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    About DMOZ  |  Open Directory Project Blog
    Since 1998, the Open Directory Project has been the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web. It is constructed and maintained by a passionate, global community of volunteer editors.
    Apr 9th 2009 1:28PM
    Ask DMOZ: Questions from Webmasters & General Users Answered
    Several weeks ago, we asked webmasters and general users to submit their questions about DMOZ. While we aren't able to answer every question, we've chosen a representative sample to address here on the blog.

    Thank you to everyone who participated! We appreciate your thoughts and insights, and your dedication to the ODP community.

    Emily

    - - - - - - - - - - -

    "I just started my first website and someone told me about DMOZ. What is it, and how does a site like mine benefit if it's included in the directory?"
    Welcome! We're glad you asked.

    First, we'll tell you what it is: DMOZ (or the Open Directory Project) is the world's largest and most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web. It is constructed and maintained by a vast, global community of volunteer editors.

    Each editor helps maintain a category (or, in the case of some more experienced editors, several categories) of interest to them by performing tasks such as adding new sites, removing broken links, and re-categorizing sites whose purposes have changed since they were originally added. Some editors also perform tasks that enhance the directory and the ODP community. Examples of side projects editors undertake include building tools to help make the editing process more efficient, mentoring new editors and contributing to newsletters and blogs. You can read more about one editor's typical day here.

    Now, what DMOZ is not: First and foremost, it is not a paid listing service. It is a violation of our social contract and terms of use to either offer money to have a link included in the directory or for an editor to accept money to add a link to the directory. The real value of the directory is in its editorial neutrality, and these practices harm the integrity of the contents and cast shadows over the overwhelming number of site owners and editors who follow the rules. If you suspect abuse, you can report it using our abuse reporting tool.

    DMOZ is also not a search engine, in and of itself; however, it is one of a number of tools used by some algorithmic search engines to classify or rank sites.

    There are several benefits to sites that are included in the directory. Because some search engines do use it as part of their ranking system, a listing in DMOZ can sometimes help grow traffic to a site. Another benefit is that many organizations take advantage of free access to the directory's content to help populate their own sites, so your site can get additional exposure in communities that share interests and values with your site.

    "I feel like DMOZ's site selection process isn't transparent enough. Can we get additional details on how sites are selected for inclusion in the directory?"
    This is a comment we hear time and time again, and most of the time, this is in relation to the site suggestion process. We recognize that our imperfect site suggestion system has a lot to do with that. When you suggest URLs, please keep a couple of things in mind about how the process works:

    • Our suggestion system unfortunately doesn't have built-in email functionality to notify users that their suggestion has been received or reviewed. While we know that this can be frustrating, once you've entered the CAPTCHA text in the box and received the confirmation page, your suggestion has gone through.
    • Many people think that there is a queue of suggested sites, but this metaphor is inaccurate. There are a number of reasons why sites are not always reviewed in the order they are received; for example, a site may have been suggested to the wrong category, it may have an unclear title or description, or the suggested site may be undergoing maintenance at the time an editor attempts to review it. Instead, a better metaphor is that suggestions made to each category go into a pool from which editors may select sites to review. A comprehensive overview of what happens to suggested sites is available here.
    • Editors have many sources from which to select sites. For some categories, there may be an overwhelming number of spam suggestions that make it impractical to use the suggestion pool as a primary selection tool. This doesn't mean that our editors won't ever review the sites in the suggestion pool, or even that they won't find your site by other means. It just means that there isn't a set timeframe for review, and that times may vary based on the size, type and editor techniques of a given category.

    The best thing that users can do to help the editors review suggested sites efficiently is to prepare their suggestions as well as they possibly can before submitting them. We've posted some tips on how to do that here and here, and provided information about a number of helpful resources here.


    "My company makes several different products. Can I suggest my site in multiple sub-categories? Would I be better off suggesting it to a higher-level category?"
    In general, sites will fit in one category, and it's best to find one appropriate category to which you will make your site suggestion. In some cases, when sites offer content in diverse product or subject areas, it may be appropriate for editors to list sub-categories separately, but this is definitely the exception rather than the rule.

    Remember that the goal of a directory is a little different than the goal of a search engine. The directory provides a structure into which sites are categorized based on their similarity to each other rather than an index of all content related to a particular query term. It is more advantageous to users to have a site listed in the best category than in many somewhat related categories.


    "My site is already listed, but it needs to be updated. Is there a way to tell the category editor?"
    Yes! This is similar to the site suggestion process, and has been covered here in the past. Use the "Update listing" link at the top of the category your site is in.

    Posted by Emily Kayser | Comments (38)
    Reader Comments(Page 2 of 2)
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