Read about "Team ODP"

That is surely simply correct.

DMOZ cares not about the middleman, the webmaster. It cares about the originator: the content creator.

Yes, some content creators (perhaps far too many) are dependent on webmasters. Others are dependent on blogging services and/or RSS feeds.

But what matters is that the original/unique material is published in some format.

Webmasters can help with that process. Where they do help, they are doing a service to both the original content provider and other web users.

But they could practice just a little more humility, and stop expecting DMOZ to take them any more seriously than they deserve.

 

When I first made my site, all I wanted was to use it as a tool for my business customers. I wasn't really dependant on it to get new business, though I thought it would help do that too, and it really made me angry that I'd actually have to pay some search engine to list me, and with no guarantee that they would.

It made me even angrier when I found out that there were experts charging money to get their clients first in line, ahead of me, in the search results. I'm not sure webmasters are middlemen exactly, they do have a lot of creative, artistic talent, and their knowledge of the Internet is certainly worth something, but, I do consider seo practitioners as middlemen and their services as unfair practices to the disadvantage of ordinary web surfers and site owners.

That does make me angry, just as ticket scalpers do, but I've accepted the fact that the world is a dirty place to deal in, and that there are always those who are going to make their livings by trying to work the systems to their advantage, as seos do.

So the ODP ended up being a breath of fresh air to me.

 

did it ever occur to you that a lot of content creators are webmasters as well? what planet have you been living on?

i remember applying for a dmoz editor position over 8(?) years ago... it was like a subcategory in a category, neither of which had an editor, low traffic niche stuff.

despite being over-qualified for the position, my app was rejected, and no editor was ever put in charge of either the category or the subcategory... and there haven't been any sites added either, lol!

over six months ago i submitted a site to dmoz, never heard a word back, and of course my site never got added either.

this latest round of dmoz ass kissing won't fool those of us who have been around long enough to know how mis-managed it really is.

 

Over qualified? You mean you had an over abundance of honesty, your sample sites were overly qualified to be listed in that category, you understood the Guidelines way too much, your titles and descriptions were way too perfect, and you were overly honest about all of your afilliations?

Because that's all it takes to be qualified, and I'm not sure anyone could be overly qualified in those areas, and still get rejected. I mean we've got kids who edit, and one of them achieved meta status, before he found other interests.

No editor is actually "in charge" of a category, they just have "permission to edit there". I edit every city within the United States, yet my name doesn't appear in any of them, instead I'm listed at the country level.
http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/North_America/United_States/

I question your "over qualified" claim if you don't even understand that an editor edits in all of the categories and sub categories beneath the one he's named in. For me, that means "everything" within the United States, for others, it could mean "everything" within the Directory, and for others, it may be just one small category about their hobby that they have an interest in.

In your first rejection notice, there would have been a generic list of possible reasons you were denied. (Pssst, it's a test to see if you "get it" and are smart enough to figure out and "edit" (fix) your mistake.) Obviously, you weren't. That's usually called "under qualified". lol

 

lol... are we to believe that you are one of those horrible dmoz bureaucrats that has ruined the directory? are you another dharmarucci wannabe who doesn't even know that content creators and webmasters are often the same person? totally out of touch with reality.

i'm always amused by the dmoz notion that anybody can edit any category... you don't have the technical skills to decipher the legitimacy of any website in the subcategory that i applied for, and the fact that you think that you can edit all categories is a tribute to your egomania... plus it's a classic example of why dmoz is the single most hated directory that's ever been on the internet.

btw, there was nothing to "edit" in my dmoz application rejection notice, so i don't know what you are talking about there? but thanks for proving to us that dmoz is more interested in playing games than actually bringing in new editors... rather than deal with that crap, i went on to be an editor at joeant.com instead.

i hope that everyone who reads this can see that NOTHING HAS CHANGED AT THE DMOZ.

 

I can see why you were rejected. Editors don't judge a sites legitimacy any more than they judge a company's legitimacy, we look for unique content on a site that would add value to a category for the sake of the web surfer.

It does help to be familiar with the topic or the geographical area that your category is about, but, it's not totally neccessary. I edit in in a Fishing Charters category, and I know nothing about the topic, itself, but I do know the Guidelines we use to edit by, so it's not a problem. It just takes me a little more time.

Looks like "that crap" worked the way it was supposed to work, and weeded out someone who can't or won't follow instruction. Good luck at joeant.com, I'm sure you'll be a valuable member, .

 

Not all editors can edit in all categories. Only editors who:

1. Have demonstrated (extensively) the ability to edit within the guidelines.
2. Gained enough editing experience to be able to handle working within broader areas.
   and
3. Shown the ability to edit within their own limitations.

Are given the privileges of editing throughout the directory.

Knowledge of the topic is a great help (and most editors even with directory wide permissions, tend to stay within the areas of primary interest to them) but not the determining factor. The Guidelines direct the types of sites that are listable and those that are not. Editors don't police the internet , they simply look at each sites content to ensure its unique and on topic for the category in which it is being considered. Topic knowledge is helpful, but being a topic expert is far from a necessity.

I don't know of any editor who thinks they can edit in every category. I certainly can't and won't. I have only rarely venture into the World categories for example, as my grasp of the languages other than English is very weak. I also avoid Shopping categories like the plague.

Only the most hated amongst certain group-sets of web-users, who either don't understand the purpose of the directory or have some ill-conceived notion that a directory listing is more important than it really is.

New editors are joined every day, bringing in new editors is the focus of many of the Meta editors. Unfortunately an application has to be able to demonstrate the potential of being able to understand and follow the guidelines. If an application shows no attempt at having read or try to understand and follow them its likely to be rejected. I am also an editor at joeant (well I have an account and have logged a few edits but not a lot) and they evaluate an new editors ability to edit within their guidelines, they just go about it a little differently from DMOZ. Rather than asking you to demonstrate an ability to do the work properly before accepting you, they accept everyone and then rely on others who have proven the ability to edit properly, to check each edit a new editor makes until they get it right. Its different and it works for some. Thats joeants way and it works for them, there is room for all kinds and their way should not bother anyone who prefers it differently. There is nothing wrong with either IMO. Frankly I found joeant pretty enjoyable as well, but in the end I decided that I didn't want to volunteer time as much in that environment and frankly the editor to editor interaction is a lot closer at dmoz making the experience more enjoyable to me.

I think everyone who reads this will see it for what its worth, no more no less.

 

once again you prove that the dmoz bureaucrats are too incompetent to understand what is important in a directory.

pay attention this time, maybe it will sink in: "unique content" that presents the wrong factual information is NOT good for a directory that wants to be an internet reference source.

fortunately the internet has self-corrected your stupidity to some extent with wikipedia, wherein a group of individuals with knowledge of the subject matter may or may not be able to chop out the porn and spam garbage that you have allowed into dmoz.

wrong, your exact words were "there would have been a generic list of possible reasons you were denied. (Pssst, it's a test to see if you "get it" "

you just proved to us that dmoz is deliberately hassling applicants who want to help fix the mess that you created.

NOTHING HAS CHANGED AT THE DMOZ.

 

Plenty changes all the time. They have a new blog and captcha

 

just admit it, knowledge of the subject matter is not any kind of a factor at all, period, as that crowbar character just proved ... dmoz doesn't care how much its editors know about anything.

next you'll be telling us that all those claims of bribery and corruption could happen to any directory, lol

NOTHING HAS CHANGED AT THE DMOZ.

 

lol... this is rather like shooting fish in a barrel, isn't it?

 

If you can't handle something as simple as the application, you wouldn't make a very good editor, because you have to do the same thing as an editor. Some editors have to try several times, before they get it right. I wouldn't say it was harrassment, we're just a little selective.

No need to be bitter because the bar isn't laid on the ground, for you, .

 

go ahead, keep on with the personal attacks, you are proving everything that i've said about the dmoz.

your childish behavior in this thread tells us all that we need to know about dmoz editors.

NOTHING HAS CHANGED AT THE DMOZ.

 

How many times was your application rejected?

 

I think the problem with forums, emails, etc. is that someone can mean something entirely different than how it is taken or read.

I don't think crowbar was attacking anyone, just stating a fact. The application is fairly simple yet requires the applicant to notice the details that are required when editing the directory but only covers the basics. Much much more is needed when become and editor depending on your permissions and category.

 

DMOZ does not act as a internet policing system , thus it does not check the "facts" before listing it .... what maybe be wrong for one is often right for another , thus it only acts as a Resource .

think of something little , yes ... knowledge is substantially important . thing of something large .... in depth knowledge of all the nitty gritty becomes less important but adherence to the Rules and regulations , policies become paramount .

However I have to agree with you ... every day still several self proclaimed experts get rejected and run over to other web forums to rant about how they have been wronged by the big bad wolf .

NOTHING HAS CHANGED AT DMOZ ... if thats all thats the problem, THANK GOD NOTHING HAS CHANGED

 

A future Meta in the making and would very well fit in RZ. Criminal minds works the same.

Noobs.

 

Takes one to know one

 

i only applied to the dmoz once, but i had also been an editor at another major directory that actually had you take an exam of sorts to get in... i believe that it was look.com?? i'm going back 6+(?) years with that, most people out here haven't been on the 'net long enough to know what i'm referring to.

so i had directory experience; my sites were and still are leaders in their niche.

fortunately google has put dmoz in its place, how often do you see dmoz listings in the search results? it's been years since i've seen even one click from my dmoz listings, it's completely worthless as a traffic source, lol

 

yes, there is no question in my mind that some people in this thread find the dmoz editor position to be mentally challenging ;-) unless of course you were referring to bribery as "much much much more is needed"

at least we agree on something