DMOZ reopened - has anyone been added? Post in Here!

Hi all,

its funny, I posted a topic exactly like this on another webmaster forum.

I was told by some one who is an editor of DMOZ and a STRONG support (I mean a actively strong supporter...every complaint that goes up in that forum, expect to see this editor replying first with a excuse).

He told me to just submit and forget.

He also stated that most sites being listed are sites editors find themselves...and he said that MOST EDITORS add new sites by finding it themselves through search engines.

A quote by him:

I think people should honestly just submit and forget like he said. Theres no point of getting your hopes up....in the end it'll take a bit of luck to get listed inside a popular category.

 

"Where did you go to school? The University of the Bleeding Obvious?" ~ John Cleese

 

Well that's me, carguygarage, and I just joined this board because I can't believe this ranting thread. I haven't toured the rest of digitalpoint.com yet, but I hope this thread is the one and only black eye.

I wanted to get my site listed in the DMOZ. There wasn't an editor for the category I submitted my site to; the category I submitted to was the closest related category I could find. I submitted the site and applied to become the editor of the category. I fully disclosed that I run carguygarage.com in my application; I can't imagine someone being an editor of the DMOZ without having a web site.

I got an email back in a couple days saying that not only was I approved to be an editor, but that a new category was being created because my site didn't really fit anywhere else.

Unfortunatly the DMOZ had some technical problems about a month after I became an editor, and it's still not fully recovered. I actually applied to become the editor of a few other categories just yesterday, but it looks like there's still some technical problems that are being sorted out because I got error messages. It's my understanding that once AOL took over the DMOZ and figured out that it's not a revenue generating investment, the staff was cut – someone told me it's 2 people running the whole site now, but I don't know how true that is.

Personally, there's a bunch of weird buttons that I have access to that I'm still trying to figure out, and I've invested quite a bit of time reading and trying to understand what I'm doing as an editor. Not to mention that the DMOZ web site is going through technical problems. I'm not trying to be a cynnical editor; I'm involved in a few other open source projects and understand what I've been honored with as an editor, but I'm also new here and doing the best I can.

What really annoys me about this thread is how everyone is ranting about how the DMOZ sucks. Maybe it's because I remember when the DMOZ was created, but it's painful to watch a bunch of people sit around and kick a creature that is just asking for help.

 

can you say corrupt editor ???? I thought that editors were striclty forbidden from having a commerical website ????

Maybe we should all aply to become editors of our own categories

P.S if you didnt get my sarcasm then let me put it plainly. It is a COMPLETE conflict of interest to edit a category that your own website is listed in. This is the sort of stuff thats wrong with DMOZ

 

Well strip me of my title if I can't be an editor. I was just trying to help.

 

Well, at least you're honest about your motivations.

Perhaps you should poll some of your fellow editors. Many do not in fact have websites and pride themselves on that fact.

How very cooperative of them.

Perhaps you should read some of other threads here about various obvious problems with DMOZ and its policies, some of them started or posted by retired editors, before you dismiss the criticisms as nonsense in a knee-jerk evangelistic sweat.

 

Here's the rule book --
http://dmoz.org/help/become.html#tips

 

well thats fine but you still have a massive conflict of interest in editing your OWN category. So let me ask you this, now that you are aware that its a conflict and that it opens you up to question of integrity (like you didnt know before) then will you recuse yourself from editing or ask to be assigned a different category ?????

 

I'm glad to find a board that has retired editors, and I'm sure they know a lot more about the DMOZ than I ever will. From what I read in this thread, it sounded more like a bunch of people just complaining -- and from my experience with the DMOZ, the complaining didn't seem justified.

I came here finding this thread off a search engine. I explained my situation, and I now get told that I'm corrupt? If I was so corrupt, why would I feel the need to justify myself on a web site I've never even heard of to people I don't even know?

---- this feels like a slashdot discussion, and I can tell that this thread will go forever if I keep posting back. I can tell I'm not welcome in this community and won't be coming back.

 

Perhaps you'll feel more at home in the "Let's make fun of DigitalPoint" forum at The Resourceless Zone.

 

So I guess thats not an answer to thinking about recusing yourself from that category and editing elsewhere ?????

 

that would bring editor base to like dozen persons (not that it is lot higher right now)

nothing stops you

why? most categories I've edited had deeplink to my little 2000 pages multilanguage website (TM) before I even become editor and I still managed to add almost 500 new unique websites to DMOZ since I was well familiar with existing websites for those topics - not everyone is an *******

you know you sound like long time Meta or Editall who sees conflict of interest everywhere and anyone who owns a website even if it is about his pet parrot is suspect, if you aren't then you should definitely apply directly for these position

 

You've made it clear that you know almost nothing about the ODP. There is nothing forbidden about an editor having a commercial website. All your attacks on carguygarage are way off base.

Before you attack someone so viciously you should be sure of your facts. carguygarage is right and you are wrong. Are you man enough to apologize?

 

It is not a conflict of interest as long as you treat the site you're affiliated with the same as other sites in the category.

This includes listing sites, titling them, describing them, and delisting when necessary.

Additionally, if you are affiliated with a site - you may not ask another editor to review your site if it belongs in a category other than the one you edit in.

 

About half of my sites get listed in in dmoz but it doesn't really bother me. They either get in or not. . not a big deal and not worth wasting time or emotion ranting over . . .

I do agree that the attacks on carguygarage are unwarranted. He's involved and knowledgeable about his space which is what the odp needs a lot more of.

You may want to consider lobbying for multiple editors in each category. If an editor objects to a listing OR no listing, bump it up to the next level - let the editors vote. It would help solve some of the "they are all corrupt" threads you find around the web.

btw. . Fantastic ODP profile page - imagine - a geek with a real life

 

What??? are you serious. He edits a category where the only site is his and its a commerical site ???? If you dont think that's a conflict of interest then im really dissapointed in you. You should be asking questions like why hasn't he added any other sites in that category?

If this is the pervasive attitude at DMOZ, that all is fair when owning a commercial website in a category that you edit, then im afraid that DMOZ was even more corrupt than I first thought and maybe that Meta was right about you and your motives.

I'm sorry but your comments make me sit up and ask why.

 

So you go from attacking carguygarage to attacking compostannie - what a superb way to "win friends and influence people". Did you happen to notice my post where I said pretty much the same thing she did? I don't think you'll find too many editors who don't feel exactly the same way - especially since it's part of the guidelines.

Now I believe an apology is in order for annie also.

 

Before you go too far asking for apologies, lmocr, how about addressing the question. If this is true, why is the only site in that category the site belonging to the editor?

 

There are 12 sites in that category. That editor has added more than just the one site. (ETA - in addition there are seven sites listed elsewhere that are included as a subcategory in that category).

Is that enough addressing of the question?

 

Nice little twist of the facts. http://dmoz.org/Shopping/Home_and_Garden/Garage/

1 site listed there and it belongs to the editor.

Yes there are other sites in other categories but onely 1 there and at the bottom of the cat it says editor carguygarage.