A request for insight...

[Rompalicious]

Hello:

 

I appreciate the time and effort that you editors put towards building DMOZ. Thank you.

 

I would appreciate it if you could help me gain some understanding here:

 

I submitted my commercial site a couple times (I now know that this is a no no from extensive research on SEO since). However, I believe we caught the transgression before it hurt us too much.

 

However, I never did receive a response and was concerned after a couple months. As we are an up and coming internet and catalog business, our listing on DMOZ is very important to us! Therefore, I spent some time researching the situation and believe that we have followed the submission rules to a "T": e.g. perfect category (Top: Shopping: Vehicles: Parts and Accessories: Trucks, Vans, and Sport Utility: Jeep), short/concise description, etc.

 

So... my best guess was that this category was underrepresented by an editor (hence the "volunteer to edit this category" link at the bottom).

 

Since my organization is founded on an ethic of "giving back" and I do have extensive experience with both web development and Jeep vendors, I thought I would suggest myself as an editor. I did so, suggesting my under-represented competition in the first 2 url suggestion slots and then, of course, my own corporation in the 3rd url slot, since I think we would make a great addition to the community.

 

However, not only have we still not been reviewed for a listing, I was denied as an editor for what appeared to be a "conflict of interests".

 

While I do understand this, I made a best effort to show that I would be a fair and impartial editor to a category that desperately needs some TLC.

 

Can you help me understand how this category will become the best that it could possibly be when a potential dedicated and experienced editor is turned down and the category does not appear to get very much attention from anyone else?

 

I would be happy to resubmit myself as an editor if that would help.

 

Thanks!

[photofox]

You are welcome to try again, unless the application response specifically told you not to.

 

If the letter you received had some specific comments at the bottom, be sure to read those carefully before applying again.

 

Ensure you include all sites you are associated with, even if they are unrelated to the category you are applying to edit.

 

There is nothing wrong with owning a site that may potentially fit in the category you are applying to edit, so long as you are up front about the connection from the beginning.

[Rompalicious]

Photofox:

 

There were no specific comments... just a form letter.

 

I am only affiliated with Rompalicious. Also, I was very clear about my affiliation with Rompalicious and actually used that as a qualification.

 

Also, I know that I CAN re-apply but want insight as to why a qualified candidate would be rejected in a category that is underrepresented in the first place. Otherwise it just becomes a time drain.

 

Especially since I recommended 3 quality sites for the category, had no "grammar problems", or any of the other instant disqualifying problems that were mentioned in the form rejection.

 

Thanks again.

[chaos127]

...or any of the other instant disqualifying problems

Well at least one of the mentioned problems would have applied to your application, and you've just been told that being affiliated with a site that would go in the category isn't on its own a sufficient reason reject an application. I'd have another read of the letter and look at each of the points carefully. Reading the RZ FAQ and the ODP Editing Guidelines will give you some useful background information that may be of assistance.