When will my site be listed?

GarethD · Mar 2, 2006

Hello Editors,

I've submitted my site www.iwantthatone.com to ODP 3 times now over the past year and it is still not listed. I'm putting it in the correct category with Auto Classifieds but when I search for the URL it is still not there?

Is someone able to tell me why not? Please !!!

Thanks in advance

Gareth

windharp · Mar 2, 2006

What you ask for is one kind of a suggestion status request. We don't process these requests any longer. Check out the FAQ for our reasons for that. Additionally, the FAQ holds information about processing times of suggestions.

GarethD · Mar 2, 2006

Thanks for the response. I suppose what I'm trying to say is 'why does it take so long?'. I have applied to become an editor of this section as well only to be told that there are too many editors already. And I should reapply for another section.

Whilst I fully appreciate that the Editors are volunteers, surely waiting for a year, and indeed, some of the threads here say even 3 years, is far too long, especially as google says that dmoz is important for ranking etc.

I've been looking at various 'posts' here and other sites like the google user forum and dmoz does not have a very good reputation for listing good sites at a resonable rate. Even suggestions that editors will not list sites, because they might compete with their own ones have cropped up and does indeed sound a reasonable answer for sites not being listed??

Having more impartial volunteers would no doubt correct this?

windharp · Mar 2, 2006

to be told that there are too many editors already.

Did you read all of the mail you received? That formmail has two possibilities: "Enough editors" (which is rarely ever the case) or "Category to large" (which is far more common). You might want to read the sticky thread in our Become an Editor section for more information on editor applications.

dmoz does not have a very good reputation for listing good sites at a resonable rate.

If you investigate those postings in detail, all of them boil down to "DMOZ is not listing my site at a reasonable rate". Further investigation often (not always of course) reveals that the site in question does fall in the group of sites we don't list

Even suggestions that editors will not list sites, because they might compete with their own ones have cropped up and does indeed sound a reasonable answer for sites not being listed??

I processed lots of public abuse reports for "my site is not listed because the editor blocks it" sent in via our reporting system, and did not find a significant percentage of them to be valid.

Having more impartial volunteers would no doubt correct this?

As I already posted several times: There is no limit in the numbr of editors we accept. We accepted several thousand new editors last year, as our status report shows.

jimnoble · Mar 2, 2006

only to be told that there are too many editors already

The complete sentence was

Although we would like you to join us as a volunteer editor, you have chosen a category that is already well represented, or is broader than we typically assign to a new editor.

It's far more likely that the category was too large for a newbie.

GarethD · Mar 2, 2006

OK, thanks for both your replies. Windharp - can I assume then that my site will not be listed because ODP categorizes it as an affiliate site?

I do appreciate your responses. As an owner of a website, I'm just trying to get it listed in the most appropriate places. And whilst I would enjoy becoming an editor, I now see the reasons why my application was not accepted.

Best wishes

Gareth

windharp · Mar 2, 2006

I didn't look at your site, nor will I look at a site presented in this forum to judge this. My experience shows that any discussion about specific sites and their listability results in a "not coming together" situation (Hmmm... Sorry, but my native language is german, I would be able to post much better sentences with that language, but I guess you would understand me even less

).

If even you think that it is not listable according to our guidelines, chances are good that you are right. If your site focusses mainly on affiliate links/content, it is not listable as you have already figured out. In this case, I suggest other methods of advertising.

GarethD · Mar 2, 2006

OK. Sorry, I thought your comment before was because you had looked at it and decided that it probably fell into the affiliate category.

Anyway its not part of that at all. So I guess I just have to wait and see. Is there a way I can see who the editors are for particular categories. I can see in your profile what categories you edit, so I would assume that information is available somewhere else?

Your english is great by the way!!

motsa · Mar 2, 2006

If there are any editors listed in a specific category, you'll see their names at the bottom of the category page. Keep in mind that any editors listed in parent categories of any category will be able to edit there as will all Editall and Meta editors, who can edit anywhere in the entire directory (e.g. while you can see a few categories listed in windharp's profile or mine, we can edit in every other category as well).

GarethD · Mar 2, 2006

OK, so I refer back to my previous threads about applying to become an editor and being turned down. I applied for this group

http://www.dmoz.org/Shopping/Classifieds/Automotive/

but I can't see an editor. The page is actually asking if you want to become an editor?

windharp · Mar 2, 2006

I can't find your previous threads, did you use a differnet RZ-account?

Anyway: Please have a look at our general advice thread which is sticky in the "Become an editor forum.

I would say the reason is a combination of two points. First of all, with 124 entries, the category is rather large as a starting pioint. To reduce effort involved in a new editor learning (and maybe the effort we need for reparing afterwards) we prefer editors to start in smalish categories. Additionally, as you will know, the section is rather spammy, which makes it tricky as a starting point for a beginning editor. And which makes it much more likely a new editor will be abusive, which makes us look much closer.

Our main concern isn't to get editors at any cost. Our main concern is to get editors who like editing as a hobby and devote some time to it. I would suggest to start somewhere else, in a small but inprovable category related to your hobby, hometown, ...

motsa · Mar 2, 2006

but I can't see an editor. The page is actually asking if you want to become an editor?

That means there is no listed editor in that category. But all of the editors of the categories above that one (http://www.dmoz.org/Shopping/Classifieds/ and http://www.dmoz.org/Shopping/ ) can edit it as can all editall and meta editors.

But, as was mentioned before, you most likely weren't rejected because there were too many editors in the category -- the key part of the rejection email you got is the "or is broader than we typically assign to a new editor" part.

GarethD · Mar 2, 2006

Ok people,

I do want to get involved if possible, so I'll look for some other categories that may be of interest. Thanks for your words of wisdom anyway.

Gareth

GarethD · Mar 2, 2006

Hello Again!!

Now I am really confused. I've just looked through the different levels concerning Shopping, Autos, classifieds, http://www.dmoz.org/Shopping/Classifieds/Automotive/ to try and find an editor responsible for Auto Classifieds,
and the lowest level I can see editors on is actually the shopping level (which is the highest!). Then having looked at all their profiles, none of them are responsible for Autos???

Please can someone point me in the direction of someone who looks after the Autos section of the ODP!!

Thanks in advance....again!

pvgool · Mar 2, 2006

GarethD said:
Please can someone point me in the direction of someone who looks after the Autos section of the ODP!!

That is an impossible question to answer.
I can answer the question "who can look after this category". (there is a big difference between can and will)
all editors listed on Shopping/Classifieds/Automotive/
all editors listed on Shopping/Classifieds/
all editors listed on Shopping/
all editors with editall or higher ranks
In total somewhere over 200 editors will be able to look at the suggestion made in this category.
I am wondering. What are you going to do with this information?

GarethD · Mar 2, 2006

Well two things really.

1. I wanted to try and contact someone about my site listing in this category...see beginning of this thread, and,
2. I'd like to become an editor of this section as I have good knowledge on it, also see beginning of thread.

Thats all!!

Gareth

motsa · Mar 2, 2006

1. I wanted to try and contact someone about my site listing in this category...see beginning of this thread,

I wouldn't recommend trying to contact an editor about your site listing.

and,
2. I'd like to become an editor of this section as I have good knowledge on it, also see beginning of thread

Regular editors have nothing to do with reviewing new editor applications. Only meta editors review those.

http://www.dmoz.org/Shopping/Classifieds/Automotive/ is too large. Apply for something smaller.

When will my site be listed?

GarethD

Member

windharp

Meta/kMeta

GarethD

Member

windharp

Meta/kMeta

jimnoble

DMOZ Meta

GarethD

Member

windharp

Meta/kMeta

GarethD

Member

motsa

GarethD

Member

windharp

Meta/kMeta

motsa

GarethD

Member

GarethD

Member

pvgool

kEditall/kCatmv

GarethD

Member

motsa