status of WhyDoWork.com

oneeye

Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2002
Messages
3,512
This is a tricky one. The site is not waiting and appears to have been rejected. Which would not surprise me - randomly clicking on a couple of the "opportunities" led me to affiliate links wanting my cash. Editors don't have time to look in all the nooks and crannies to find something useful like http://www.whydowork.com/work-at-home/job-center.php - you have to put in in their face, like a direct link on the home page - the one supposedly going there leads me to a page with a nice attractive click on me "Get Paid To... Opportunities" link taking me to the affiliates and causing me to miss the original stuff. The get rich quick Google ads didn't give me much confidence either. These contradict, IMO, the statement "By providing safe, top quality, and most importantly FREE work at home jobs "

Free opinions only - if the affiliate links and Google Ads work for you then leave them where they are but I think the real jobs are a good idea and are being spoilt - if I didn't then I'd have stopped after my second sentence above. :2cents:
 

daveMartin

Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
10
Thanks for the advice! The google ads were only added yesterday to the main page in order to offset some growing costs, so im not sure when the site was reviewed, but prior to yesterday there was limited advertising on the main page. All articles, resources, ebooks and forums directly on our site are completely free of charge.

My concern is that other sites in the category I have submitted to seem to be more heavily promoting affiliate content then our own site, is there a reason they are allowed to do this?

Also, if the site is left clean of affiliate content for "submission" months then re-added is this allowed?

Thank you,

Dave :)
 

motsa

Curlie Admin
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
13,294
Also, if the site is left clean of affiliate content for "submission" months then re-added is this allowed?
That would be kind of baiting and switching, don't you think? Probably wouldn't go down well, would it. Removing something you think will get a site rejected and then adding it back in after the site is added is a sure way to get yourself delisted.
 

daveMartin

Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
10
Should I report sites that are offering purely affiliate content somewhere?? As this seems like somewhat of a double standard.
 

oneeye

Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2002
Messages
3,512
By all means report them, sites change after they are listed. Our standards for listing are continually on the rise too. Some sites no doubt deserve re-review. But affiliate links and adverts are not a bar, it can be a fine line sometimes making the judgement as to whether any original content is worthwhile listing.

Removing something you think will get a site rejected and then adding it back in after the site is added is a sure way to get yourself delisted.
Permanently and forever.

Personal view only - I've looked over the site, all of it, and I do think there is some good stuff there, stuff I haven't seen others do and which I think is brilliant for people who have to work from home. But the affiliates and ads you've chosen are bait for people often in a desperate position - they invest money in a get rich quick "program" which tells them nothing they cannot find out for free by searching the Internet. They are then worse off than ever. That strikes me as contrary to your aims, regardless of any small income it might generate - people will ultimately be ripped off and where did they get the idea from... Hint: would you buy anything from one of your own links/ads you display. If you had done, and they actually worked, you would no doubt be millionaires and not be concerned with the costs of the site.

The forums seem to have a fair amount of affiliate scheme discussion too, though I didn't read much in depth. The other discussions are useful though. Perhaps asking for voluntary donations from employers and users of the site instead of generating affiliate income might be better, and more genuine. As I say, it is a personal view only, your business is your concern, and nothing I have said is in any way connected with the DMOZ position on the site or any links on it - the nature of affiliate links does not enter into our equations, only their existence, which are but one factor in many when reviewing a site.
 

daveMartin

Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
10
Thanks

Thanks for your detailed replies (long winded isn't always bad!). We are slowly phasing out affiliate ads as the traffic increases eventaully to be replaced entirely with bits of adsense here and there.

Forums eat a lot of bandwidth (which is why the ads exist) however they are the most important aspect for a site in this market we believe as it is the only place consumers can get honest answers to their questions.

DMOZ listing for us is not the "holy grail" that many webmasters believe it to be, just simply want to try and improve our reach as our intentions for scam free employment are genuine, and we feel our site is a valuable resource in an industry full of troubling content.

When the site reaches a level where it is self sustaining without the need for affiliate links (or only free to join affiliate links) I will consider resubmitting the site.

Several new software based systems serving work at home seekers will be launched in approx. 2 months that differ greatly from what is currently offered in the industry. I invite you to check back with us soon if youre interested.

Thanks again for your insight, i created an appropriate abuse thread for the violating sites, hopefully the integrity of dmoz is maintained because of it

PS under no circumstance would we consider the scheme of altering the site to gain a listing, then making changes...i was simply trying to reiterate the fact that there are several sites in the category which appear to have done that.
 
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