Uderstanding Reviewer Comments

[Swaraj]

Hello,

 

I had recently applied for editor with username-swaraj. Yesterday I got rejection mail with useful reviewer comment :

 

The category you applied for does not contain any listings. Many categories in the directory exist to allow linking to related categories, but are not intended to have their own listings. Others are destined to be forever quite small, and therefore do not not allow a new editor sufficient opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the editing process - something that is necessary for editors to gain further editing privileges. Please select a somewhat larger category; categories with 15-70 listings are a good choice.

 

I want to request metas to help me understand the Reviewer Comments better.

 

In the mail it is said that the category I applied for(http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/India/Gujarat/Localities/Gandhidham/) doesn't have any listing, but if you check it, it really have listings. Then it was said that such categories are not made to have listings of their own but to provide listing to other categories, but if you see the category it has its own listing and the category falls under "Localities", then I guess it really requires listings, it will help people using the directory to let them know about sites related to their locality. Moreover it has "Become an Editor" button, though I am not taking it as a point, it might be due to some programming mistake or some other matter.

 

I am not questioning reviewers decision, I respect it and therefore have applied again while keeping in mind his/her comments but I just want help from meta to understand his/her comment better.

 

Thank you.

[pvgool]

was this the only comment or was it just one of a list of several comments

 

we often use a list of common mistakes

of this list one or more apply

to determine which mistake(s) you made is part of the process, it is similar to tasks editors will have to do on a daily base

 

if it was the only comment (which I am unable to determine) I also do not understand it

[Swaraj]

Even you didn't understand it ? This was the only comment. Can you have a look on my app. ?

[jimnoble]

You did indeed apply for that category and it does indeed have three listings.

 

However, the third sentence onwards are correct and are intended to advise you what to do next, particularly Please select a somewhat larger category; categories with 15-70 listings are a good choice.

[Swaraj]

Yes, by keeping that in mind, I have applied again and waiting for reply but what I actually want to say - Since I am living in that locality, I am well sure, if I am given a chance to moderate that category, I can easily make listing upto 30 sites. I live here, its an industrial area, many businesses, institutions, NGOs etc are missing in the directory hence I think instead of suggesting me to apply for another category(which isn't wrong) I should be given chance to edit this one. The reviewer is not wrong in saying so because s/he isn't living here but I think this category can have at least 20 more SIMILAR listing, according to me. If the reason for not allowing me edit this category is something else, then no problem, I am just want to make web a better place, DMOZ makes me eligible to do that and will go according to its rule

[Swaraj]

15-100 is good choice but I recently applied for a category with 13 listings, that makes any difference ?

[pvgool]

we are not so strict as to not accept people for categories with less than 15 listings

[Swaraj]

I love the flexibility of DMOZ. I am excitedly waiting for reply to my application.

[Swaraj]

I wanted to LEARN about review process. Yesterday my application got a reply(with useful comment) as early as within 8 hours. For my next application, I haven't got any reply yet.

 

I just wanted to learn do group of metas review the application of different categories ? I mean if I applied for - http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/India/Gujarat/ and got rejected and then applied for http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/India/Maharashtra/ , will my application be forwarded to same group of metas or some other meta ? What I want to know is - All the applications which are for categories which fall under http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/India/ are reviewed by same metas( metas who are expert of India) or it depends on category I select within /Regional/Asia/India/ ?

 

Just curious to know

[jimnoble]

All applications sit in a common pool. Our volunteer meta editors evaluate whatever applications they want and feel competent to do so. It's not a queue as such. I wouldn't volunteer to evaluate one in German for example because my language skills aren't good enough.

[Swaraj]

Okay, so they aren't actually forwarded anywhere but remain at same place and are kept 'untouched' until an meta editor with expertise in that category picks up the application himself, correct ?

 

Is there list of such 'non-general' categories ? Or Can I learn that whether the category I applied for (http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/India/Uttar_Pradesh/Government/) is a 'general' category, I mean any meta editor, if s/he wishes, can pick my application up and review, for example you yourself or does it fall in those 'non-general' categories where most of the metas which don't have expertise in the topic will not touch my application ?

 

#JustLearning, after all I am sure I too will be an editor one day.

[Swaraj]

P.S. - I don't like pestering this forum again and again, I just find learning about DMOZ interesting. There is no need to increase your work load by answering my not-so-important questions, if not necessary. If even being a non-editor I can enjoy learning how DMOZ works then I wonder how much fun and learning it would be after becoming an editor. But ultimately, we all are here to do something good for the web community and world wide web. I hope I get approval this time.

[pvgool]

All editor applications can be reviewed by all meta's.

It is the choice of each meta whih applications he/she will review.

Some will only review appliations in certain languages

others might limit themself to certain topics

As all meta's are volunteers like all editors they also have things to do outside DMOZ which might influence the time they spend on DMOZ

[Swaraj]

Do moderators of this forum have power to review applications ?

[pvgool]

Only DMOZ Meta editors can review applications (as has been mentioned several times already)

Although some of the RZ moderators are also DMOZ meta editor there is no speific relation between the two functions.

[Swaraj]

Thank you everyone for your support, now I am proud Editor at DMOZ.

[jimnoble]

Gratz. I've updated your status here.

(You'll no longer be able to post in this thread.)