I know how hard it is to find sites for an ODP/Dmoz application. You search the search engines for some relief only to find the results less than desirable. You waste your time searching pages in the double digits only to find one site that might be listable in your chosen category, and by the time you find that possibly listable site a good chunk of your time has gone by. What a complete waste of time you wonder. Or, you scourer message boards looking in signature only to find most of it unlistable affiliate junk. Well, I have some quick ways for you to find some sites for your Dmoz/ODP application within as little time as possible. This will work for editors and non-editors alike, but of course, if you're already an editor then you have the upper hand.
Where to find sites for your ODP/Dmoz editor application:
1) Directories
--This is a very good place to mine for links. Just make sure you're not mining an ODP clone, though, because then you'd have a problem. The good thing about directories is the links are cataloged by topic so you're able to find many links on any given subject in the same place. Keep in mind that every directory doesn't have the same listing guidelines as Dmoz so make sure you check the links carefully before putting them on your application. The Yahoo! directory is my first stop when looking for sites to add to my categories or put on an editor application. It's also more easy to drill down and find the correct category than Dmoz, so the Yahoo! directory is definitely more user friendly than Dmoz. As a side note, you'll probably run into more unlistable sites than listable ones, but it's a much better use of your time than simply search a spammy search engine. Oh! I can't forget, you should also search niche directories because you're more likely to find listable sites there than in general directories like Yahoo.
2) Blogging sites
--Take advantage of it. There are millions of blogs, although most probably aren't worth listing, but there are many that are worth listing but aren't. Dmoz lists sites by topic first, so see if you can find any blogs for your topic of choice by doing a thorough search of some of the major, or minor, blogging sites on the 'net. A good place to start is Blogger.com.
3) Message boards.
--Message boards and chat rooms are some places to find listable sites. It can be sometimes time-consuming but it could be worth it depending on if you look in the right place. Look for message boards that are dedicated to your topic and you'll have a much better chance of finding listable sites. You'll have a much harder time finding sites on message boards that allow affiliate and spammy links in signatures. When I look for sites on message boards I usually pull them from people's signature or seek out those that are asking for a site review.
4) Links from other websites.
--Yes, you can also find sites from the links section of other sites. Go ahead and scroll Dmoz or Yahoo, or any other directory and find sites that have a links page and check out some of those links. You'll find that many legitimate sites also link to other legitimate sites along the same topic.
These are just a few suggestions to get your search for listable sites for your Dmoz editor application off to a good and less-frustrating start. You shouldn't stop at only these suggestions because good sites can be found anywhere. Always make sure that for any sites you find you take the time to make sure they're not already listed in the directory, even if it's a different category. You can always use the search feature of Dmoz, but it's not always current. Current editors have a much easier way to check to see if a site is already listed.
-------OTHER NEWS--------
Okay, the categories I can edit are becoming boring. Especially the last category I was approved for. I feel like resigning it because it's so uninteresting. Plus, all the mis-titled sites, some of which look like spam, that are submitted to the category; and that's not including the misplaced sites. Maybe I should begin preparing for another category this time? Hmm, I don't know. I'm beginning to not enjoy editing in the same old categories with the same old types of sites. It's becoming so boring to me. Well, I have been preparing for any future categories by dumping any relevant sites in my editor bookmarks category. Maybe I should look through them to see if I have at least two sites that belong in the same category then apply for it. Or, maybe not.
Current stats:
3977 [Total edits] / 1174 unique adds / 1018 deletes / 734 unreviewed
NOTE: Surprise, surprise. This post isn't proofread.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Friday, September 07, 2007
ODP, or, Dmoz, Feedback I've Received.
In this post I'll go over some of the feedback, or, e-mail, I've received from submitters. Now, I don't receive much e-mail, but I do read, and sometimes respond, to e-mail from the public. Here is just a sample of some of the public feedback I've received and my response, if any, to them. These messages are not word-for-word from the e-mails I've received, but are instead a summary of them. My comments are after the fact.
1) Did I submit to the correct category?
---No. Your site's not in English, but here's a link to the proper category in World.
My comments: I think he was secretly asking for me to list his site, but there wasn't even an English version for it. I'm online most of the time so I responded to him within minutes. In fact, the subject line of the e-mail was "please add turkish (türkçe)".
2.1) Dear editor, I'm checking the status of my submission. I submitted an update request and just want to know if it was sent to this category (Health/...) since the content has changed and is waiting there.
---Dear sir, according to Dmoz guidelines sites have to have unique content and unfortunately your site no longer meet those guidelines. Oh, and here's a link to resource-zone.com in case you need further explanation of unique content.
My Comments: Why in the hell did I refer him to Resource-zone? Ah, never mind. It took about 5-10 minutes to find out his content wasn't original, but was instead stolen from more official health sites. I took 5-10 minutes verifying just to make sure I was making the correct decision before deleting his site. He didn't even bother to cite the stolen content, so hence my use of the word stolen. He responded to my e-mail, so read 2.2.
2.2)Dear editor, thank you for your response and I understand what you mean. Had I known that my site would have been removed then I would have never submitted the update request in the first place. Please consider relisting my site [link and proposed description]. Thanks for your time.
---No response.
My Comments: Now, I did take a peek at the site again. He had added the previous content back plus the stolen content. I wasn't going to relist the site because over half was still stolen content from other sites. Plus, the part I highlighted is what tipped me off that after I re-add the site then he might change it back to having only the stolen health information. So, I intentionally sat on it for a few months then checked it again, and, viola, he changed the site back to the stolen content. He did resubmit the site after the major server crash and I promptly deleted it with the same message as before - stolen content from several health sites.
3.1)Hi, I submitted my site in your category [link].
---Your site is already listed in the above category [link to above category].
My Comments: I went to my favorite message board and begged people to submit their sites to the category or to at least post the links in the thread I created because I needed sites to add to the category. Now, most people probably posted a link to their site in the thread. I never promised a listing, but that I would review it and add it if possible. Most of the sites were recently created message boards with nearly no content and couldn't be added anyway. She responded, so read 3.2.
3.2) Yes, I know its listed, but we just added a section dedicated to this topic. Please consider adding it.
---No response
My Comments: I thought it over. There were other sites in the subcategories that were listed in the above category, so why not this one I thought. Most of those deep links were listed before I became the active editor of that category. Unfortunately, the big server crash wiped out the suggestion and I had a lot of time to think about the suggestion through the server restore and eventually decided not to list the deep link. Unfair? Maybe - but it wasn't anything personal against the webmaster because I'd never communicated with her before she sent the e-mail. Also, keep in mind it was already listed and she wanted it deep linked in an immediate subcategory.
4) Dear editor, I submitted my site last year and its not listed. Is there something wrong with my site?
---No response.
My Comments: (Uncontrollable laughter) That is probably the oldest ploy to get a site reviewed/listed - but it worked! Dmoz had just come off the major server crash and anyone who submitted sites before the crash had to resubmit, and that's still true in present time. So the guy mentioned he had submitted last year so his site is most likely no longer in review. Even though I wasn't actively editing at that time the e-mail did pique my interest and I took a look at the site. I was actually a pretty good site, so I added it along with some sites on the links page. No response needed.
5) Hi, I've been trying to get my site listed in your category. Is there anything I can do to speed up the review? Possibly for other sites?
---No response.
My Comments: Subtle bribe request. Lets just say that his domain will never be listed in the directory. I did look at the site and I did check and verify that it was in the category. Too bad, because at the rate in which I was editing and with the types of categories I was interested in his site would have eventually been added on its own merit. Patience is a virtue.
6) I've been submitting my family's site to the directory for awhile. Is there anything you can do to help?
---No response.
My Comments: I can't remember if I checked to see if the site was in the category or not, but I did take a look at it with no intention of reviewing it for a listing. I just wanted to make sure it was listable because if not then I'd delete it from the category. No response needed. This is a category where, like e-mail #5, some people might ask for bribes, so I'm not really interested in reviewing sites for this category when I receive an e-mail. Plus, you never know when the person has offered a bribe on a site you don't know about then e-mails you asking for help getting listed (with or minus the bribe offer).
7.1)Hi there. Why was my site removed? I was an editor for several years for a few subcats and I added the site myself. The site is better than most of the sites in the category. The category no longer exists but my site wasn't moved into the upper category with the rest. Why not? [link to Google directory where site is listed]. Ignore this if you didn't remove my site. And to whom did remove my site, Google is now updating their directory and my site won't be included for another few months or years. Thanks for nothing.
---No response.
My Comments: She sent me another e-mail a couple of hours after this, read 7.2. I'll say that she's lucky I read the second e-mail before I read this one. I don't know if it's luck that she picked me as the editor that removed her site or if she sent an angry e-mail to other editors, too. Funniest part of this e-mail: 'I know my site is one of the best in the category'. If you know which category it is then that alone will make you laugh, but the biggest laughter came after I looked at the site. Sorry, but don't we all think our sites are the best there is, the best there was, and the best there will ever be? But, anyway, there wasn't anything "better" about her site than the rest in the category. The part that made me angry: 'Thanks for nothing.' I have no obligation to list or review anyone's site. It's that simple. I did re-review it and add it back to the category that same day as the e-mail. Fact is that I was the editor that removed her site when I deleted the category and didn't add it back to the directory. When I quickly glanced at the site its content and Dmoz description didn't match. I didn't have time to re-review it so put it into unreviewed with a message to myself or any editor that happens upon it that the content had changed and it needed a re-review. Most of the time I don't go back and re-review the sites myself. But, the reason why her site was removed from the directory was because the content had changed and I didn't have time, at that time, to give it a re-review. I wouldn't recommend sending an angry e-mail to an editor when you want them to review or list your site.
7.2) Sorry if I was mean in my e-mail. I was pretty mad at the time.
---No response.
My Comments: This is the e-mail I read first when I was on break at work. I couldn't figure out who it was from or why they had sent me an apology. I didn't have time to read the rest of my e-mail until later that day, which, of course, is when I discovered the angry letter. Her site eventually got re-listed that same day, although, as she mentions, it's probably not included in the most recent Google update. Plus, what kind of person would I be if I didn't re-review a site I removed because it needed a re-review? :-D
8) I've submitted my site. Can you check the status.
---It's waiting for review.
My Comments: I spent a few hours searching to see if this person had offered a bribe anywhere. I couldn't find anything. I didn't spend every single minute of those few hours researching this because I like to multi-task. But, eventually, I made the choice to respond with a status check. It was a hastily written e-mail, but it was still readable. So much for my research on this issue because after I responded I found a post by him on a forum asking for a status check. People intentionally skipped over his message, but it's smart to actually ask someone who has the ability to look in the category's unreviewed to make sure your site made it to the category than to ask someone who obviously can't. No harm here; just some curious webmaster who wanted to know the status of his site.
Now you have a glimpse on what an individual editor is thinking when an e-mail is received via public feedback and the types of e-mail that are sent. Some editors don't read them, some editors read them and don't respond, and some editors are like me and don't mind corresponding with the public. It's an editors choice on what they want to do. It is discouraged by other editors though, but I'm capable of making up my own mind regarding these types of matters.
Current editor stats:
3922 [total edits] / 1150 unique adds / 1010 deletes / 721 unreviewed
NOTE: Sorry, again, this post is not proofread. There might be mistakes, but I might have time to correct them later and to make sure things are as clear as possible.
1) Did I submit to the correct category?
---No. Your site's not in English, but here's a link to the proper category in World.
My comments: I think he was secretly asking for me to list his site, but there wasn't even an English version for it. I'm online most of the time so I responded to him within minutes. In fact, the subject line of the e-mail was "please add turkish (türkçe)".
2.1) Dear editor, I'm checking the status of my submission. I submitted an update request and just want to know if it was sent to this category (Health/...) since the content has changed and is waiting there.
---Dear sir, according to Dmoz guidelines sites have to have unique content and unfortunately your site no longer meet those guidelines. Oh, and here's a link to resource-zone.com in case you need further explanation of unique content.
My Comments: Why in the hell did I refer him to Resource-zone? Ah, never mind. It took about 5-10 minutes to find out his content wasn't original, but was instead stolen from more official health sites. I took 5-10 minutes verifying just to make sure I was making the correct decision before deleting his site. He didn't even bother to cite the stolen content, so hence my use of the word stolen. He responded to my e-mail, so read 2.2.
2.2)Dear editor, thank you for your response and I understand what you mean. Had I known that my site would have been removed then I would have never submitted the update request in the first place. Please consider relisting my site [link and proposed description]. Thanks for your time.
---No response.
My Comments: Now, I did take a peek at the site again. He had added the previous content back plus the stolen content. I wasn't going to relist the site because over half was still stolen content from other sites. Plus, the part I highlighted is what tipped me off that after I re-add the site then he might change it back to having only the stolen health information. So, I intentionally sat on it for a few months then checked it again, and, viola, he changed the site back to the stolen content. He did resubmit the site after the major server crash and I promptly deleted it with the same message as before - stolen content from several health sites.
3.1)Hi, I submitted my site in your category [link].
---Your site is already listed in the above category [link to above category].
My Comments: I went to my favorite message board and begged people to submit their sites to the category or to at least post the links in the thread I created because I needed sites to add to the category. Now, most people probably posted a link to their site in the thread. I never promised a listing, but that I would review it and add it if possible. Most of the sites were recently created message boards with nearly no content and couldn't be added anyway. She responded, so read 3.2.
3.2) Yes, I know its listed, but we just added a section dedicated to this topic. Please consider adding it.
---No response
My Comments: I thought it over. There were other sites in the subcategories that were listed in the above category, so why not this one I thought. Most of those deep links were listed before I became the active editor of that category. Unfortunately, the big server crash wiped out the suggestion and I had a lot of time to think about the suggestion through the server restore and eventually decided not to list the deep link. Unfair? Maybe - but it wasn't anything personal against the webmaster because I'd never communicated with her before she sent the e-mail. Also, keep in mind it was already listed and she wanted it deep linked in an immediate subcategory.
4) Dear editor, I submitted my site last year and its not listed. Is there something wrong with my site?
---No response.
My Comments: (Uncontrollable laughter) That is probably the oldest ploy to get a site reviewed/listed - but it worked! Dmoz had just come off the major server crash and anyone who submitted sites before the crash had to resubmit, and that's still true in present time. So the guy mentioned he had submitted last year so his site is most likely no longer in review. Even though I wasn't actively editing at that time the e-mail did pique my interest and I took a look at the site. I was actually a pretty good site, so I added it along with some sites on the links page. No response needed.
5) Hi, I've been trying to get my site listed in your category. Is there anything I can do to speed up the review? Possibly for other sites?
---No response.
My Comments: Subtle bribe request. Lets just say that his domain will never be listed in the directory. I did look at the site and I did check and verify that it was in the category. Too bad, because at the rate in which I was editing and with the types of categories I was interested in his site would have eventually been added on its own merit. Patience is a virtue.
6) I've been submitting my family's site to the directory for awhile. Is there anything you can do to help?
---No response.
My Comments: I can't remember if I checked to see if the site was in the category or not, but I did take a look at it with no intention of reviewing it for a listing. I just wanted to make sure it was listable because if not then I'd delete it from the category. No response needed. This is a category where, like e-mail #5, some people might ask for bribes, so I'm not really interested in reviewing sites for this category when I receive an e-mail. Plus, you never know when the person has offered a bribe on a site you don't know about then e-mails you asking for help getting listed (with or minus the bribe offer).
7.1)Hi there. Why was my site removed? I was an editor for several years for a few subcats and I added the site myself. The site is better than most of the sites in the category. The category no longer exists but my site wasn't moved into the upper category with the rest. Why not? [link to Google directory where site is listed]. Ignore this if you didn't remove my site. And to whom did remove my site, Google is now updating their directory and my site won't be included for another few months or years. Thanks for nothing.
---No response.
My Comments: She sent me another e-mail a couple of hours after this, read 7.2. I'll say that she's lucky I read the second e-mail before I read this one. I don't know if it's luck that she picked me as the editor that removed her site or if she sent an angry e-mail to other editors, too. Funniest part of this e-mail: 'I know my site is one of the best in the category'. If you know which category it is then that alone will make you laugh, but the biggest laughter came after I looked at the site. Sorry, but don't we all think our sites are the best there is, the best there was, and the best there will ever be? But, anyway, there wasn't anything "better" about her site than the rest in the category. The part that made me angry: 'Thanks for nothing.' I have no obligation to list or review anyone's site. It's that simple. I did re-review it and add it back to the category that same day as the e-mail. Fact is that I was the editor that removed her site when I deleted the category and didn't add it back to the directory. When I quickly glanced at the site its content and Dmoz description didn't match. I didn't have time to re-review it so put it into unreviewed with a message to myself or any editor that happens upon it that the content had changed and it needed a re-review. Most of the time I don't go back and re-review the sites myself. But, the reason why her site was removed from the directory was because the content had changed and I didn't have time, at that time, to give it a re-review. I wouldn't recommend sending an angry e-mail to an editor when you want them to review or list your site.
7.2) Sorry if I was mean in my e-mail. I was pretty mad at the time.
---No response.
My Comments: This is the e-mail I read first when I was on break at work. I couldn't figure out who it was from or why they had sent me an apology. I didn't have time to read the rest of my e-mail until later that day, which, of course, is when I discovered the angry letter. Her site eventually got re-listed that same day, although, as she mentions, it's probably not included in the most recent Google update. Plus, what kind of person would I be if I didn't re-review a site I removed because it needed a re-review? :-D
8) I've submitted my site. Can you check the status.
---It's waiting for review.
My Comments: I spent a few hours searching to see if this person had offered a bribe anywhere. I couldn't find anything. I didn't spend every single minute of those few hours researching this because I like to multi-task. But, eventually, I made the choice to respond with a status check. It was a hastily written e-mail, but it was still readable. So much for my research on this issue because after I responded I found a post by him on a forum asking for a status check. People intentionally skipped over his message, but it's smart to actually ask someone who has the ability to look in the category's unreviewed to make sure your site made it to the category than to ask someone who obviously can't. No harm here; just some curious webmaster who wanted to know the status of his site.
Now you have a glimpse on what an individual editor is thinking when an e-mail is received via public feedback and the types of e-mail that are sent. Some editors don't read them, some editors read them and don't respond, and some editors are like me and don't mind corresponding with the public. It's an editors choice on what they want to do. It is discouraged by other editors though, but I'm capable of making up my own mind regarding these types of matters.
Current editor stats:
3922 [total edits] / 1150 unique adds / 1010 deletes / 721 unreviewed
NOTE: Sorry, again, this post is not proofread. There might be mistakes, but I might have time to correct them later and to make sure things are as clear as possible.
The Google Directory Has FINALLY Been Updated From Dmoz/ODP.
The Google Directory has been updated!!!!!! Can you believe that! The Google Directory hasn't been updated since maybe 2005, although I've seen on other websites where they say it hasn't been updated since early 2006. The copyright on the Google Directory before this recent update was 2005 and the copyright now is 2007. One thing is for sure and that's that it's about damn time! Some editors have been following this Google outdatedness closely and some even taking it personally, although I think they try to hide their frustration through certain types of proposals on the Internal forum.
So, you're probably wondering why after over one year of not updating that Google finally decides to update their directory when it seems like they were going to let it die into oblivion? Well, editors got fed up and began throwing sticks at AOL, yes, the AOL, and someone within AOL began prodding Google with one of those sticks. Thank you AOL/Dmoz staff!!!!! Great job and persistence indeed.
It seems Google took the Dmoz RDF, RFD, anyway the Dmoz "data dump" to begin parsing it sometime in August, some websites have the approximate date as sometime in early August 2007. According to an editor who has been following this update closely, the update began on a few of Google's data centers in Europe and over a span of weeks most, if not all, data centers were eventually updated. It was taking so long to update all the data centers that I thought Google had just abandoned the update. But, no fear, with AOL/Dmoz staff we now have an updated Google directory.
If your site was included in the Dmoz directory before Google downloaded the data dump, sometime in August, then your site will appear in the Google directory. If your site appear after they downloaded the database then your site won't appear in the Google directory, so I guess you'll have to wait for the next Google directory update, hehehhe, there's something sinister about saying that.
So, you're probably wondering why after over one year of not updating that Google finally decides to update their directory when it seems like they were going to let it die into oblivion? Well, editors got fed up and began throwing sticks at AOL, yes, the AOL, and someone within AOL began prodding Google with one of those sticks. Thank you AOL/Dmoz staff!!!!! Great job and persistence indeed.
It seems Google took the Dmoz RDF, RFD, anyway the Dmoz "data dump" to begin parsing it sometime in August, some websites have the approximate date as sometime in early August 2007. According to an editor who has been following this update closely, the update began on a few of Google's data centers in Europe and over a span of weeks most, if not all, data centers were eventually updated. It was taking so long to update all the data centers that I thought Google had just abandoned the update. But, no fear, with AOL/Dmoz staff we now have an updated Google directory.
If your site was included in the Dmoz directory before Google downloaded the data dump, sometime in August, then your site will appear in the Google directory. If your site appear after they downloaded the database then your site won't appear in the Google directory, so I guess you'll have to wait for the next Google directory update, hehehhe, there's something sinister about saying that.
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