Why Was our Listing Removed?

We listed with DMOZ back in 2003 or thereabouts and everything was fine, we thought it was a done deal, no need to check back ever. Now I find that our site is not listed anymore, in any category. This completely baffles me because our site has never been down or offline in the last 8 years, we make hand tools so this can't be objectionable, and we were in the correct category all along, and our web site has not been revised since we originally listed.

What can I do to find out why we were removed from DMOZ and how we can contest the issue and get re-listed properly. For all of the above reasons I cannot for the life of me understand why our listing would be removed. Please advise what steps we can take to make sure we get re-listed and understand what happened so that this never happens to us again.

Thank you.

There are basically only three reasons why a site that was listed is no longer listed:

1. The site was not loading when an editor or automated tool attempted to visit it. In that case, the site would be removed temporarily pending a re-review at a later date.

2. The site was deemed more appropriate for a different category and was sent to that category by an editor without the permissions to publish the site there. In that case, the site would be waiting for an editor with the correct permissions to re-review it.

3. A re-review of the site determined that the site did not meet our listability guidelines and when that was discovered, the site was removed.


If you feel that none of those applies, your only option is to re-suggest your site to the category where you feel it belongs. An editor will eventually review your suggestion. There is no venue for contesting or protesting the removal.

your only option is to re-suggest your site to the category where you feel it belongs.

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Some volunteer will process your listing suggestion in time but we can't predict who or when that might be. Elapsed times can range from a few days to a few years. There is no need to re-suggest your website and doing so could be counter-productive because a later suggestion overwrites any earlier one.

Would a robots.txt file have anything to do with this in any way?

I don't understand why a perfectly legitimate site which has been fully operational would just be dropped arbitrarily and your organization provides no way whatsoever to look into or resolve such a problem. Mistakes happen in any organization, you really have no system to address errors? Frankly the idea that it would take years to be re listed is enough to really infuriate any reasonable person, I cannot believe someone designed this system with no accountability and no process for correcting errors whatsoever. Is this really how it works, for real?

Is there anyway to pay to have priority review of our listing and bypass the whole volunteer "whenever I get around to it" problem? I have heard such good things about the DMOZ project and it went so well when we first listed with you, no problems at all. I am all for open source, but DMOZ seems like an organization that has become the very thing it was intended to replace: bureaucratic bungles of inept employees who hide behind red tape and can't help anyone get anything done. Open source was supposed to be about getting things done better, you guys can do better than this.

incwebadmin said:

Would a robots.txt file have anything to do with this in any way?

I don't understand why a perfectly legitimate site which has been fully operational would just be dropped arbitrarily and your organization provides no way whatsoever to look into or resolve such a problem. Mistakes happen in any organization, you really have no system to address errors? Frankly the idea that it would take years to be re listed is enough to really infuriate any reasonable person, I cannot believe someone designed this system with no accountability and no process for correcting errors whatsoever. Is this really how it works, for real?

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When you suggested the website you agreed to have read and accepted the guidelines. They explained "In addition, a site's placement in the directory is subject to change or deletion at any time at our sole discretion."
Listed websites are never dropped arbitrarily. There can be several reasons.
- an editor or one of our quality control tools noticed that the site was not accesible, the site will be removed from public view and will be checked later to see if it becam accesible again, if it dies it will relisted
- an editor noticed the site has changed. if it is still lsitable the site is moved to a better category and is now waiting a new review in that category, if the site became non-listable it will be removed
- an editor noticed the site should never have been listed, there was made a mistake during the original review, the site will be removed
- the guidelines changed making the website not-listable under the new guidelines
There is a process of Accountability. But it is between editors. As we do not provide any service to people who suggest websites we are not accountable to them.

Is there anyway to pay to have priority review of our listing and bypass the whole volunteer "whenever I get around to it" problem?

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No there is not. And even giving a hint that you are interested in paying might get you and all your sites banned for ever from DMOZ. I do not see your remark as offering us a payment but as a normal question.

I have heard such good things about the DMOZ project and it went so well when we first listed with you, no problems at all. I am all for open source, but DMOZ seems like an organization that has become the very thing it was intended to replace: bureaucratic bungles of inept employees who hide behind red tape and can't help anyone get anything done. Open source was supposed to be about getting things done better, you guys can do better than this.

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The Open in DMOZ means that anybody may use our data.
DMOZ is and never has been open for all websites to be listed. And also never will become such a place.

Would a robots.txt file have anything to do with this in any way?

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No, as we are not robots The directory is owned by AOL, but run by volunteer editors. It isn't an Open Source project.
The volunteer editors are basically free to edit however and as often (or not) as they want, as long as they follow the publicly available editing guidelines.
This is why it is impossible for us to give accurate timeframes and other "business" attributes.

Elper said:

Would a robots.txt file have anything to do with this in any way?

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No, as we are not robots The directory is owned by AOL, but run by volunteer editors. It isn't an Open Source project.
The volunteer editors are basically free to edit however and as often (or not) as they want, as long as they follow the publicly available editing guidelines.
This is why it is impossible for us to give accurate timeframes and other "business" attributes.

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Elper's answer is not 100% correct.
robots.txt can have an effect if it blocks our quality control tools from accessing the website.
The tool will remove the listing for this website from public view. An editor will check the problem and when he can access it the listing will be republished. When an editor will perform the check and republish the site is not something we can predict.