what up with that?

[Reid]

I was recently rejected when I applied to become an editor of a category with only one listing.

Because of the standard reasons given in the rejection notice (no specific reason given)

I assumed that I was rejected because I am directly affiliated with a website I submitted to that category (still pending)

However in this forum I read that many editors have links in their own category. I don't view this as a conflict of interest as I would have faithfully edited this category fairly and based solely on content.

Is this a reason for rejection? Should I try again? How did others do it?

The category I am referring to is

http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/North_America/Canada/British_Columbia/Regional_Districts/Squamish-Lillooet/Travel_and_Tourism/

[kctipton]

The lack of sites in the category should be the big hint you need to figure this out.

[Reid]

lack of sites in category

 

that doesn't really answer any of my q's

from what i read someone new could be rejected for too large a category but why too small?

that one link is gone now because I reported it as changed content

obviously the category needs an editor (who is familiar with the region)

should I maybe apply for one of the sub categories? say squamish which has approx 8 links in it?

If I apply for a higher category does this automatically include the sub categories below it?

one of the sub-categories has 153 links.

just want to know the best way to approach this instead of wasting time applying for something I could never qualify for.

[motsa]

Kctipton's post pretty much answered your question.

 

obviously the category needs an editor

Actually, no, it doesn't. Look at the category -- it's empty of listings for a reason. Most sites in Regional are listed at the locality level, not at the region level. Most of the "subcategories" you see there are what are known as symlinks or @links -- links to categories in another section of the directory and not actual subcategories of the category you're looking at. Thus, editing in the http://dmoz.org/Regional/North_America/Canada/British_Columbia/Regional_Districts/Squamish-Lillooet/Travel_and_Tourism/ would not give you access to anything but the empty Lodging subcategory.

 

Feel free to apply for a small locality-level category.

[Reid]

actually I don't want to be a whiner - I get it a bit better now - I found in the faq that applying for a higher category includes number of links in sub categories.

as to your statement 'no it doesn't'

I could disagree with that because there are sites which act as a guide to the entire region while there are others which cover only a specific locality.

This is a corridor surrounded by mountains with a world-class ski resort in the middle of it. (Whistler)

Some websites concentrate solely on Whistler while others Squamish etc.

A guide to the entire region would belong in this category wouldn't it? Otherwise you would have to pick a town to bury the regional guide in.

Also it seems strange to have a 'lodging' sub category on this page because lodging sub category would be better in each locality (ie where is the lodging?)

which actually does appear in the Whistler sub-category. (there are lots of hotels in Whistler but Squamish and Pemberton have a few and are growing rapidly)

There are also large hotel-affillate type sites for this region but most of these are run solely for Whistler anyway. The big question in this region is 'how close to Whistler can you afford?'

One site I submitted on my application is a Travel guide to the entire region. (no affiliation with my site) and a very good one. Does Whistler just suck it all up because it is the big 'Canada's Aspen'? Or do regional guides get indexed as 'Regional' ? The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic winter games are approaching this region. I expect you will see quite a few 'regional guides' coming up in the near future. Perhaps it would be better to place a 'regional guides' sub-category here. I've seen this region indexed this way on other directories (Yahoo I believe) which seems to work out well.

I also have submitted my own regional guide to this category (still pending review) that is why I know a little about trying to index it properly.

But that's only my opinion. And the reasons behind my submitting to and volunteering to edit this category. just trying to understand how DMOZ works a bit before I go re-applying again.

[motsa]

This is why we suggest that new editors apply to a locality level category first. Understanding why things are the way they are comes with time and experience. We don't like to start out people at that level until they've got that experience, especially when they have a vested interest in that category. Yes, a guide to the entire area would belong there -- you'll notice that I said *most* sites belong at the locality level, not *all*.

 

I found in the faq that applying for a higher category includes number of links in sub categories.

Yes, if they are actual subcategories. It doesn't include the ones that end with @ (which are somewhere else in the directory, not directly under the category in question).

Also it seems strange to have a 'lodging' sub category on this page because lodging sub category would be better in each locality (ie where is the lodging?)

The category at the region level primarily holds @links to the categories at the locality level, to tie them all together.

[Reid]

Thank you very much motsa

I understand now a lot better how the directory is structured.

Saved me a lot of trouble re-applying for an empty category.

now I understand what kctipton was talking about.

I also solved another problem in this forum with that same category.

This forum works very well I think.

 

other problem: there was a content-changed link there (the only link in there)

let the guys in the proper thread know about it. it was dealt with within a few hours. great forum

[lithy]

I guess I'm having similar trouble to Reid.

 

I'm looking at:

 

Top: Regional: North America: Canada: British Columbia: Regions: West Coast: Recreation and Sports

 

I've been rejected without a reason, and although I see that the category is empty, aside from the Terrace and Prince Rupert subcategories, those regions are on the northern west coast, and there are no southern regions represented by subcategories in that region. (I live on the southern west coast)

 

I'm trying not to be too dense here, but I'm honestly not sure of the best way to apply to that category. The links I submitted were more to do with the southern coast, and hence, didn't have a subcategory to be listed in as of yet, so I'm thinking that maybe deemed them as unsuitable for the category, although, with no reason given, it's just speculation.

 

I'd appreciate some advice from an editor, because obviously I'm doing something wrong. Thanks for any info.

[motsa]

If you know you were rejected, then you got a rejection email and that would have had reasons in it.

 

Again, keep in mind that very few sites are appropriate for a region level. Most sites get listed at the locality level. http://dmoz.org/Regional/North_America/Canada/British_Columbia/Regions/West_Coast/Recreation_and_Sports/ contains @links to localities in that region that actually have Recreation_and_Sports subcategories (and only 6 localities do right now -- the public pages haven't updated to show those 6 yet). Those locality-level categories are not directly under the region category and thus editing the region category would not give you access to them.

 

I would recommend, as I did with Reid, that you apply for a small (under 50 sites) locality-level category instead.

[lithy]

Okay. I'll search around for another category then. I think the lights just went on with your answer and a few searches.

 

I guess part of the confusion was that I got the rejection e-mail and the Reviewer Comments area was blank.