It looks like the best fit for my website on DMOZ is Shopping: Vehicles: Parts and Accessories: Varied MerchandiseThere is no SUBMIT/ADD URL link in this category... DMOZ says: Looking at all the other catagories, it looksl like this is the only place I really fit best, there are already 263 entries there. Any ideas? Should I try to plug another catagory?
Pick a letter from the alphabet at the top of the page that corresponds to the name of your business/site. Sites are split by name in this category.
Ah, thank you. Now I get to wait anywhere from 2 weeks to several months for your site to be listed on partner sites
Offtopic: but brizzie I had posted one of my clients website under "freelance"/"outsourcing" couple of months back and its a quality website. I also had applied to be an editor at DMOZ and also supplied 3 related links as per requirement, and then the most wonderful thing happened the other two wesbites got listed with the same "Titles" that I had suggested but my clients website is nowhere to be seen. I also got a mail from DMOZ saying I should choose a smaller category as "freelance/outsource" was a really big category (although it had only 6 listings then). Can you enlighten me on this?
Max without more information, I can't answer for that specific category, but if there are only 6 listed in that category there are more reasons why it would be too large for a newbie. If there are subcats to that category, then all of the sites listed in all the subcategories are counted because you would have permission to edit all of them if accepted. If it has no subcategories then the reviewer would probably be referring to how many are waiting for review. If it is a spammy category, they are not gonna put a newbie in a highly spammed category. As far as the titles go, there are different guidelines for different category trees, sometimes. If the one who listed the other sites used your titles then most likely it is the only title that was guidelines compliant. Now if the suggestion that it was too big was part of several possibilities instead of a personal comment from the reviewer, then it is up to you to find which of those out of the list apply to you and correct them.
hi dogbows, here is some info to help you get a better idea the category "Computers: Companies: Software Development: Freelance" The reviewers comment was I had said earlier - Choose a category with less than 50 entries or a smaller regional category. I just want to know why I was declined the post @ DMOZ under this category (I had posted my experience in editing/free-lancing/journo) etc. It would have really helped if instead of asking me to choose a category - the reviewer would have taken a look at my areas of expertise (I had specified them in detail) and listed/suggested a few directories. But then I suppose the editors/reviewers at DMOZ dont get enought time to do that. I would PM you the website if you would like to see which website I am talking about.
Yep, only 6 sites listed, but who knows how many are waiting for review - this could be the problem if there are hundreds. It wouldn't surprise me in that part of the Directory. Dogbows and I are both DMOZ retirees so we can't see the underlying unreviewed count. Nevertheless you have been rejected for it so probably not worth trying again as a new editor. There are no sub-categories there so that makes it more difficult. Best bet is to go for a smallish category for your home town in the Regional branch. Prove yourself there and move across to Computers. It depends on the meta editor doing the application review - some are more helpful and encouraging than others. That is really positive IMO - it suggests there wasn't much wrong with the application other than the category - if they didn't want you to re-apply they wouldn't have made that suggestion so do try again!
Jumping the gun a little I'm afraid! Listing in DMOZ can take from a day to several years. Only once listed in DMOZ do you get listed on partner sites. Submit and forget, it is the only way to stay sane. Or, like max pain you could apply to become an editor yourself if the project interests you.
I'm gonna have to partially disagree with brizzie on this one. Some metas will not look past what stands out to be a show stopper. So even though you should take it as a positive to reapply to another category. Don't automatically assume that there was nothing else wrong with the application. That particular meta may not have even looked at the rest of the application once they had determined the category was not an appropriate one for a newbie. I might also note that some of the best editors were rejected more than a few times before they were accepted. So as brizzie suggested, by all means try again.
max pain , there are a lot of unreviewed sites in that category, so that is probably the main reason. Dogbows is right, it could be something else so go over your application with a fine tooth comb. Hope that helps
brizzie's answer was accurate -- if you got that "choose a more focused category" response (or something along those lines), you were being encouraged to apply again. But do try to submit the best possible application.
How does an wannabe editor know that there are a lot of un-reviewed sites !! when all he can see is 6 websites listed for more than 3 months under that category? I have already re-submitted by application and awaiting reponse. This will be the last time I do the submission as I am fed up of the same replies -- that the category is well-represented even after I choose a category with a single entry!! In your own words dogbows you acknowledge the fact that many good editors are left out without a second thought by META's as they do not have the time to read through the whole application which the wannabe editor has painstakingly made. No wonder people hate DMOZ for being so unfriendly. I admit that submissions under "wrong category" can be ignored but what about genuine submissions under the proper category (hacing lesser than 50 listings) ? Are they not supposed to get a brief reviewers comment?
Unfortunately a wannabe editor can't! But you received encouragement to try another category. Max, that is only one of several of the most common reasons for rejection. When you receive the standard reply, it means that one or more of the reasons listed apply to your application. It's part of the test for you to find the one/s that apply to your application. Just because it was the reason for your first rejection doesn't mean that is the reason for the second rejection. I should mention that you can actually pick a category that is too small as well. If there are not enough sites that fit that category for you to prove yourself as an editor after acceptance, it wouldn't be a good starting place any more than a large or spammy category would be. Actually no, I did not acknowledge that many good editors are left out without a second thought. Each application must stand on it's own. If the category is not appropriate for a beginner, the rest of the application will not be relevant to a different category. But the reviewing meta obviously saw the potential of a good editor to encourage you to apply to a different category. Genuine submissions under the proper category alone will not necessarily mean you would be a good editor. Usually the only reason you would get a reviewers personal comment would be if none of the common reasons for rejection applied.
If it were me I would ask a meta editor (Resource Zone I know but there are metas there) whether a particular category would be suitable before applying for it. It isn't guaranteed because 100 odd metas could review the application and each have a slightly different opinion but anyone giving you advice would normally err on the side of caution.
Thanks Brizzie and dogbows : if you both are editors can you plz suggest me a category I had already contacted 3 meta's but as usual didnt get any response. So I found it a waste of time trying to contact them. I might have been unlucky to have contacted the busiest of them (who in DMOZ is not ) but then how do I know whom I should contact? DMOZ should think of having a support system, so that it can gain some +ves with all the ppl who think that DMOZ is too rude (the ppl @ DMOZ). Remember there are exceptions every where, like dogbows and brizzie, maybe when you become meta's your attitude will also change
Max, both brizzie and myself are ex-editors. Please understand that if the editors you tried to contact were via email most likely the emails would have been ignored. There are some editors that have had their lives and even the lives of their families threatened because they would not list certain sites that were not even listable according to the guidelines. Because of this fact all editors are encouraged to ignore personal contact with submitters and editor wannabes. If you really want to edit for the right reasons other than just promoting your own site, a small category in the Regional branch is the best way for a newbie to get his feet wet as an editor. It is a great training ground and if you prove yourself as editor there, you can later move to topical branches. Find a small locality for which you are familiar, study the general guidelines and the regional guidelines before applying. I will answer general questions for you, but I will not do all the work for you. It would neither benefit you as an editor nor the directory as a whole.
Thanks dogbows. I never knew you were an ex-editor, I thought you were an editor . Also I do not have websites that can be listed in DMOZ (not that quality). Anywayz I would like some help from you: 1) I have a website (clients) which is already listed in DMOZ. I want to list it or its subpages under a different category (very relevant one). Is this allowed as I have seen many websites having subpages listed under various categories. 2) I have another website (clients) which I have submitted but as DMOZ has stopped giving out status of websites I am at loss in knowing when it will get listed thanks again
If you mean quality of design, that's not relevant unless the design is so bad you can't navigate the site. In almost every case when subpages are listed it is because an editor determined the subpages offered unique value on their own. It is never recommended that the owner or promoter of any website submit subpages. If the subpages are all pertaining to the same topic or similar topics then the site would be listed in the one single best category that would encompass all. Now if the category the site is in doesn't really fit the site, then you can use the update link in the category that it is listed in to request the move to another category. You should ask for the move only and explain why it should be moved. Don't request other changes at the same time such as title or description changes. Sorry, but there is no way to know that one. Not even active editors know when any given site will be reviewed. In both cases above you referenced the sites as belonging to clients. This would be considered affiliations and all would need to be declared if you apply to edit even if they don't fit in the category you are applying to. And personally I wouldn't apply to any category where one of my sites or client's sites would be listed. But that's me.
By quality I dont mean webdesign - I mean quality content and design. I did not list these sites (clients) when I applied to be an editor (As I thought that it wasnt the best thing to do). I did suggest my friends website though which was best suited to that category and again a very professional and popular website getting more than 1000 uniques a day.