certain models.

sbox1 said:

We wish to shift focus to www.artificialchristmaswreaths.com and gradually faze out www.cornercrafters.com and many of the non-wreath offerings.

If a "product-line-specific subsite" is where we prefer to focus, expecially with inclusion in editor maintained directories, we should have that option. We are not asking to include both sites.

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I'm confused--it looks to me like www.artificalchristmaswreaths.com is just re-selling wreaths from www.cornercrafters.com. Is that correct? If so, how would you "phase out" corcercrafters?

If you want the site re-listed, you'd do well to add some content that I can't find anywhere else. Maybe you could do some "how-to" articles on wreath-making. And give some interesting history of why people traditionally hang wreaths. Maybe even if you custom-made wreaths for people. As it stands now, I don't see any reason someone would want to go to artificialchristmaswreaths instead of cornercrafters. More importantly, it sounds like the editors don't see it either.

Nareau

If you want the site re-listed, you'd do well to add some content that I can't find anywhere else.

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Actually, adding informational content will not make this site listable.

Speaking generally, what makes a site eligible for a Shopping listing is the sale of products. Adding informational content like how-tos is nice but not required for a Shopping listing provided a site meets our other listing criteria; and if a site doesn't meet our listing criteria, additional informational content isn't going to make it listable.

Interesting. So (and forgive me if I'm asking forbidden questions) it sounds like they would need to sell something unique, or maybe a unique combination of things, in order to be listable. Is that about right?

And to be clear--adding information would make them listable in a non-shopping category, right?

Nareau

Adding information could make a site listable in a non-Shopping category but a site selling things can only be listed in Shopping (and possibly in Regional) -- adding information will not increase said site's eligibility for listing.

As for your other question, information about Shopping can be found at http://dmoz.org/Shopping/desc.html and http://dmoz.org/Shopping/faq.html

nareau, I appreciate that you're trying to help but please avoid speculating as to why someone else's site may or may not be listed/listable. Thanks.

Oh, I didn't realize that was a problem. I know editors aren't supposed to do it, and I understand your reasons why. But I'm not an editor, and there's nothing in the forum guidelines forbidding users from trying to help out other users.

I'll refrain from here on out, if that's what's appropriate. However, I get very frustrated seeing people coming here for help, and being met with the myriad sarcastic, short, useless, and mean responses from a host of extremely undiplomatic admins, moderators, and editors. I figured I'd try to be a helpful voice.

Nareau

I know what you mean.... but some are ok - this motsa seems quite reasonable - just wondering if she's going to come on a date with me

To be clear: When I said "host," I meant "great many," not "all". There are indeed some mods/admins/editors here who are do post friendly, useful replies. But they are quite the minority.

Furthermore, I don't want to disparage the character of even the meanest of the people on here. I've been on the Net long enough not to judge someone based on their posts. Which is why I speak only of their actions/posts.

Nareau

Oh, I didn't realize that was a problem. I know editors aren't supposed to do it, and I understand your reasons why. But I'm not an editor, and there's nothing in the forum guidelines forbidding users from trying to help out other users.

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It's one thing to offer your opinions about something (and even then, this isn't a forum for critiquing other people's websites); it's another to offer your opinion and then ask if you're correct (that amounts to asking an editor to enter into a dissection of a web site).

And by trying to help other web site owners out by speculating about why their site may have been rejected or what might make them listable when you're not an editor, you run a very big risk of giving out wrong information which is not going to be helpful to either the site owner or the editors.

motsa said:

It's one thing to offer your opinions about something (and even then, this isn't a forum for critiquing other people's websites); it's another to offer your opinion and then ask if you're correct (that amounts to asking an editor to enter into a dissection of a web site).

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OK. I wasn't sure if I was going too far with those questions. I apologize for crossing that line.

Nareau