How do I get on DMOZ?

All good advice. But that said, this is still my primary beef with DMOZ:

And before everyone jumps in, yes, I've heard all the official reasons why even generic automated feedback will never happen and, no, I have no illusions that it ever will be implemented, but every time I see this I can't help but think that 90% of the complaints about DMOZ would disappear overnight if this issue were resolved.

Then we'd just have the other issue about lack of relevancy

 

And then we just have the issue of finding something on a comparative scale that has more relevancy.

 

I think I shall call it "Google"

 

LOL Very funny!

 

Relevancy is only relevant to those who find it. - Lawrence Hougland, NetMidWest

 

Dmoz has a lot to put up with though, MOST of the stuff that is submitted is not acceptable, be it spam, or just crap. Then they have to put up with 'bait and switch' tactics, where the content is changed on a site already in the index. It is a massive ship that is truggling to keep afloat for a variety of reasons.

 

OK, I'll bite. People love to criticise the ODP using a single data point, so let me see how I can do. I picked a town at random - Plmouth in Devon in England. I want to find websites for Bed and Breakfast establishments there. I don't want booking sites - I actually want to get in touch with the places themselves.

So I navigate to http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/Uni..._and_Tourism/Accommodation/Bed_and_Breakfast/ and I find 11 listings, all of which function, take me to the place advertised, and all are for B&Bs in Plymouth, Devon. I'd say that was 100% relevant. Does it have EVERY B&B in the place? No. But those that are listed are at least real sites.

I go to Google and type in "bed and breakfast plymouth devon" (without the quotes) and I get 404,000 answers. Most are for booking agencies, or directories across Devon. I have to page down to page 2 before I find the first one. I have to do a lot more work to find what I want. Definitely less than a 100% rate.

Now, I'm sure each person's idea of relevancy is different, and I am sure that each person could probably find areas where Google does better than the ODP. But I am just trying to make the point that blanket statements tend to mask that it's "horses for courses", as the british say.

 

Welsh Rugby in Google gives 1,930,000 results

In DMOZ, a search gives five categories or 30 sites - in this case it's best to start at the categories

Two of the categories look promising

Sports: Football: Rugby Union: Regional: Wales which has 73 sites spread over two sub-cats.

Regional: Europe: United Kingdom: Wales: Recreation and Sports: Rugby
which has 55 sites spread over several sub-categories.

Maybe not all the sites on Welsh Rugby - but it sure beats going through two million trying to find what you want.

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Now if we search for welsh rugby forum then Google gives 1,910,000 results

and DMOZ give us just the one and only best site on the subject



(I used to play middle of the back, but not in Wales)

 

The Dmoz resource on rugby is one of the best in the world I have to say.

nice call to get me onside macdesign lol

 

Try to email the editior of the main root of category, email not just one of the editors that you know related to the category that you have submitted to

 

Be aware that due to a large number of horrible experiences (sometimes culminating in death threats) most editors will not reply to email they get sent, nor will they use it to expedite a site review.

There really isn't anything you can do to make an editor do something with your site. The only advice is to maintain the content on site, or improve it, and wait.

 

well.....my site was submitted to DMOZ in January 2003 for the first time...no response...then in December 2003...no response...then I tried once 6-7 months - still no response. The last time I submited it was August 2005, at the same time with one of our clients' site. Guess what? Right, the client's site was included in 2 weeks, for my site - no response. But I will keep on trying

P.S. I submited it into appropriate category according to the guidelines. My site is for web design company, so no offensive, adult and so on content.

 

Were both sites in the same category? You have to appreciate the sheer volume of numbers of submissions.

 

Julia - you keep mentioning that you didn't get a response - were you expecting one? The ODP does not send out any response to the suggestions that it receives.

 

I have been just as frustrated

 

Anyone wanna start their own directory and call it BMOZ? lol

 

Alucard

response - I meant my site's inclusion. I know that they didn't answer.
In the very beginning I even placed DMOZ's search box on my site hoping that will help me

Old Welsh Guy

no, the sites are of absolutely different themes

 

If the sites were in totally different categories, then there is absolutely no point in making comparisons in the length of time it takes to get accepted. They will have a totally different editor hierachy.

 

why all this fuss about DMOZ? if you are not happy with their working style then forget about it.
I have learnt from my experience- Submit your site to DMOZ and forget about it.
As the OWG said if you done it right sooner or later you'll get accepted, and if not then again forget about it.
as simple as that.

 

Yes. Period.

Dig OWG really say that? I don't think that's necessarily true...