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What's wrong with my site? - Good enough for the BBC, but not for Dmoz.org

Discussion in 'ODP / DMOZ' started by Notting, Nov 5, 2007.

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  1. crowbar

    crowbar Peon

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    #41
    Speaking as a web surfer, when I'm looking for information, I want a site that gives me what I want right up front. I'm lazy, and I don't want to have to mess around searching the whole site for it.

    I also hate seeing a lot of ads, it's distracting to me.

    The other thing I hate is flash. If I want to watch a movie I'll go to the movies, all that fancy stuff is keeping me from the real information I want. It doesn't impress me.

    Speaking as an editor, I don't pay any attention to site design, the worthiness of one entity compared to another entity, misspellings (though I notice them), or copyrights. But, as Obelia has suggested, I do look for original, unique content on the site, and in order to write a factual (non hype) description I need to look at all of the content the site contains so I can describe it to a web surfer who hasn't visited the site yet.

    As far as ads go, even though I hate the dang things, as an editor I'm trained to block those out of my mind, and only consider the amount of content that's left, and make a decision on whether the content outweighs the ads and is worth listing. An editors discretion comes into play here, and, if there's any question in my own mind, I will ask for other opinions from more experienced editors and a group decision/consensus will be made.

    Then, I will ask myself if this content, on this particular site will improve this particular category (all categories are different) and be of value to the web surfer, not to users, to web surfers only. Users could mean site owners, SEO, webmasters, search engines, or other Directories, none of whom we care one iota about because that's not who we serve, we serve only the web surfer looking for specific information.

    Until you understand and believe who it is we really serve, instead of who you desire and demand we serve, you will never understand the Directory and what editors do.
     
    crowbar, Nov 7, 2007 IP
  2. crowbar

    crowbar Peon

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    #42
    Just as an example, suppose I edit a category about building chairs, and an imaginary web surfer comes to the category looking for specific information so he can build his own.

    The surfer is faced with ten sites about the topic, and I've carefully written descriptions for each that will tell this surfer what he can expect to find on each site so he can decide which ones he wants to go look at.

    I've got several other site suggestions that have been submitted for consideration, so I go look at them.

    The first site has got a lot of information, but, it's nothing more than the standard plans for building a variety of chairs, and that information can already be found in part or in whole on a site that is already listed.

    Should I list that site because it belongs to someone different? Absolutely not. It adds no value to the category, and why would I suggest to the web surfer, whom I serve, that he should go look at the same information once again. I wouldn't, the site suggestion will be deleted as useless.

    The next site suggestion is almost identical, same plans, but it also has some commentary about the problems the builder had with each plan, how he overcame those, and photos of the final products he personally built. Will I list that? Absolutely. Though the plans are the same that can be found on a currently listed site, his personal experience and the photos is just the kind of unique content that would be helpful to the web surfer, and exactly the type of information I'm looking for to make that particular category more valuable.

    The next site suggestion I look at, looks very familiar and checking the current sites, I find it's an identical mirror of a site that's already listed, but under another URL. Someone trying to get an advantage over the other sites by being deceitful. I do certain things, and delete that site suggestion.

    Would I punish the submitter by deleting both the listed site and the mirror? No, because my main focus is on what will benefit the web surfer, and as long as the listed has that, I won't delete the site that is listed. But, I will take a closer second look at that site.

    The next suggestion is still under construction. The webmaster decided to submit the suggestion in the hopes that he would complete the site before it got reviewed and get a little head start. As our instructions to submitters are to not suggest sites that are under construction, two things could happen (at the editors discretion), it could either be immediately deleted, or the editor could keep it in unreviewed for awhile and watched, or delete it at a later date. It would not be in the best interests of the web surfer or the Directory to list it as is.

    But, here again, an editors discretion might come into play. If the site is 80% complete, and the content there is pretty darn good and useful, the editor may decide to go ahead and list it. Our Guidelines allow for editor discretion in some cases.

    I hope these scenarios gives you a little better understanding of what an editor actually does, but, it's only a tiny portion of what we really do in the Directory.
     
    crowbar, Nov 7, 2007 IP
  3. mq778b

    mq778b Peon

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    #43
    the ratio (ads)/(original content) is very large.
    Drop all ads and wait till it will be relisted back.
     
    mq778b, Nov 7, 2007 IP
  4. Qryztufre

    Qryztufre Prominent Member

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    #44
    That was part of my point. The other part of my point was that a site was removed that consisted of unique specific information.

    Why?

    Because <insert link that lists several reasons that do not apply]>

    Now go on, give me some more examples that do not apply to this specific case... better yet, give an actual reason that the site was removed so that others can actually learn, and in turn maybe make DMOZ a better place.
     
    Qryztufre, Nov 7, 2007 IP
  5. windtalker

    windtalker Well-Known Member

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    #45
    windtalker, Nov 7, 2007 IP
    Notting likes this.
  6. crowbar

    crowbar Peon

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    #46
    Editors try to do periodic reviews of existing sites, mainly looking for parked, hijacked, or dead urls, so that may have been what happened in the ops case, I don't know. Or, we may check the content on existing sites when considering a submitted site suggestion. Sites that are inapproprietly listed will be removed.

    Interesting, it must have been reconsidered, :). No, I don't have editing permissions in that area, I'm just as surprised as the op will be.
     
    crowbar, Nov 7, 2007 IP
    Notting likes this.
  7. Qryztufre

    Qryztufre Prominent Member

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    #47
    LOL

    I don't see why either of you should be surprised, the site was, and is listable. The only time anyone should have been taken aback, would have been at the news of it's removal.

    Congrats, again, Notting!
     
    Qryztufre, Nov 7, 2007 IP
  8. Notting

    Notting Notable Member

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    #48
    Surprised and happy.

    I ♥ Dmoz.org

    Notting
     
    Notting, Nov 7, 2007 IP
  9. crowbar

    crowbar Peon

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    #49
    I look at it more as unbiased editing, a mistake in judgement (editor discretion) may have been made, reconsidered, and corrected, what could be more fair than that.

    Things aren't always black and white, and sometimes it takes very little to tip the scales one way or another. :)

    Thanks, notting, but I had nothing to do with it. :) As much as I'd like to give credit where credit is due, I can't do that either.
     
    crowbar, Nov 7, 2007 IP
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