SEF
Search Engine Forums
Helping to make the Web - Since 1998
|
Virtual Promote Member Spotlight
5 Star Affiliate Programs
30 high paying honest programs. Ck out the BEST Affiliate Blogs & SEO News. (Catalyst) |
| . | ||||||||||
| Forums | Index | Active Topics | New Topics | My Topics | Search | My Profile | Register | Inbox | Rules & TOS | |
| . | ||||||||||
Email this thread to a friend
| 1 2 Next Page >> | Previous Topic Next Topic |
| Member | Message |
|
bizguy Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 80
|
Posted: 07/24/2005 09:40 am
I've been trying for over 2 years to get listed in DMOZ. I've submitted a number of times, over reasonable periods of time. I'm pretty certain I've submitted appropriately, and my site passes muster with everyone else including the Yahoo directory, etc. I've never received any confirmation or other response at all. In fact, until I ran across this forum, I thought DMOZ was going dormant. I even considered the conspiracy angle--that someone in my category had managed to become an editor and was simply excluding competitors. (Probably a stretch but I bet it happens...) Any recent successes at getting into DMOZ? I'm afraid I'll be too old and senile to appreciate getting into DMOZ by the time (and if) it ever happens. |
 | |
|
macdesign Joined: Sep 13, 2004
# Posts: 25
|
Posted: 07/24/2005 01:18 pm
>>I've submitted a number of times, over reasonable periods of time.<< I'm not sure how you define reasonable periods of time, or why you think that resubmitting will help. Especially since the submisison page specifically tells you not to resubmit and warns of the possible negative consequences of multiple submissions. So my advice is don't keep resubmitting, since it's more likely to delay a review than expedite one. And there is never any response given that a site is accepted or rejected. |
| |
|
bizguy Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 80
|
Posted: 07/24/2005 02:29 pm
Since we are living in the computer age, why could they not automatically filter out duplicate requests if one were in fact already pending? When you hit 1-1/2 years without any response or result, would you not feel inclined to submit again--since you have no idea if the submission went nowhere? Or would you just wait a few MORE years and hope for the best? I've submitted 3 times: initially, after 1-1/2 years, and at 2-1/2 years. (I can only wonder if submitting again in 5 years would have potentially negative consequences...) And if DMOZ provides no response at all, aren't they then basically CREATING this mess where people feel inclined to resubmit? It seems they need more automation, at least to the extent that a submission receipt is sent, and hopefully, some sort of template followup noting that it is "in the queue" for review! There are CRM apps out there that send automatic reminders/updates both ways--to the customer and to tech support. It seems like this would be a godsend for DMOZ. It would cut down on duplication and keep everybody in the loop. To any editors reading this...can you summarize the process by which submissions are accounted for, assigned, and eventually processed? Would certainly be enlightening for those of us who see just a black hole out there. |
| |
|
g1smd Moderator
Joined: Jul 28, 2002
# Posts: 10058
|
Posted: 07/24/2005 05:42 pm
>> It seems they need more automation, at least to the extent that a submission receipt is sent, and hopefully, some sort of template followup noting that it is "in the queue" for review! << Yes, there is a "Thanks for your suggestion" that you see after the suggestion is submitted. That's it. That's all there is. As for summarising what editors do, they basically build categories of useful sites, using whatever means they like to find and include suitable sites (magazines, TV, Google SERPs, and the suggestion pile, among others). If something in the suggestion pile looks useful then it might be reviewed sooner. If it looks like obvious spam then it might be immediately whacked, and in that case there is no way that that submitter is getting any clue from us as to what happened with their unwanted suggestion: no clue how to spam us better or when to do so. So, after suggesting a site, someone may review it, and if found to be useful then it will get added. There is no rota as to when a category will be edited, no worklist as to what should be done first. If an editor takes an interest in improving a category, then something will happen within that category at that time. Until then, editors will be working elsewhere on whatever they feel is important to each one. |
| |
|
cbp Joined: Dec 25, 2003
# Posts: 181
|
Posted: 07/24/2005 07:33 pm
An editors prority is to build a category of valuable resources. Sites that are suggested are just but one source an editor can use (its generally the worst source). You seem to be under the mistaken impression that DMOZ is some sort of free listing service and the editors job is to process submissions - this is very far from reality and what DMOZ is about. |
| |
|
windharp Joined: Mar 11, 2002
# Posts: 513
|
Posted: 07/25/2005 12:05 am
Basically that is what we do, if the suggestion is for the same category as the previous one. To give submitters the ability to correct previous suggestions, we keep the latest one only, so newer suggestions overwrite older ones. To the consequences: If the editor who processes suggestions in a specific category does this by date, resubmission will make it more likely the suggeston will wait longer. On the other hand, resubmitting with a guidelines-compliant description might trigger an "Oh look, that's an easy one to process, let's do that first" reaction and speed it up a lot. Anyway, from the editors point of view it does not matter much if a single site is reviewed first or last. Reason was given by cbp. |
| |
|
macdesign Joined: Sep 13, 2004
# Posts: 25
|
Posted: 07/26/2005 07:34 am
I think there are two types of people in the world -- those that understand DMOZ and those that do not. Before I was a DMOZ editor I submitted a number of sites to the directory. I never felt the need to resubmit, I was not filled with anxiety about when they would be listed, eventually I noticed traffic coming in from new sources and realized it was because a site had been accepted. No one every writes threads ranting about Google, and how they do not have a status and email system to let you know how your site is doing, and why it has not been accepted yet, why the PR is not up yet, etc. No one at Google will ever tell you why your site has been blacklisted, or why it does not rank well for certain keywords. |
| |
|
bizguy Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 80
|
Posted: 08/06/2005 10:57 am
A followup: In reviewing the category I've been trying to place in for several years (which HAS an editor indicated by the way) I see a very dated roster of listings. The overwhelmingly-rated and most linked site on the topic hasn't ever made it, and I know they have submitted! Further, most of what IS there are either minor or not considered important in the field. There are no contemporary listings to speak of, and purely from a search standpoint, this has resulted in a closed door bias that is completely counter to the stated purpose of the index. I am of the opinion that the editor for this topic is NOT truly an editor, but a gatekeeper. Most likely someone who has a listing or two or three under the category and doesn't want any of the stronger or more competitive listings to appear. Just the other day I spoke to someone who worked for an SEO firm. He told me point blank that he was/had been an editor, and certainly used that opportunity to list his preferred sites and to disregard the ones that he did not want to see listed. His justification was that it had previously happened to him, so he was using fire against fire. There was another post on this forum that stated a similar experience. While I am sure there are some honest folks out there trying to do what they should be doing, clearly there are major problems with DMOZ. What accountability can you really have when you must rely on a range of volunteers who's backgrounds and agendas aren't always obvious? And of course, they have nothing to lose and no job to be fired from... I would have no complaint if DMOZ were not being used as an authority pointer by some search engines, such as Google. Given that, to some extent it is actually harming legitimate organizations with real content, and the searchers that deserve to have access to that information. And that is a shame. |
| |
|
g1smd Moderator
Joined: Jul 28, 2002
# Posts: 10058
|
Posted: 08/06/2005 11:19 am
>> Most likely someone who has a listing or two or three under the category and doesn't want any of the stronger or more competitive listings to appear. << Failure to review all of the suggested sites cannot ever be abuse. Selectively listing those you own, whilst sitting on those that you do not, could be abuse, and should be detectable from the logs. Deliberate deletion of listable sites is probably abuse, and can be easily checked by those with access to category logs. No editor can stop a site being listed. There are several hundred that can, and regularly do, edit anywhere they like. >> they have nothing to lose and no job to be fired from... << Over the years there have been many editors removed for inappropriate editing. It does happen. There is a method for reporting abuse. You need to document the URLs of sites, and the category(ies) in question. Do not point the finger at a named editor, because 90% of the time, the named editor of the category is found to have done only the smallest fraction of editing in that cateogry. People from higher up that branch, or with directory-wide permissions do most of the editing. |
| |
|
cobalt01 Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 10
|
Posted: 09/18/2005 11:10 am
As a web designer, I was called on the phone by a guy claiming to be a DMOZ meta editor and he wanted me to build websites for free for him in exchange for getting any sites I wanted into DMOZ. In addition, I have never, nor any of my 100's of clients, got any sites into DMOZ over the last 3 years. Actually I have had legitimate sites removed from DMOZ over the last three years. It is a SHAME.. DMOZ needs to be dismantled imo. |
| |
|
g1smd Moderator
Joined: Jul 28, 2002
# Posts: 10058
|
Posted: 09/18/2005 11:27 am
That will really annoy the 5 million sites that are already listed, no? |
| |
|
cbp Joined: Dec 25, 2003
# Posts: 181
|
Posted: 09/18/2005 03:38 pm
What was the response to the abuse report you made. Can you provide evidence for your claims, otherwise I don't beleive you.
I don't beleive that either. DMOZ has grown by a couple of million sites in the last 3 years. |
| |
|
macdesign Joined: Sep 13, 2004
# Posts: 25
|
Posted: 09/18/2005 11:04 pm
>>I have never, nor any of my 100's of clients, got any sites into DMOZ over the last 3 years. << I can believe that, I know someone who does blackhat SEO, I doubt that most of his sites will be listed. Just a whole bunch of spam directories and cross-listing. |
| |
|
RenKen Joined: Apr 01, 1999
# Posts: 560
|
Posted: 09/21/2005 05:02 am
It is interesting to note that Google is no longer using "Directory" on their home page, you have to click "more" to get the services page where the "Directory" is listed. Personally, I'm not going to worry about it anymore. Going back and looking at some of the sites that I've had listed in DMOZ over the years, many of them don't seem to be benefiting in any recognizable way from the DMOZ listing. I'm actually having more luck with the sites where I'm paying for several directory listings, like at Yahoo, and then finding a few links back on some popular sites. That seems to be a more valuable way to spend my time than hounding DMOZ editors for something I will never get. (And I'm sure the DMOZ editors will appreciate that I've gone away.) |
| |
|
cbp Joined: Dec 25, 2003
# Posts: 181
|
Posted: 09/21/2005 03:12 pm
They did that over a year ago!!! BUT, ~ 6 month ago, Google startd using the Directory site descriptions in the search resuts in some situations. They probably do this as they feel that it provides a better user expereince. That to me means that Google thinks the directory is important.
You should never have worried about it.
That would have been counterpoductive for everyone and contribute to the probem. Submit and forget |
| |
|
RenKen Joined: Apr 01, 1999
# Posts: 560
|
Posted: 09/22/2005 04:54 am
Another question for you cbp, I have to submit about 30 different sites, all to different parts of the same area of DMOZ. Now, if all the sites are different, but my email is the same, and all the editors are basically the same, will I be perceived as spamming the directory, even though my sites are all different, but all revolving around the same general topic? For example, let's say my general topic is "health" but the sites I'm submitting are all specific to disease states, like Diabetes, Alzheimers, and Allergy. So, I'm submitting them to very low level categories, deep in the structure of DMOZ. But, it's still the same person doing the submitting of each one. Do the editors catch on to this, do they perceive me as a spammer? Also, especially because all my sites are designed from the same template and look very similar to each other, although they all have very different content. Also, the descriptions are similar, because even though the content is always different, it's the same "type" of content. Like all the sites have articles, discussion board, current news, etc. Note that these are not commercial sites, they are informational sites. (Sorry that was such a long explanation.) |
| |
|
g1smd Moderator
Joined: Jul 28, 2002
# Posts: 10058
|
Posted: 09/22/2005 06:01 am
>> all revolving around the same general topic? << >> my general topic is "health" but the sites I'm submitting are all specific to disease states << Submitting multiple related sites is seen as spam. Disguising the sites as separate domains is seen as deceptive sneaky spam. You have one site: it covers one broad topic. Link all of your domains together and submit the one place that a visitor can start to reach all of your content. If you don't want to link to your own content, why the heck should the ODP link to it? Failure to follow that advice will lead to ZERO listings, rather than the ONE you might be entitled to. |
| |
|
cbp Joined: Dec 25, 2003
# Posts: 181
|
Posted: 09/22/2005 03:33 pm
RenKen From DMOZ point of view, it maybe that you have "one" site, spread over "many" domains. Imagine the nightmare for DMOZ if everyone split each product/topic page to a different domain just to get a whole lot of DMOZ listings (or because of some misguided SEO plan). How does that really add value to a category? (and don't forget that DMOZ does not list any sites on the topic - I only list sites that add value to the category -- so in your eg they would have to be better than the best site listed in the category) A "line in the sand" has to be drawn to keep this under control (I can never understand why people want to do it as a DMOZ listing is not all that valuable)...hence g1msd's comment about it being spam. |
| |
|
RenKen Joined: Apr 01, 1999
# Posts: 560
|
Posted: 09/23/2005 09:16 am
Ok, I do have one site that links all the sites together. Although, I've already submitted some of the other sites. So will they now think I'm spamming if I've already submitted and now I'm submitting yet another site? For instance, I submitted the site: justbreastcancer.com to the directory at this level: [link] I have another site: just-diabetes.com that I would submit to the directory at this level: [link] But to be perfectly clear, you're telling me that this is wrong. That I should have one site that links to all these sites (which I also do have) and ONLY submit that one site. The reason I ask, is because I submitted my sites to Zeal and they are being listed in the various categories where I submit them. I'm trying to figure out how this works now, because it used to be recommended in this forum, years ago, that in order to get listed in DMOZ, if you didn't get listed within 6 weeks or so, you might email the editor of your category and politely ask how you could help. (And that worked fabulously well for a number of years.) However, that no longer works, maybe because word got out and a lot of people started to pester them. So, the rule now is just submit and forget it. But also, you said that if your site isn't better than all the other sites, in your category, maybe you shouldn't submit at all? Thanks for all your help. Sorry to be such a pain. |
| |
|
macdesign Joined: Sep 13, 2004
# Posts: 25
|
Posted: 09/25/2005 11:56 pm
The top level site is already listed in DMOZ, submitting the other sites may risk losing that listing. |
| |
Who's Online?
Reflects user activity within the last 5 minutes
| 1 2 Next Page >> | Previous Topic Next Topic |
Switch to Advanced Editor and ... Create a New Topic or Reply to this Thread |
Related Forum Topics
© 1995 - 2006 · iWeb, Inc · DBA JimWorld Productions