Dmoz Bye Bye

When did you try submitting? If it was the last couple of weeks (anytime after October 20) then it wasn't telling you to retry in a few hours, more like a few days. dmoz has been down since the 20th of October and the version you say right now at dmoz.org is a static copy which is at best a couple weeks out dated. Until the server issues are fixed, attempting to suggest a url will only return the following message:

 

Almost 2 weeks and a hardware problem is not fixed yet.

Incompetent Admins, incompetent staff.

DMOZ = incompetent of the world unite.

 

I suspect it was something much less fascinating like it takes a while to order the new equipment, get someone to install it all, check to make sure that nothing else is wrong then restore all the files back to the new equipment. That of course is just speculation too, could be any number of things.

 

Squirrels are hibernating so it's back to hamsters.

 

I understand, IBM has problems with the design of special super computers that can run DMOZ non search-able database and they have delayed the delivery.

 

Well then that would explain why IBM has started kidnapping people.

 

No, it is more like the delivery service doesn't care how fast you need the equipment, only how fast they will deliver depending on what you paid for shipping.

 

This is AOL we are talking about - they will have servers coming out of their ears and be on a daily delivery run from the suppliers under punative service level agreements. And more server technicians than they know what to do with. This is no ordinary server fault.

 

At least someone has a brain.

The amount of time it has taken, can suggest 2 possible alternatives:

1) AOL considers DMOZ a dead end project and doesn't care one way or another to set in the necessary resources.

Or

2) They have finally waken up to how bad the situation is and taken away the editors access as first step to clean up and possibly try to find a solution for the whole DMOZ.

 

Sounds like both of you are using your brains for a change!!! ROFL!
Tears in eyes for laughing so hard.

 

You know I had this car a few years back that blew an engine. Had it towed in and the mechanic was able to order a rebuilt engine replacement. Waited a couple of weeks (expected) for the motor to arrive an get installed. The mechanic called me and let me know the new motor was in and the car was good to go. I picked the car up and was pleased it fired right up and ran great. Then 3/4 of the way home the transmission went out. At least the radio worked while I waited for the tow truck. I don't know what the delays are, and even if someone told me I probably wouldn't understand it anyway but it is entirely possible that one problem led to another and rather than slap things back together quickly, things are being tested to make sure its not up again-down again.

Just a possibility.

 

At least part of your post makes sense.

 

I figured you might understand that part of it.

 

Words to live by lol...

DMOZ is based of their own criteria, e.g. Amount of alien abductions the night before, whether or not they saw a unicorn on their way into the office, what size of condom they have to buy, among numerous other very important web related factors.

Sorry I just can't resist, I've never seen a festering fungus allowed to live for so long.

 

Huh !!! You mean AOL used the regular mail via the Postal Office ? How cheap.

Its called the ODP-MVI and no vaccine has been invented yet.

 

Your message did not reach some or all of the intended recipients.

Subject: DMOZ
Sent: 11/1/2006 3:41 PM

The following recipient(s) could not be reached:

on 11/3/2006 3:46 PM
Could not deliver the message in the time limit specified. Please retry or contact your administrator.

 

Yeah, it's called "original content", a concept sadly only understood by about 1% of webmasters. The rest think they can slap together affiliate links and plagiarise other sites onto a nice looking template and DMOZ owes them a listing. What is the point of slick marketing and glossy packaging if, when you open the box, there is nothing inside.

Well parts of DMOZ are certainly festering and populated by fungi. Mostly in the Adult branch. And I would have happily have buried it at birth. But is this not worthwhile? Or this. Or this. Or this? Because those are the areas that editors are actually interested in. Not the latest wannabee SEO site. Not more e-cards or ringtones or drop-ship collapsible ladder retailers. Not global generic directories with 3 listings of sites owned by the webmaster. Sites that actually add some value to human existence are what DMOZ exists for.

 

There I agree. But even though the existence of human and the human ways and means that is of NO VALUE perhaps should not be included also in some sub-categories of this.

 

LOL - you don't actually think anyone reads that mail box even when the server is working? It must get tens of thousands of junk emails every day.

I'll try and explain it simply. A server these days is not some very expensive and difficult to replace item. A company such as AOL, an Internet based business, will have hundreds of servers at its disposal along with a full spares inventory from full servers to every conceivable component. Even if it runs out of a component then it's supplier relationships will ensure it is restocked immediately. I just got a quote for a new server with bells and whistles - translates to $5000. DMOZ was already on multiple servers so if the editor server went down they could simply move everything across to one of the public servers, or use a company spare, or get a new one in a day or two. Have you ever heard of any other AOL service being down for more than 2 weeks as a result of a server fault?

Therefore the concept that this is a server fault is simply not credible. Unless AOL has unrelated problems it is treating as a priority and no-one is bothering to work on the DMOZ fault. But DMOZ is so secretive and so averse to telling things straight it wouldn't tell you a fuse had blown but invent some other story. It is typical of a management style that believes that telling the truth is somehow disruptive and damaging. Whereas most other organisations have found that telling it straight is strangely liberating and faults and errors liable to be forgiven.

 

Some things can get complicated but they really are working on it. Honest!