If you've spent much time here on the blog or over in the public forums at Resource Zone, you've probably seen us mention many different editor titles - meta, admin, staff and editall, for example - but do you know what role each type of editor plays within the directory?
There are two basic types of designations for editor titles. One refers to the breadth of editing permissions, and the other refers to a role in directory management. Each is detailed below.
Breadth of Editing
This group is instrumental in shaping the contents, look and feel of the directory. Editors with this type of permissions make decisions about where things should be placed within the directory. They create new categories, break them apart when they get too big, and move them around as needed. And, of course, they add, update and remove listings from their categories, as needed.
Editor
"Editor" is a generic term that refers to anyone who volunteers to work on the DMOZ directory. All of our volunteers have permissions to work in one or more categories as well as all sub-categories under the ones for which they are the named editor.
New editors start with one small category (generally 100 sites or fewer, including all sub-categories). As an editor gains experience, he or she may request permissions to edit in additional categories. These new permissions may be granted by senior-level editors upon review of that editor's current categories.
No matter how many more advanced permissions any volunteer has been granted, he or she always maintains the designation of editor and adheres to the same set of general directory guidelines.
Greenbuster
Greenbuster is a special kind of permission granted to editors who wish to expand their editing skills by working in larger areas of the directory than those in which they have full permissions to edit. The name refers to the color of new site suggestions that an editor sees when he or she logs into the editor dashboard. Greenbusters work in this unreviewed pool of suggested sites and help named editors (or other editors in the branch if there is no named editor) to review the suggestions, edit their titles and descriptions (if necessary) and propose inclusion in the category. Greenbusted edits require a final review by an editor with full permissions in that category before they go live to the public.
This has two benefits to the directory: it helps junior-level editors get additional experience in a safe and secure environment, and it helps build out the directory in areas (or languages) where there is either a shortage of editors or an overwhelming number of site suggestions.
Cateditall
Cateditall is the title given to an editor who has permissions to edit and move categories anywhere within a given top-level category (for example, Top/Recreation or World// for non-English categories). The job of the cateditall is to take a leadership role at the category level to help guide the strategy and provide "big picture" thinking for that level.
Editall
Editall is very similar to cateditall, except that the permissions are applied to the directory as a whole as opposed to one category or branch.
At some point, you may have seen reference to editall/catmv. Catmv permissions allow the editor to move whole categories (as opposed to just individual sites) from one part of the directory to another in order to execute on the overall ontology strategy. In many cases, an editor who has editall permissions will also have catmv permissions, but no editor can have catmv permissions without the designation of editall.
Directory Management
Editors with these types of permissions carry out general management tasks such as processing new applications, granting (and, when necessary, retracting) new categories & permissions, handling abuse reports and project management. They also exhibit strong leadership skills and take a very active role in the directory and forums.
Catmod
Catmods are managers for specific top-level categories (for example, Top/Arts). They are experts in these areas and they act as primary points of contact for editors who work in their areas. Their catmod permissions include the ability to act in parallel to cateditalls, but they also maintain primary responsibility for directory development in their categories. This includes actions such as driving category strategy, moderating forums and helping to build solid editor ranks through mentorship programs and other methods.
Meta
The primary job of meta editors is community development. They emphasize team work, consensus building & editor accountability, and they play a leading role in efforts to root out editor abuses.
Similar to catmods, metas also maintain all of the permissions held by editall/catmvs.
Admin
At the admin level, editors participate in community governance. They take an active role in communications, both within the editor community where they act as forum moderators and provide community-wide updates via dashboard notes, and with the public through their role as curators of the directory documentation. It is also the responsibility of admins to assign permissions of (cat)editall and meta to editors who have demonstrated excellence in editing and community development.
While many editors at all levels may maintain permissions to edit in both the Classic DMOZ and Kids & Teens directories, only admins are guaranteed to have permissions in both. At other levels, editors are granted permissions in a parallel structure for the Kids & Teens directory, as designated by the "k" prefix in their titles (for example, "kmeta").
There is one additional designation that falls outside these two main groups.
Staff
This refers to employees of AOL, DMOZ's parent company, who work on the DMOZ project. Staff's primary responsibilities include building and maintaining the directory's technical infrastructure and public relations/marketing for the project.
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There are two basic types of designations for editor titles. One refers to the breadth of editing permissions, and the other refers to a role in directory management. Each is detailed below.
Breadth of Editing
This group is instrumental in shaping the contents, look and feel of the directory. Editors with this type of permissions make decisions about where things should be placed within the directory. They create new categories, break them apart when they get too big, and move them around as needed. And, of course, they add, update and remove listings from their categories, as needed.
Editor
"Editor" is a generic term that refers to anyone who volunteers to work on the DMOZ directory. All of our volunteers have permissions to work in one or more categories as well as all sub-categories under the ones for which they are the named editor.
New editors start with one small category (generally 100 sites or fewer, including all sub-categories). As an editor gains experience, he or she may request permissions to edit in additional categories. These new permissions may be granted by senior-level editors upon review of that editor's current categories.
No matter how many more advanced permissions any volunteer has been granted, he or she always maintains the designation of editor and adheres to the same set of general directory guidelines.
Greenbuster
Greenbuster is a special kind of permission granted to editors who wish to expand their editing skills by working in larger areas of the directory than those in which they have full permissions to edit. The name refers to the color of new site suggestions that an editor sees when he or she logs into the editor dashboard. Greenbusters work in this unreviewed pool of suggested sites and help named editors (or other editors in the branch if there is no named editor) to review the suggestions, edit their titles and descriptions (if necessary) and propose inclusion in the category. Greenbusted edits require a final review by an editor with full permissions in that category before they go live to the public.
This has two benefits to the directory: it helps junior-level editors get additional experience in a safe and secure environment, and it helps build out the directory in areas (or languages) where there is either a shortage of editors or an overwhelming number of site suggestions.
Cateditall
Cateditall is the title given to an editor who has permissions to edit and move categories anywhere within a given top-level category (for example, Top/Recreation or World// for non-English categories). The job of the cateditall is to take a leadership role at the category level to help guide the strategy and provide "big picture" thinking for that level.
Editall
Editall is very similar to cateditall, except that the permissions are applied to the directory as a whole as opposed to one category or branch.
At some point, you may have seen reference to editall/catmv. Catmv permissions allow the editor to move whole categories (as opposed to just individual sites) from one part of the directory to another in order to execute on the overall ontology strategy. In many cases, an editor who has editall permissions will also have catmv permissions, but no editor can have catmv permissions without the designation of editall.
Directory Management
Editors with these types of permissions carry out general management tasks such as processing new applications, granting (and, when necessary, retracting) new categories & permissions, handling abuse reports and project management. They also exhibit strong leadership skills and take a very active role in the directory and forums.
Catmod
Catmods are managers for specific top-level categories (for example, Top/Arts). They are experts in these areas and they act as primary points of contact for editors who work in their areas. Their catmod permissions include the ability to act in parallel to cateditalls, but they also maintain primary responsibility for directory development in their categories. This includes actions such as driving category strategy, moderating forums and helping to build solid editor ranks through mentorship programs and other methods.
Meta
The primary job of meta editors is community development. They emphasize team work, consensus building & editor accountability, and they play a leading role in efforts to root out editor abuses.
Similar to catmods, metas also maintain all of the permissions held by editall/catmvs.
Admin
At the admin level, editors participate in community governance. They take an active role in communications, both within the editor community where they act as forum moderators and provide community-wide updates via dashboard notes, and with the public through their role as curators of the directory documentation. It is also the responsibility of admins to assign permissions of (cat)editall and meta to editors who have demonstrated excellence in editing and community development.
While many editors at all levels may maintain permissions to edit in both the Classic DMOZ and Kids & Teens directories, only admins are guaranteed to have permissions in both. At other levels, editors are granted permissions in a parallel structure for the Kids & Teens directory, as designated by the "k" prefix in their titles (for example, "kmeta").
There is one additional designation that falls outside these two main groups.
Staff
This refers to employees of AOL, DMOZ's parent company, who work on the DMOZ project. Staff's primary responsibilities include building and maintaining the directory's technical infrastructure and public relations/marketing for the project.
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