My direct competitor rejected my DMOZ listing

I applied for DMOZ almost 7 months ago. I am not currently in the directory. When I applied, I submitted the URL with a tracking parameter (i.e. source=dmoz).

Recently, I was going through my website tracking information and I noticed I got a click with this parameter in October, 2007. Since I didn't use the parameter anywhere else, I know it came from whoever was reviewing my DMOZ application.

I cross-referenced this click with my web logs and did a whois on the IP address. What I got as a response was shocking. The click came from my biggest direct competitor.

So my question is - isn't this against the DMOZ policy to have a major site owner editing the category their site is in? Where and how can I report this abuse?

 

You should report suspected abuse here http://report-abuse.dmoz.org/

 

Thanks for the link. I filled out a report.

How long does it usually take to get a response? Will there be a chance to appeal my listing or something along those lines? Will someone ensure my competitor doesn't review me again?

 

Usually - ASAP. Especially in case when they have some "clues".

You can submit your site again. And - please, do not provide more details here.

P.S - you have PM

 

Thank you, I appreciate your help.

 

The OP is aware that his claims are being investigated.

 

I can't believe this. You are in the exact same industry as me and you have proof? I literally posted the one above yours (before I even saw this) last night. Check it out. I have been trying for six years!! I new it. Thank goodness you have the smarts to have that tracker. Maybe this guy will be gone soon and we will all have a chance.

 

Don't hold your breath, it depends on how high he is in DMOZ senior editors chain.

These are not abuse according to DMOZ "rules":

1) Your competitor can edit the category as long as he has declared his affiliation with his own site.

2) If he let your site just sit there and not reject it, this is not abuse because as they like to say, editors are "volunteers" and don't owe anyone to do anything.

3) Even if he has rejected your site, he can always come up with some BS excuse because there are no rules about what sites should be listed, only a so called "guideline" which is ambiguous and many times contradictory, so senior editors can use anyway they like to list or not list any site. He can simply claim that your sites were not up to DMOZ "standards".

 

He's got to be high up. It's been over six years. Our industry is small enough that I can guess who it is by the age. I PM'ed Nightowl to find out who it is (I am sure it is the one I suspected). If it is, I actually know him and will give him a phone call.

 

When you say tracking parameter (i.e. source=dmoz) do you mean something like "yoursite.com/referrer?=dmoz" or something like that? I'm not sure that is technically allowed as an URL so may be grounds of rejection in and of itself. Then there is the notion that editors are not obligated to actually add any sites from the submission queue. So if I am right on that first point, and as I am correct on that second, that is two points against you right from the start. And then there is the fact that industry experts are allowed as editors, and as the guidelines are just guidelines, that is two more points against you, assuming a competitor IS the editor in question.

All in all, I'd be rather surprised if anything at all was done, unless you can publicly prove something that leaves no room for speculation or that can not be worked around by 'interpretation' of the guidelines.

 

This matter was resolved yesterday. It seems that the complainant isn't going to report back so I will.

The hit in the complainant's logs was when an editor moved the website to what s/he thought was a better category - a routine operation.

The website is currently awaiting evaluation and the complainant has privately agreed with me that the new location (Shutters - who'd have thought?) is more appropriate.

At no point was the listing suggestion deleted by a competitor - or anyone else for that matter.

Oh, and tracking parameters aren't grounds for declining to list a website - we just chop 'em off.

 

Jim, thanks so much for jumping on this. I will submit my site again as well (and not as an editor

 

I hate to say:" I told you so", but I told you so.