Rejected by DMOZ again...can anyone tell me why?

That is the best DMOZ advice I have seen all day!

 

The official stance on submitting is SUBMIT ONCE, given that, finding out a site was rejected should prompt many webmasters into looking into their site a bit deeper to find out just why it was rejected, and then to maybe better conform to the guidelines and then resubmit.

As it stands, the don't ask, don't tell policy only frustrates the submitter as they have no clue if their site is or isn't still sitting in the queue. If they wait 6 months or even a year and simply re-submit, then that ads to the workload of the editors... all because they are unwilling to help the net be a better place in general.

Then again, you are right on many levels. You said you saw no reason why the site listed here could not be accepted... this prompts the site to be re-submitted making more work for the editors.

6. Our Priorities are Our Data Users and the Community]

We will be guided by the needs of our data users and the ODP editorial community. We will place their interests first in our priorities.​

As the site in question was not submitted by a 'data user' or a member of the 'editorial community' the site was likely just passed on by in favor of sites owned and operated by such priorities.

If there is another reason, then no one is allowed to talk about it... leaving the talk open to speculation by outsiders. And as outsiders are treated with distrust and often rude behavior, then it often does look like such speculations hold some truth.

If on the other hand, the end user was given priority, then it would stand to reason that there would be better communication between the ODP and ALL involved, rather then just the editors and the data user.

 

As an ex-editor of 6 years, who left on good terms and I am confident, could return as an editor at this moment, I really have no particular axe to grind. I don't even know why I come to this forum, I must be a publicity hound who just likes to yack, I suppose. Just can't shut me up.

But, I do know a few things, and I think I understand both sides of the issue, and how to explain things.

 

lmbo Good grief, what a misinterpretation, it means no such thing, Q.

It means that our first priority is doing what's best for the web surfer (whom we serve), not the submitter/owner of a site, and secondly what is in the best interests of the editing community in helping them do their jobs.

A good example of that is site status reports, it helps neither the web surfer looking for specific information, nor the editors who would have to spend the time doing the work.

The only persons who would be interested would be the submitters/owners of the sites, but, it would be a detriment to editors and web surfers.

 

Did I ask 9999 WHY my site was rejected? Did I ask you, budalata, as an editor, or any editor whyy my site was rejected? Ni.

I asked the members of this forum for suggestions. As I said, I really appreciate that crowbar made suggestions, obsercations, input, as a forum member. Being an ex editor is secondary to me.

I don't expect anything from you or any DMOZ editor. I think it is fair for anyone to know if their site has been rejected. If you have a problem with that, tough. Going to the other forum and asking for a status check was what I did per Q's suggestion (thanks again Q) and I guess you think that was wrong, that site owners don't have a right to know.

 

Of course, they don't have a right to know, they don't have any rights at all, because we don't offer them any kind of service whatsoever, just the opportunity to suggest a site for consideration.

If the suggestion is used, the suggester will see it listed. If it isn't used, no explanation is needed because we are under no obligation whatsoever to the person making the suggestion or to the owner of the site. Where did you ever get that idea?

Added - We explicitly say, that not all sites will be accepted.


http://www.dmoz.org/add.html

"We care a great deal about the quality of the ODP. We aren't a search engine and pride ourselves on being highly selective. We don't accept all sites, so please don't take it personally should your site not be accepted. Our goal is to make the directory as useful as possible for our users, not to have the directory include all (or even most) of the sites that could possibly be listed or serve as a promotional tool for the entities listed."

Actually, no, I don't think it was wrong, just not really helpful to find out. I mean, what are you going to do now? Nothing. Because there is nothing you can do.

Read "users" as web surfers looking for information, and the search engines who use our data to deliver the information to them. I think that's a fairly reasonable interpretation of that word. I don't believe it means site suggesters/site owners/site builders/ or SEOs. Though they all use the Internet, we do not serve them, so they are not, strictly speaking, "our users".

 

I only call it like I see it, and as there is a submit button, and as worthy sites are not getting listed, then it does stand to reason... *shrug*

It is to the detriment of the web surfer that is for sure... not listing sites and all. So at least you got that part correct. In order to serve the web surfer, the web master must be told what they are not doing correctly. Not doing so may be part of the problem in that there are millions of sites not listed compared the ones that are.

How many of those sites do you think submitted once and forgot about it? If forgetting about is part of the process, then it's no wonder that people are doing just that.

The about page still places the ODP in the 20th century... imagine that. We being a bit more advanced then that & all.

Imagine being in a factory and your parts all get rejected by QC, but QC does not bother to tell you why the parts were rejected. Your only hope is to try it again...which goes against the grain of "submit once and forget". In fact, the ONLY place in the world I'd wager with such a backwards mindset IS the ODP. And unless change is coming, what it does look like is a listing service for editors and back scratching for founders and affiliates....as those do seem like the majority of sites that get listed these days.

Once again, take the site this thread is about. The webmaster IS trying to get a listing, and is willing to follow the guidelines... in fact, HAS by your standards, yet his site is rejected. Of course you can not talk about why, that is not one of the aims of the ODP. Kind of makes one wonder if I was really that far off in who the directory serves...

 

Crowbar...what am I going to do now?

The way I see it, there is nothing drastically wrong with my site. It's not controcersial, porn religious, political...or anythiing based. It;s aboyt toys and collectibles. I can't see where it would ruffle a editors feathers based on what the site is about. My plans are to enhance the uniqueness of the site, as per some of the things you mentioned, and resubmit. Lack of enough unique content is the only thing I can point a finger at.

 

According to some editors Unique content trumps the rest of the guidelines so that would be good. Your users will like the added content as well, as will the SE's so the more you add, the more you have!

Though, once you think it's ready this time, submit and forget... they are right in their reasoning for such a motto. If the editor does not like you, you'll not get in. If there is no real editor for the cat you may not get in, if you try to hard you may not get in... there are more ways to NOT get a listing then there are to actually get one. (and remember, forgetting to submit often has the same results)

But move on, and here is a good place to start: http://www.directorycritic.com/free-directory-list.html

You'll find getting listed in those will likely take your site further then the often duplicated DMOZ entry, and most of them have guidelines one can actually follow without the need to be bothered with the politics that ooze from the ODP.

Best of luck!

 

Thanks Q
I've been doing the directory thing for the past month and I think too many too fast bit me in the arse with Google.

 

Take your time, and do it in your spare moments. Keep a tally and just do a few a day, skip a few days, skip a week, do a dozen, to a couple more the day after that, etc... no rush.

And if you are from michigan as your second sig link implies, send me a PM... I may be able to get you a few local links.

 

Good idea - go on.

And be careful which site will submit.

 

to get awnser to your question you need reveal more details about your submission - category, fro example etc.

 

I'm not much of a webmaster myself, though I've built a couple of sites, but here's a good piece of innoculous advice for everybody here.

Many editors like to find sites on their own by following links from other sites, so my suggestion is that the more links you have to related sites, that are really good quality sites, and vice versa, the better your chances of being discovered by one of these editors.

For pedal cars, it would be any kind of site, from any part of the Internet, that deals with the topic. A topical editor will be looking for such sites to build the category, and if they find enough of them, create subcategories to house them, or add related links in the category to them.

This has nothing to do with search engines or ranking, it has to do with building a spiderweb of information links around the topic itself, so you don't have to depend on suggesting your site to the Directory.

Try to keep in mind that editors serve web surfers looking for specific information, so the more valuable you can make your site to those web surfers, the more valuable you'll become to the editor. The links may not help your sales, but that will be very apparent to the editor or the web surfer, and it will show that you truely are committed to serving the web surfer.

 

I love your site and best of all it is a 'niche site'. I hope you can get the submission through. Good luck with it
Cheers
Viv

 

the maiil address!