Warning to directory owners

Hi DPers and directory owners...

I try as hard as I can to keep the rating system on Directory Critic fair, and reward those directory owners who follow the rules and get their webmasters to vote honestly about their directory. I monitor incoming ratings almost on a daily basis, and it's easier than you think to see when someone is trying to rise up the list submitting fake or dishonest ratings.

A fellow directory owner emailed me today to tell me that he received this email through his contact form:

This actually explains some unusual activity I have been seeing over the past few weeks. I have already removed several directories from the list for fake ratings, and plan to do a thorough review to check if anyone else has been doing it or using this guy.

If anyone plans on taking this guy up on his services, don't bother. I will find out and delete your directory from the lists. I know a lot of people in this industry who use DC daily and report back to me when something looks like it's not quite right.

This sort of scamming behavior will only damage you in the long run. If you really want to be successful running directories, build something that's high quality and unique. Reputation counts for EVERYTHING, and in a lot of cases it makes the difference to making or losing a sale.

Oh, and if anyone can find out who this guy is or knows him I'd sure like to know...

 

Oh BTW, this is the guy's email:

 

Confirm!
Got such email today. Of course didn't respond.

Anyway your rating system as most of ratings is far from being fair.
I think you know it but do not find time to check it live.
So much worthless directories with traffic close to 0 and have best rankings

It seems it is normal for some people to cheat, asking others to vote or voting via proxies.
So I'm sure nobody cares about any rating system.

 

Hey, that's my email (kidding)

One of this days someone will vote for me and I dream of that day

 

Hope you sort out these practices, as difficult as it will be to stamp out these activities

 

First of all I appreciate you for creating this list

as this is useful to many webmasters

Also you can optimize your listings separately into paid and free/paid as


I have a tough time finding some directories on it

Also you can write a script so that you can monitor any unusual activity by any directory owners to get votes

 

Yeah, I am planning on writing a script that matches up the submitted site, directory and page it's listed on. This should stamp it out, and it will make sure that the person can only vote once and that their site is actually listed.

 

Wow, I can't believe someone would do that...

I think you provide a great service and appreciate it. I don't think the rankings always reflect the best directories, but I think that is more because of the nature of the participation factor.

Morty

 

Well this people are lame

 

Well it just goes to show some people will capitalize on any opportunity whatsoever... very sad...

 

Yes i got the same thing last night....
was going to send you the email so you
could contact them but you beat me to it

I did have a question...

If someone offers free links or featured links for exchange
in voting or rating then is that the same as this?

thx
malcolm

 

It seems like this has been going on for quite some time. It's easy to pick out those who abuse the system.

IMHO, the ratings don't really have a point except the directory owner trying to get on the first page.

 

If you don't mind, would be nice to post the directories that actually bought these ratings from this guy, place on the wall of shame.

 

Sad to hear this DC. This will put but a small blemish on your outstanding resource.

This should be quite easy to catch but means that you will have to keep a much closer eye on things which will waste your time.

BTW: Love the new skin you got on your site. You cleaned the place up quite nicely.

 

Yea. Some people would do anything to get a few bucks.

May be you can disable voting from Free e-mail ID's. i.e. Yahoo/Gmail/Hotmail.

This will certainly reduce the abuse.

 

sorry to sound stupid,but how do you get your site listed there anyway?

 

http://www.directorycritic.com/

 

Nice find DC, I'll have to check my listing to see if it went up because of all the drop-off the list cheaters

 

Yeah, i got the same e-mail.. i never replied of course, and hopefully you'll find out who it really is..

 

lol...I need to do the same thing to see if i move up.