ambrose Posted October 9, 2009 Posted October 9, 2009 I have a web site with roughly 600 pages of my own content, all created by me, all closely related, all of high quality, and all useful in it's own niche. None of it has ever been spammed anywhere, ever, and I have taken great care to write a complete, impartial, and concise description, even going so far as to take it to a professor at my university to get it to be as professional and objective as possible. It complies completely with the submission guidelines, not even any that have to be applied loosely, even though I disagree with many of your guidelines. It does not distribute spyware, has very few, limited advertisements that not even everybody sees, and I have taken pains to make it easy to use and pretty. Why, then in a sparsely populated category for independent game publishers, which I clearly am, can I, a responsible and knowledgeable Internet user who does not plagiarize nor spam and has a great deal of high quality content never get listed?
Meta Eric-the-Bun Posted October 9, 2009 Meta Posted October 9, 2009 Because the directory relies on volunteer effort. The reason it is not listed is probably that no one has reviewed it yet. When an editor looks at that category (and we can't tell when that will be) your suggestion will be waiting for them. Note that there are nearly 600,000 categories and perhaps some 3000 active editors. Look at the FAQs and other similar threads for more information. regards Though I am a volunteer editor, my opinions do not constitute an official Curlie statement. :o I reserve the right to be human and make mistakes. :o Private messages asking for submission status or preferential treatment will be ignored.
ambrose Posted October 9, 2009 Author Posted October 9, 2009 I'm also kind of offended that you think I didn't read the FAQ, either. That is not what I would call good practice, insulting me. Or, for that matter, that I am unfamiliar with the scope of the ODP.
Meta Eric-the-Bun Posted October 9, 2009 Meta Posted October 9, 2009 could be - depending on where an editor is working in relation to the ctegory, might be longer. At the moment I'm working in a particular area so sites suggested there will be added in a matter of days or weeks. But in a month I'm planning on moving to nother area where there are sites that have been waiting for more than 2 years. Though I am a volunteer editor, my opinions do not constitute an official Curlie statement. :o I reserve the right to be human and make mistakes. :o Private messages asking for submission status or preferential treatment will be ignored.
ambrose Posted October 9, 2009 Author Posted October 9, 2009 Plus, I check the category regularly. I have seen people listed much more recently than my submission, and like I said, the location is underpopulated.
Meta Eric-the-Bun Posted October 9, 2009 Meta Posted October 9, 2009 Suggesting you looked at the FAQs was not meant to be insulting as there are sections that answer your question i.e. How long until my site will be reviewed? regards Though I am a volunteer editor, my opinions do not constitute an official Curlie statement. :o I reserve the right to be human and make mistakes. :o Private messages asking for submission status or preferential treatment will be ignored.
ambrose Posted October 9, 2009 Author Posted October 9, 2009 It is insulting because it means that you think I cannot call you on corruption! I see new sites listed in this category, some of which are actually much younger than mine, and you people never list it. I don't know what that says to you, but it says to me that there is some deliberation involved here and I cannot comprehend what could possibly exclude me from this listing.
Meta Eric-the-Bun Posted October 9, 2009 Meta Posted October 9, 2009 It is insulting because it means that you think I cannot call you on corruption!I don't see the connection between pointing you to information and corruption. We are not a listing service. The bottom line is that probably no one has looked at your site yet, and yes, it could be two or more years before someone does. Though I am a volunteer editor, my opinions do not constitute an official Curlie statement. :o I reserve the right to be human and make mistakes. :o Private messages asking for submission status or preferential treatment will be ignored.
ambrose Posted October 9, 2009 Author Posted October 9, 2009 I'd gladly become an editor there, too, if your system needs so many volunteers. I am an expert on the subject.
ambrose Posted October 9, 2009 Author Posted October 9, 2009 It is corrupt because I know for a fact that sites have been reviewed and added in this category, but I can't squeeze a straight answer out of any of you as to why mine, which clearly meets and far exceeds your stated expectations of quality, has not. If somebody reviews one site a day, maybe, maybe i can understand. But then he has no business being an editor for a junior high newspaper, much less dmoz.
Meta Eric-the-Bun Posted October 9, 2009 Meta Posted October 9, 2009 We are always pleased to welcome people willing to help build the directory and having a site in the category of interest is no barrier to joining. There is a section in the FAQ on becoming an editor and more infrmation can be found about the roles of editors in the About section of the directory itself. Looking through the 'Becoming an Editor' thread can also yield useful information. regards Though I am a volunteer editor, my opinions do not constitute an official Curlie statement. :o I reserve the right to be human and make mistakes. :o Private messages asking for submission status or preferential treatment will be ignored.
Meta hutcheson Posted October 9, 2009 Meta Posted October 9, 2009 I see new sites listed in this category, some of which are actually much younger than mine, and you people never list it. Someday, an editor will visit your site. What do you want to happen then? Do you want the editor to say, "this site LOOKS OK, but I can't list it now, not until I've made sure that all sites that are older have already been listed ... and since I know no way to gain that assurance, I'd better not ever list it"? Or do you want the editor to say, "this site looks OK, it apparently has significant unique content, so I'll list it"? You're apparently assuming that the only conceivable way for the editors to work is #1 (with a possible side order of corruption). The good news is that what you want the editors to do, is what the editors actually do, and therefore there's no need to suspect corruption.
ambrose Posted October 9, 2009 Author Posted October 9, 2009 Never got any answers that way either, pal. I applied when I was 14, again when I was 19, and again a week ago. Yes, 14. I was learning C when the other kids were still in pre-algebra. I have never so much as received a reply, except for the automated system. I really, really hope that this latest one comes through. I like the resource you have. I do. It's easy, it works, it doesn't focus on eyecandy. It functions well. It's the people, I have come to be convinced, that suck.
ambrose Posted October 9, 2009 Author Posted October 9, 2009 Since I can't post a URL here, do you want a PM so you can see the very very obvious conclusion that my content is unique and of more than sufficient quality?
Meta Eric-the-Bun Posted October 9, 2009 Meta Posted October 9, 2009 It is corrupt because I know for a fact that sites have been reviewed and added in this category, How any editor chooses to work is a mystery - I tend to work in one area at a time systematically. Others choose to do a bit here and there. It may be that these sites were suggested before yours, it may be they were misplaced and were moved, they could have been added by a single editor or several, and so on. When a site gets added is a bit of a lottery. but I can't squeeze a straight answer out of any of you as to why mine, which clearly meets and far exceeds your stated expectations of quality, has not. you've had one If somebody reviews one site a day, maybe, maybe i can understand. But then he has no business being an editor for a junior high newspaper, much less dmoz. This week I've reviewed no sites at all - should I resign? Being a volunteer means you offer whatever you can manage so sometimes that could be several hours a day for weeks - other times real life intervenes and there is no time. Some people manage a few hours a month. How much time you can put in is not important, what is important is that without the editor who reviews one site a month, the directory would be smaller by 1 site a month. (and it might be your site that they would have reviewed) Though I am a volunteer editor, my opinions do not constitute an official Curlie statement. :o I reserve the right to be human and make mistakes. :o Private messages asking for submission status or preferential treatment will be ignored.
Meta Eric-the-Bun Posted October 9, 2009 Meta Posted October 9, 2009 content is unique and of more than sufficient quality? No need, I accept your word. There are millions of sites that are suitable for listing in the directory. Do the maths - 3000 editors, 600,000 categories, x million unreviewed sites, 4million listings of which at least 5% are year need work done on them. To save you asking - no, there is no way to speed up or guarentee reviews. Though I am a volunteer editor, my opinions do not constitute an official Curlie statement. :o I reserve the right to be human and make mistakes. :o Private messages asking for submission status or preferential treatment will be ignored.
ambrose Posted October 9, 2009 Author Posted October 9, 2009 I do appreciate your honesty, and I realize I asked for a straight answer, and I often find myself thinking I ought to be more careful what I wish for, but This week I've reviewed no sites at all - should I resign? YES! God almighty if I attended the elementary school where I volunteer that seldom they would probably find a way to prosecute me for negligence! How can you ask that!?!
ambrose Posted October 9, 2009 Author Posted October 9, 2009 To save you asking - no, there is no way to speed up or guarentee reviews. I already know that. I'm just disgusted by my findings here. Not least of which(digusting findings) being you.
Meta Eric-the-Bun Posted October 9, 2009 Meta Posted October 9, 2009 YES! God almighty if I attended the elementary school where I volunteer that seldom they would probably find a way to prosecute me for negligence! How can you ask that!?!If you volunteer to turn up at a certain time and fulfill certain duties and don't, then you are not doing what you promised. Editors only volunteer to do what they can - I believe the minimum is 1 edit every 4 months. I only volunteered to look after a single category and all the other stuff I do is therefore, technically, a bonus. Last month I listed over 400 sites This week I am concentrating on a category problem (ie maintenance) which involves research into an industry I need to know more about before looking at the sites. There is a lot more to a directory than just listing sites. Though I am a volunteer editor, my opinions do not constitute an official Curlie statement. :o I reserve the right to be human and make mistakes. :o Private messages asking for submission status or preferential treatment will be ignored.
ambrose Posted October 9, 2009 Author Posted October 9, 2009 Why isn't somebody who already has the knowledge working on it? Or somebody maintaining an upper level category that contains it? If you are such a person, you probably are not an expert. Any Ph.D. Behavioral Psychologist can still tell an undergrad everything he wants to know about psychodynamics. Those people are experts. I am an expert on roleplaying games, but I know probability theory, statistics, game theory economics, fantasy and science fiction from 1860-present, and the literature surrounding Merlin like the back of my hand. I do this so I can do my job well. You can't tell me that with 3000 so-called experts there isn't a guy who can take care of a maintenance issue. On my site, I clear up maintenance issues the second I find them, or they are reported to me.
ambrose Posted October 9, 2009 Author Posted October 9, 2009 Literally. I wrote a miniature z-score table on the back of my hand so I could study my intro to stats work my freshman year. I can now convert them to a percentile from memory.
Editall/Catmv makrhod Posted October 9, 2009 Editall/Catmv Posted October 9, 2009 Why isn't somebody ... Ah yes, a familiar refrain. What it means is "I do not want to offer my time to help a volunteer project, but I have plenty of time to insult and berate those that do." If you had actually read the FAQ and public documents to which you were very politely directed, you would understand. As you patently do not, we can safely assume you did not. Or perhaps the concept of volunteering is merely incomprehensible. Either way, being rude to people about how they spend their hobby time seems like a strangely pointless activity. But each to their own, I guess. FAQ about becoming a volunteer ODP editor. I edit for the ODP and support those guidelines at all times, but my opinions are my own.
Meta hutcheson Posted October 9, 2009 Meta Posted October 9, 2009 Why isn't somebody who already has the knowledge working on it? This is the sort of question that is hard to answer. Do YOU have a list of all the people in the world with "that kind of knowledge" on each of half-a-million topics? And do YOU know why each of those qualified people does whatever it is that they do? To the best of my knowledge, no ODP editor (or AOL employee) has such a list. But without that list, who could answer your question? Or somebody maintaining an upper level category that contains it? Most high-level editors move around a lot--rather than focusing on one single (medium-to-large) category, they work a lot on specific topics that interest them, and a little bit on topics that don't deeply disturb them, and not at all on the rest. A high-level editor isn't "assigned" to do a set amount of work on a particular category -- he's "trusted and empowered" to work "anywhere he thinks he can do a good job." Sometimes the "place I can do a good job" is something I already know well. Sometimes I don't know much about it (but I want to learn). Occasionally it's a subject I don't really care about at all, but I don't mind helping out a bit. With a few thousand active editors, and a few hundred thousand categories, the majority (70-90%) of categories are, at best, in the "don't mind helping out a bit" class -- for all editors.
ambrose Posted October 9, 2009 Author Posted October 9, 2009 Pot calls the kettle black. More like teacup, we already discussed why this is so unacceptable and how I already tried to become an editor. Several times. I received no replies. That's pretty rude, too, huh. Ever. And in the meantime, 'volunteering' and 'hobby' are at least words that imply interest in the activity.
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