We are in no way, shape or form part of an MLM. I do not understand this decision. I'm not going to get nasty, mean and mad at all editors here at dmoz. I simply want to add my thoughts and hope that it will be read ... and that I may get reconsideration for a listing.
I have gone to the category we desired a listing in. (Shopping->Toys and Games->Educational). In that category, DMOZ has a total of 129 listings. (Of those 129, 3 listings went to 1 site:
www.smile-education.com) I went to *every* site in that category. Of those sites, 5 of them had some of the toys by the same manufacturers that we have. Of those 5, only 1 (www.corbytoys.com) had two brands that we carry (Anatex and Galt). If you were to click on their "about our toys," it clearly states their internet-store only sells those two lines. Including that one store, there were *no* stores that carried the entire product line from several manufacturers like we do. For example, we focus on "waiting room toys" and carry children's computers. No other sites under this category carried any of what we offer. I think that is an important point. Certainly important to the end-user.
I understand the goal of dmoz, and the desire to offer unique and diverse sites to the user. I have no qualms with that philosophy at all. But again, going back to the category and researching all 129 sites listed (I honestly did!), it behooves me to bring up the fact that on the majority of those sites, and specifically the internet-only businesses, I found them to be rife with the exact same toys...by manufacturers such as Lego, Brio, SmallWorld, Thomas the Tank Engine, K'Nex etc.
For comparison sake, our site offers roughly 50 more products that are not found on any site already listed in this category: rocking horses, computers, musical animals, waiting room toys to name a few. I don't understand how this could not be beneficial to users looking for the best diversity when shopping.
Again, we are in no way part of an MLM. We work with several manufacturers directly and refer no one to anyone's site or business. We are no different in that aspect than a large number of the internet businesses already listed in the category. We are, however, different in offering many products not listed anywhere else. We believe our site to be professional and certainly of benefit to shoppers.
As a side note, of those 129 sites, I found 8 links to sites that are no longer found. Just a comment.
Can someone out there talk to me and give some reconsideration to our listing?
Thank you,
kag10
