DMOZ Editors bidding on GetaFreelancer?

[jpnutch]

Hi all,

I just saw this post on getafreelancer.com:

http://www.getafreelancer.com/projects/Web-Promotion-SEO/DMOZ-Inclusion-With-Possible-Categories.html

 

Here is a partial quote of the poster of the project:

---------- START ---------

We are looking for a guaranteed DMOZ inclusion for our horse-themed classified website with listings of horses for sale (world-wide), horse real estate such as farms and ranches, horse trailers and horse saddles (tack).

.....

I am including below all possible categories where the site can be included. You need to include it in *one or all* categories (as many as you can) and quote your rate *PER INCLUSION*.

 

Payment through the escrow only after the listing is up in DMOZ. ONLY DMOZ EDITORS SHOULD APPLY!

---------- END---------

 

and here a sample bid response from somebody called charlie:

"I will try for all categories, but I want $50 per category. It will likely take 15-20 days just to stagger posting the listings. I will work on a guaranteed basis, but the total must be posted in escrow. See my resume in the PM. Charlie"

"Charlie"'s profile page in getafreelancer is here:

http://www.getafreelancer.com/users/592002.html

The page mentions successful completion of previous DMOZ listing inclusion projects.

 

Any comments from DMOZ editors?

 

Thanks!

[chaos127]

We take editorial abuse of this kind very seriously:

 

Editors found accepting payment for listings like this will have their accounts removed pretty quickly.

 

Site-owners found trying to bribe editors in this way will have their sites permanently banned from the directory.

 

There's also no such thing as a permanent listing in the ODP, so most of the people involved with these projects are either asking for or offering the impossible.

 

Experience shows though that most of those bidding on such projects are not editors. They are doing so speculatively either on the off-chance that if they suggest the site if might get listed in the agreed time, or they may be able to sneak in and get an editor application accepted for the category in question.

 

It would be nice if sites like http://www.getafreelancer.com/ realised the uselessness of such projects and took to removing any that appeared. Maybe those who make legitimate use of the site could try suggesting this to them...

[Jay Anderson]

I see this all the time

 

I see this type of posting on scriptlance as well. At least this guy wants a guarantee.

 

People are desperate as like PT Barnum said theres a sucker born evey minute.

[hutcheson]

The ethical editors catch a lot of these, but may not catch them all. Any that you find and report will be appreciated.