Is there any way to get quickly listed in dmoz?

Yeah, it makes perfect sense! With all those sites waiting to get listed, you still need to follow the rules set by Dmoz. Thanks for all the valuable info.

 

Nail.
Hit.
On.
The.
Head.

When I first started out editing (oooh, sounds like a trip down memory lane for someone who has been doing it a while, although it's not, I'm a complete amateur!) I was genuinely under the impression I would receive a lot of submissions from the public and would easily find suitable sites. This impression was formed through reading many a thread on many an internet forum about how someone's great site was submitted but nothing has come of it (yet). How wrong was I.

The sheer level of garbage submitted sometimes leads you to despair. I deal with the general public on a daily basis, and the unshakeable ability that such a large proportion of the public have at misreading (or not reading) a guideline, terms, conditions, prices and so on is sometimes wearing.

I have all but given up on using submissions as a good way of building my assigned categories. So, as crowbar has stated, a good website with a well written submission is very, very likely to be listed very quickly. I have even contacted website owners who have submitted their otherwise good sites but for a flaw with details of what they need to put right so that it can be listed. In not one instance have they rectified the issue or contacted me back (I don't use my dmoz name or email, but a disposable one).

Precisely. Anyone who edits a category will know, the amount of work is not insignificant for a large category. It's unpaid work done for the enjoyment of it; don't make it any more difficult for the editor than it needs to be!

 

I wish there was a quicker way. They are soooo slow!

 

On the other hand, in many cases they (we) are far ahead of schedule - depending on your point of view. Thousands of sites are listed, even before someone took the time to suggest them.

 

When comparing that to the sites submitted and listed would you consider it two steps forward and one step back, or one step forward and two steps back?

 

I submitted my main computer services site back last year (April 2007) and it took around 4 months to get listed.

I can understand where the editors problems arise, as there must be loads of rubbish sites being submitted on a daily basis - the advice being given out all over the web is to 'submit your site to DMOZ', amongst the other stuff.

It takes time, there is little you can do about that.
If your site does not meet their criteria/standards, then it is a lottery as to whether or not you get sumitted.

Why would you want to submit your site, if it is not up to standard? The efforts should be redirected into improving your site in the first place.

My 2p worth, from a happy submitter

 

It's not about being up to standards, it's about building categories that are a useful resource for a person interested in a specific Topic or Geographic area. The design and skill of the webmaster is of no importance, only what content is on the site, compared to the content already in the category is important.

We want ten books with different content (no matter what the book looks like), not ten beautifully made books with the same content, . That's why we don't want every site that is available, only those that make the category itself better.

 

I really REALLY wish you guys would all make up your minds. Are there or are there not standards? Half the time half of the editors here seem to claim there are, the other half seem to think there are no such things as guidelines.

Most of the time "content" is mentioned though, so maybe the page after page after page of "standards" needs to be stripped from DMOZ and the only thing that should remain is "content" and "editors pages & affiliates".

 

What crowbar (I think) is making reference to is that fact that the website need not be a pretty place; it needs first and foremost to be functional, with relevant content (and not regurgitated from another website). Imagine lots of very clean, beautiful looking Ferrari with no running gear whatsoever (no engine, no steering components, no braking system). You need to get from A to B (and no photos are required!).

 

More like three steps forward. A lot of good sites are added and some of them are even from public suggestions.