news from a DMOZ editor

A DMOZ e-mailed me today in response to a question I had.

He pointed me to his blog and here are some insightful thoughts on DMOZ

http://www.texttechnologies.com/2007/02/06/fact-and-fiction-dmoz-and-the-odp/

 

So new submissions are ending up in "Recycle Bin"? Forum back to 1999?

Paranoia is still there so nothing has changed since I've been there. Now I'm taking bets on how long until this editor is removed.

To win Jackpot you have to correctly guess which reason will be used as excuse for removal, Meta's are not allowed to participate because that would be Conflict of Interests.

• Repeat failure to comply with the guidelines
• Inability to function well within the Open Directory community
• Poor editing
• Uncivil behavior
• Violation of ODP forum and email privacy
• Self-promotion - site cooling and title or description manipulation
• Tampering with competitors' listings
• Spamming the directory

P.S.
There is that little problem that only Meta can access the reason for removal so Jackpot winner will be declared on the day when this information becomes public - I promise to keep all bets save in my pocket until then.

 

I've never had a problem getting my sites into dmoz...but that doesn't mean there isn't any funny business going on over there ;-)

 

Does anyone else think its such a shame to see a great directory wallowing in a crock of sh*t

Would anyone much rather it be paid? I know I would like an express submit option or something similar as waiting years and never getting any notice of what happened whether accepted or rejected is so lame for one of the top two directories in the word.

Just my rant

 

Tell me about it, each time I want to add link to DMOZ category at Wikipedia I realize it is pointless since it totally out of date and now I find out that links I've been submitting to my former categories in hopes of at lest keeping them alive are stuck in Recycle Bin.

I did suggest some time ago that such option with money going to charity would theoretically satisfy everyone, webmasters would get quick feedback, editors would get a feeling that there work provides some benefits and people who really need help get some cash and with all the crap websites out there wanting to get in DMOZ they would spend so much money on repeated attempts (fixing something after each rejection) that hunger and poverty in the World would no longer be a problem and charities would have more money then they could spend.

But considering how much time it took just to fix editor interface after crash I think we will sooner see peace in Iraq then changes at DMOZ.

 

Lol, well said !

 

Maybe this will get me removed and if so I don't care, but in my opinion that particular editor is full of s**t. He's a whiner and doesn't think the rules apply to him. I have no respect for him. He claims to be a newbie and expects special treatment because of his newbie status, yet he's been an editor for about a year and a half... Newbie or lack of commitment to the project?

I actually said this in the internal forum when he was causing trouble then claiming he didn't know better. That's when I got my head bitten off by a certain high profile RZ meta. I almost quit. Instead I'm giving it time and my productivity has gone from 200-300 edits per day to about 15 a week.

Don't believe anything this experienced newbie writes.

 

RZ metas are sweeties, aren't they? They give off that fuzzy cuddly impression with every post they write, and with every interaction they have.

I don't see what is so wrong about what this particular editor has written for public consumption. It seems quite fair, no?

 

For one thing helleborine, there is no recycle bin for submissions and any editor or ex-editor should know that. Secondly, he's either an experienced editor or a newbie. He should make up his mind. To know the full story of the my disdain for this particular editor you'd need to read the internal dmoz forums, but you can't and I can't post it here because of guidelines.

But you're absolutely right, there's nothing wrong with what he's writing for public consumption other than he's representing it as truth. He could have the decency to label it as fiction so people don't bother wasting their time with it. I could say a lot more but we have guidelines.

Fair? Not in my opinion.

 

It is paid directory, just not officially.

 

"Recycle bin" was my wording , his was:

Lack of info from official DMOZ sources is fertile ground for rumors and gossips, you should know that by now.

 

Really? Then maybe I need to apply to become an editor again when they start accepting applictions.

 

I thought he meant "recycle bin" as a metaphor, not literally. Do you really think he means it literally?

 

I don't know how he meant anything he wrote, I just take it literally with him. I believe he's the type who'd claim he meant something other than what he wrote just to gain approval. I don't trust or like him for reasons I can't go into here.

I'll go beyond advising you take anything you hear from him with a grain of salt, in fact I'd rather rub handfuls of salt in my eyes than read anymore of what he writes.

Zero credibility in my opinion. To be clear this is not an official or even unofficial dmoz opinion.

 

Do we even know how old he is? It would look really silly if he is minor.

Is there such thing as official opinion at DMOZ? Besides guidelines which are pretty general there is virtually no communications with outside World, few post at RZ which might be considered unofficial opinion, few editor speaking on forums like this which should be considered personal and that is it.

There should really be Public Relations person in charge of issuing official notices so rumors should be battled by individual editors.

 

Well, his ODP profile gives his official bio. Doesn't sound like a minor to me, just someone looking for some attention. Maybe we should send him Valentine greetings?

 

Maybe son is impersonating dad?

Then he must have a crush on you and is trying to get your attention and it worked!

 

Ivan, my avatar is biting your avatar.

 

LOL now thats just dang funny

Seriously Annie, you are obviously a person with a big heart and i'm kinda surprised you have lasted as long as you did with DMOZ. IMHO things at the top are not as squeeky clean as alot of people think.

though in my opinion your integrity is above reproach and it pi**** me off to see that some meta accused you of playing favourites.

 

Any contacts you have?