DMOZ Blog

Why are sites sometimes removed from the directory?

Emily Kayser — 2009-06-26T12:00:00+00:00

We occasionally get questions from site owners and directory users who have noticed that previously-listed sites are no longer available in DMOZ. There are three primary reasons that sites might be removed, some temporary and some permanent. The list below explains these in detail.

The site was down when our automated tools scanned it.
Editors use a number of automated tools to help to keep the directory up-to-date. Occasionally a site is down when a tool checks the contents of a category. The first time this happens, the tool will flag the site but leave the directory listing intact. If the site is down again when the tool scans that category again (generally several days later), it will temporarily remove it so that an editor can provide a manual review & either restore it (if it is back online) or remove it. If you know that a site has recently been down for a few days for any reason, this is the most likely reason for its removal.

Note that sites that block our automated tools will appear to be down when they are scanned, so they may be removed for this reason. The same thing is true of sites that block editors who are attempting to review them. A page that can't be reviewed can't be listed in the directory.

The site is being moved to another category.
DMOZ is a living directory, so it is constantly growing and changing. Over time, some categories will grow larger and more complex and editors will split them into smaller, more specific sub-categories. When this happens, some sites will move out of the original category and into the new one. In most cases, category reorganizations are performed by editors with permissions in both the original category and in the new destination category, so the site simply moves to a new location.

If you think a site has moved and you're not sure of its new location, you can look for it by using the search feature within the directory. Note that you must use a "domain.extension" format in order for the search to return the correct results. For example, a user looking for Amazon's site would need to search for "amazon.com" rather than "www.amazon.com" in order for the search to return the desired results.

Occasionally, a site may move as the result of a content change rather than as the result of a category reorganization. When this happens, the site requires a new review and may be temporarily removed from public view until the destination category's editor has approved it.

The site is now unlistable.
There are three primary scenarios that will make a previously-listed site unlistable. The first is that the content of the site has changed and no longer meets our requirements for inclusion in the directory. It may no longer have unique content, or the purpose of the site may have changed (for example, if the domain name has been transferred to a new owner who alters its purpose). In this case, an editor would permanently remove the site from the directory. It will continue to be considered unlistable until such time as the site has been altered to meet our requirements.

The second scenario is that the site itself has not changed, but the listing guidelines for the directory overall (or the particular area of the directory where the site resides) have changed. In this case, an editor would also permanently remove the site from the directory.

The third scenario is that the site was originally listed in error - either as the result of a mistake, an editor's misunderstanding of the listing guidelines, or abuse - and should not have been listed in the directory in the first place.

Site owners sometimes express concern that their sites have been deleted due to editor corruption. While this is rare, there are unfortunately times when it occurs. We take corruption accusations very seriously, and remove any editor who is found to have acted in an abusive manner. If you feel that a site was removed in violation of the DMOZ editing guidelines, you can submit an abuse report (including all details and evidence) via our public abuse reporting system.

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Focus on the Shopping Section

Emily Kayser — 2009-06-23T17:02:00+00:00

Hey Everyone!

Editor lisagirl has provided the latest in our series of posts highlighting portions of the directory, this time focusing on the Shopping section.

Emily

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"Hello, my name is lisagirl, how may I assist you??"

"Hi lisagirl! Does DMOZ accept shopping sites?"

"Why yes, we do accept submissions for all sorts of shopping websites. Have you checked over in the Shopping description section? If you can't find what you need there, check the Shopping FAQs section."

"Thanks! Is there anything else I should know?"

"Why, yes! We've covered the requirements below. I'm quite certain whatever you need can be found there!"

* * *

To be listed in the Shopping branch, the requirements are simple. The website must have:
1. A listing of products for sale,
2. Prices,
3. A way for the consumer to buy the product without having to leave the comfort of his/her
house, and (of course)
4. Unique content.

If the website only has "here's a few photos of our stock, call us for more info" that won't be listed in the Shopping branch because it doesn't have specific products listed or prices.

If the website has a list of products but no prices, it still won't be listed in Shopping. It must meet the 4 criteria above.

If the site doesn't meet them, you can try suggesting the site to a related category in the Business branch (for example, a manufacturer's website) or in the Regional branch (for example, a local grocery store).

But wait! There's more! If the site is a USA-based business, it must ship across most of the USA. For all other countries, the business must ship to at least one other country. (For DMOZ purposes, the United Kingdom is considered one country.) If the business fails this requirement, you can suggest the site to the "Regional/Country Name/Business and Economy/Shopping" category that corresponds to the country you're looking for.

Ohhh yes, there is one more tiny little thing: doorways, mirror sites, lists of advertisements and drop-shippers are prohibited in the shopping category. Non-English sites should be submitted to the appropriate World category. If you'd like more details, view the shopping category description.

Titles? Descriptions?
You can always try this blog post about writing titles and descriptions. In the Shopping branch, we focus descriptions more than on the products offered, but of course if the website has features that others don't, mention them!

Where to suggest a site??
You can either click and surf 'til you find what you want, or try a simple search within the Shopping branch, or see where the competition is listed. The closer you can get, the better. If you don't know where the site belongs, make an educated guess. If you instead submit it to a higher level (such as submitting a site selling ocarinas to Shopping/Music/Instruments instead of Shopping/Music/Instruments/Winds/Ocarina hoping the editors will figure it out, that will only delay the site's review. So please, do your best to get the site as close as you can!

What sorts of shopping sites does the Open Directory Project list?
You name it! How about these examples:
Edible Insects
Ear candles
Clothes for lawn geese
Barbie dolls
"Green" furniture
Letters from St. Nick
and of course...CHOCOLATE!!!

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Happy Birthday, DMOZ!

Emily Kayser — 2009-06-05T00:00:00+00:00

Hard to believe, but it's already been 11 years since DMOZ launched back on June 5, 1998. In that time, it has grown to become the largest human-edited directory on the web thanks to the tens of thousands of dedicated volunteer editors who have collected, sorted and organized millions of websites into categories on topics ranging from Aerospace to Zoology (and just about everything in between). The directory includes more than a half-million categories and content in more than 80 languages. There is even a hand-built directory of recommended sites just for Kids & Teens.

There are numerous ways that people get information from the web. Depending on the circumstances, some people begin by using search engines such as Google, AOL, Yahoo and MSN; at other times, a directory-based approach such as the one DMOZ offers may provide the better path to the desired information.

If this is your first time here, welcome! It's worth pointing out that our volunteer editors select sites for inclusion in the directory based on unique content, so a stroll through the directory can provide an excellent overview of a particular topic. If you'd like to see an example of this in action, you can read this blog post.

From the beginning, the directory data has been offered free of charge to site owners who would like to use it to enhance their own site. The only obligation is that proper attribution is given to show DMOZ as the source of the data. DMOZ data provides the basis for Google Directory, but is also used on thousands of smaller sites which extract a small amount of data relevant to the topics they cover. You can learn more about usage guidelines and how to retrieve the data at our RDF overview page.

We invite you to take a look around the directory and see what we have to offer. If you'd like to contribute, you can learn more about becoming an editor and help us continue to build the directory in its second decade.

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An Applicant's Guide to Becoming an Editor

Emily Kayser — 2009-06-01T11:25:00+00:00

We often hear questions from prospective editors who are looking for guidance on how to improve their chances of having their application approved. For this week's post, we've put together a brief tutorial to help applicants tackle the more difficult parts of the application process.

Select a Category
Selecting the category you'd like to apply to edit is one of the most important - if not the most important - parts of the application process. While this may seem very straightforward, it takes a bit of time and research before you submit the application to make sure that the category is a good fit for you and that it's the appropriate size for a new editor.

The best way to begin is by browsing the directory to get a feel for the taxonomy and to begin exploring topic areas that are of interest to you. Once you've identified the general area where you'd like to edit, you can begin to make your category selection. You may find it helpful to use the "Description" links in the right-hand corners of the category pages to compare categories you're considering. These may include descriptions of the type of sites the category contains or related categories for you to explore.

First-time editors should select a small category to start with. As a general rule, this would mean a category with fewer than 100 current links including those in the category itself and all of its sub-categories. Many enthusiastic applicants apply to categories that are too large or complex for new editors and are frustrated when their applications are rejected as a result. Not to worry, though. Once you get comfortable with editing in a small category, you can always apply for permissions in additional categories or higher in the taxonomy.

Look for categories that you find interesting and will want to work on. Some people select a category related to their profession, and others choose categories related to hobbies or their studies. It's really up to you to decide where you think your interest and efforts fit best. Once you've chosen your category, use the "Become an Editor" link on that page to apply.

Find Sample Sites
After you've narrowed your category choices down to one or two, do some research to see if you can find additional sites that would fit in each category. Look for sites that offer unique content and would add value to the category you've chosen. Sometimes, the distinctions between categories are very subtle making it a little difficult to determine where a new site fits best. This blog post can help you understand how to make these selections.

Depending on the type of category you've selected, you might try using a search engine, looking on trade association or local chamber of commerce sites, or reading posts in forums related to your area of interest to locate new sites.

You'll need at least two (and preferably three) new links to use on your application. If you can't find at least that many sample sites, you will need to select a different category. Not only does a lack of links mean you can't fully complete the application, but categories where you can't find new sites to add have limited growth potential, so they aren't the best places for new editors to learn the ropes.

Write Site Descriptions
Once you've selected your category and identified some sample sites to use in your application, it's time to write the site descriptions. Keep in mind that these should be objective (avoid promotional or marketing language), grammatically correct and provide a succinct description of the site content as it relates to your category. You can find more detailed information and examples in our blog post about writing descriptions or by reviewing the complete editorial guidelines.

Disclose Site Associations
The DMOZ community takes abusive editing practices very seriously, and we make every effort to ensure that we keep the bad apples out altogether. The site associations portion of the editor application (sometimes referred to as the affiliations section) is our first line of defense against abuse, so it is very important that you fully disclose all affiliations upfront. This will speed the application process and help to ensure that your application is not rejected due to undisclosed site associations.

Site associations include any sites you own, work on or represent in addition to other sites in which you have a vested interest (for example, a spouse's business site). If you'd like more details about what constitutes a site association, please review our conflicts of interest policy.

An affiliation with a site or category alone is not cause for an application rejection (after all, we want editors to be interested in and knowledgeable about the topics they're covering), but disclosing affiliations helps us to know that editors are not being deceptive about their motives for applying.

Submit Your Application
Once you've filled out all of the application fields and double-checked your work, you can submit your application. It's a good idea to save a copy for later use in case you're asked to make updates or need to apply for reinstatement. Your application is not visible to editors until you've verified your email address, so be on the lookout for an email from us. If you can't find it, be sure to check your spam filter as well. It may be helpful to white-list the dmoz.org domain if your email software allows it to ensure that you receive all communication related to your application.

There are a number of factors that influence the length of time it will take for your application to be reviewed. Probably the biggest is the category's location in the directory and the number of senior editors who are working on processing applications in that area. Generally speaking, you should have a decision within a few weeks; however, applications to edit categories in some languages or in smaller corners of the directory may take a bit longer.

If you aren't accepted on the first try, don't be discouraged. Many excellent editors have had their applications rejected the first time around. You can always reapply and incorporate any feedback you've received into your revised application.

Also keep in mind that each editor may only have one - and only one - editor account. Duplicate accounts are forbidden because they are often an indicator of editor fraud. You risk losing both accounts if you were previously an editor and you attempt to apply for a new account. If you've ever been an editor in the past (even if your old account is no longer active), you must use the reinstatement form rather than the new editor application. If you no longer use the email account you listed on your old editor profile or have forgotten any of the other details needed to re-activate the account, please ask for help at Resource Zone. This is not a barrier to reinstatement, and our current editors can help guide you through the process.

You can find additional information about applying in the Becoming an Editor section of DMOZ.org or visit our public forums to ask a site editor for a status update (be sure to follow the status request guidelines) or learn more about the community.

Being a DMOZ editor is a rewarding hobby that allows you to expand your knowledge of, and insight into, a topic that interests you. As an added bonus, it gives you the opportunity to join the truly global editor community. If you'd like to read about some of our editors' specific experiences with the project, check out these posts from editors crowbar, imrankhan, mollybdenum and laigh.

We look forward to having you on board!

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It's A Hobby, Not A Job

Emily Kayser — 2009-05-22T12:43:00+00:00

Hi Everyone!

This week, editor crowbar will provide some background about the role he plays as an editor for the directory.

Emily

- - - - - - - - - - -
Editing is one of several hobbies that I indulge in when I'm not working in my real life business. My business doesn't have or need a website anymore. It was a nice tool at the time, but I found it to be unnecessary. Good service and word of mouth are much more effective.

Let me tell you about my hobbies.

Editing has been a hobby for the last 8 years. I applied out of curiosity - on a whim. After I was accepted, my first thought was "What have I gotten myself into?" The place was huge, the amount of information about editing was mind boggling, and I felt like a flea on a football field with no idea of what to do next.

I soon found out that nobody was going to lead me by the hand or crack a whip, and that I needed to be proactive in learning the ropes, though there were plenty of editors willing to help. All I had to do was ask.

Being accepted as an editor doesn't make you an editor. It is just the starting point to becoming one. It is a hobby. You are a volunteer, and your time is your own so you can proceed at your own pace.
Some editors choose to stay in this first small category, and other editors expand their editing permissions to larger areas as their interests expand, as I have. It's totally up to each editor.

Another hobby I have is water gardening. I knew nothing about it, but it looked pretty cool, so I grabbed a shovel and started digging. This led to editing:
http://www.dmoz.org/Home/Gardening/Gardens/Water/
http://www.dmoz.org/Shopping/Home_and_Garden/Water_Gardens/

Then somebody mentioned something that sounded interesting to me. I took a look, got hooked on a new time-consuming hobby, and applied for permissions to edit two more categories, which I was granted at:
http://www.dmoz.org/Games/Video_Games/Roleplaying/Massive_Multiplayer_Online/World_of_Warcraft/
http://www.dmoz.org/Games/Video_Games/Massive_Multiplayer_Online/Trading_and_Auctions/Goods_and_Services/World_of_Warcraft/

Of course, I also edit all of New York State and everything else within the United States categories, as part of my hobby.
http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/North_America/United_States/
http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/North_America/United_States/New_York/

My point is that editors join the ODP (DMOZ) and stay as a hobby, not as a job. My business is my job, and editing is a pleasant hobby that I do when I have the time, and even then, I have to decide which hobby will get my time and how much of it.

I want to find really interesting and helpful sites for other water gardeners and other World of Warcraft players, and I use multiple resources to do this. Sometimes I look through the suggested sites submitted by the public; other times, I follow the links found on existing listings or do a search for specific terminology using search engines.

Some users think that our job as editors is to list every suggested site; however, this is not the case. We aren't a listing service. Our goal is to build useful categories with unique content for the benefit of information-seekers. We welcome high-quality, relevant site suggestions that provide real value to information seekers, but we don't guarantee placement of any site in the directory. The ODP is not a business, but an organization of volunteers editing in areas that are of interest to them, and giving away the results freely, no charge. We do not provide a service to site suggesters, we build categories for people looking for information.

The difference between a search engine and a directory like the ODP might be that a search engine can find specific information very quickly, but a directory can give you a spreadsheet of all the information laid out to choose from - a broader view of the topic.

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Why did I become an editor for DMOZ?

Emily Kayser — 2009-05-15T17:22:00+00:00

Hi Everyone!

In today's post we're bringing you the story of how one editor, imrankhan, took the leap from long-time DMOZ user to editor.

Emily

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My association with DMOZ started off back in 1999. I had just started using the internet and even the speed of my 56k modem internet connection was enough to bowl me over. Back then, my online activities were limited to sending/receiving emails and occasional repartee in chat rooms. It took me some months to realize that the internet is way beyond chitchatting or keeping in touch with your far away friends and family members. It turned out to be a whole new world of knowledge and information. I can't really recall what made me realize this, but one way or another I became aware of the revolutionary significance of the internet. As soon as it hit my consciousness, I gave up all other pastimes and restricted myself to internet surfing. In other words I got addicted to the world wide web.

At this time, I desperately felt the need of some resource like DMOZ. Even though I knew of some search engines, my first attempts at searching brought such irrelevant results that I dumped search engines for the time being, thanks to some clever manipulations done by webmasters to deceive search engine robots. Resources at web directories were either insufficient or subject to the personal interest of directory owners. Resources at search engines were spammed to the core and the human-factor was badly missing. It was then that I discovered the Open Directory Project, which provided that non-commercial, unbiased human-factor. Needless to say, DMOZ became my first bookmark and also, my first "cyber crush".

Why did I become a DMOZ editor?

"Help build the largest human-edited directory of the web. Become an Editor."

For some reason, I had always overlooked the above mentioned message that appears at the homepage. Perhaps because I didn't consider myself capable enough to edit, select or reject resources, or maybe because I was too overwhelmed by the largeness of this project. Hence, for many years, I continued to browse and avail myself of the great resources published at DMOZ, without taking into account the possibility of me serving as an editor for this gigantic directory. It was only after I started my professional life - that requires some serious research work - when I thought about making up for all the information and resources that DMOZ has made available for nothing. It was time to be a part of the cause.

My Experience so far:

Of course, fulfilling.

After so many years of surfing as a user, it feels good to be working "backstage." Apart from the guidelines laid down for the editors, one thing that has helped me a lot is my past experiences as a user. I see webmasters everywhere, at online forums, blogs, communities... complaining about the partiality or favoritism of editors, just because their website hasn't made it into the directory.

The problem I've seen until now, with sites being suggested to my categories for review, is that they don't provide anything of substance for the user. One thing we can't compromise on as an editor is the content of the website. The content has got to be unique, and by uniqueness we don't mean rephrasing or restructuring same piece of information in a hundred ways. There's no point in stuffing DMOZ with hundreds and thousands of websites, where the content is almost identical, hence of little or no use to the general public.

In the coming days, I am looking forward to make a significant contribution towards the growth of a directory that has introduced me to a number of truly useful resources. As a user, my association with DMOZ has always been good, and as an editor, it's even better!

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Welcome New AOL Staff!

Emily Kayser — 2009-05-15T12:40:00+00:00

Hey everyone!

Back in January, we kicked off the new year by introducing everyone to our team. Today, we're excited to introduce our newest team member, Andy. Please join us in welcoming him to the community!

Emily

Andy McMahon, Product Manager (dciandy)
"I first went online in 1989 with a Commodore 64 and a 300 baud modem. I remember when IM's were called OLM's (online messages) and when you had to pay $40 to get the Netscape browser. Yes, I guess I'm the equivalent of an online old timer! It's been 10 years since I came to AOL, where I've worked as a product manager in the Local space. I'm excited to be part of the DMOZ team because I've always considered the ODP to be the best of the web - I come here because I trust the sites I'll see are high quality in one form or another. I look forward to being a part of this project and working with this great community."

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R-E-S-P-E-C-T for DMOZ

Emily Kayser — 2009-05-04T18:29:00+00:00

For our latest post, editor glippitt has provided an excellent example of a place where DMOZ's resources shine. Enjoy!

Emily

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Everybody loves Google, everybody loves Wikipedia - so why doesn't everybody love DMOZ? Ask people how they search the web, and most will tell you what Google does well, what Wikipedia does well - and what DMOZ doesn't do well. When you think about it, that's quite an odd way to look at search vehicles, isn't it? My car doesn't do backflips, but that doesn't mean I stop driving. I also can't take a plane to my local shopping area, ride a bicycle across the ocean, or take a train where there aren't train tracks.

Let's look at what DMOZ does do well, and the when and how of using various search vehicles to help users find what they're looking for.

Perhaps you heard something on the news about the Somali pirates and want to learn more. You'd likely search Google News for the most recent coverage, perhaps sorting by date. Background information? You might read Piracy in Somalia in Wikipedia and search for Somali pirates with Google web search. Now what about Somalia in general? How did it get to this point? What's the history of the country, and what's going on with their government? How do you find answers to these questions without wasting a lot of time? This is where DMOZ shines.

Google for Somalia or history of Somalia or government of Somalia and you'll get a mixed bag. Google combines relevance with popularity, which means the more specific your query, the better the results. For broader sorts of queries, some excellent sources may be ranked low and you may miss them. Some links from special interest groups may be popular enough to be ranked high, but that doesn't mean they're providing a balanced view. Some less-than-current sources may be ranked high simply because they've been around a long time and lots of other sites have linked to them in the past. Sometimes they use 'relevant' keywords and page titles to game the system and achieve a higher ranking than they really deserve. Look at this result from that last Google search:

Quote:

"somalia: the official news from the government of somalia - 9:11am
Somalia: Somali Pirates holding over 200 hostages.
www.somaligovernment.org/ - 29k"

Looks current, right? Wrong. Click on it and you may realize it's the site of warlord Abdinur Darman who declared himself President in 2007 - but Google's automated process has no way of knowing that, and if you don't look closely you may be misled into thinking it's from the current government. (The true official site was unavailable for much of April because it had run out of bandwidth.) To avoid confusion, DMOZ has now listed the link with this description: Site of presidential claimant Abdinur Ahmed Darman, the leader of Somalia's Hawiya clan who declared himself head of state in July 2003. Google (and others) may later pick up that description and use it in their search results instead of the current snippet. We all want users to have the correct information.

Other Google options? You can find authoritative sources by searching Google Scholar for Somalia, but that isn't necessarily the level of information you want.

What about Somalia (and its sub-articles) in Wikipedia? Articles 'in the news' often draw 'strong-minded partisans' as editors, so while the information may be interesting one would want to chase down all the footnotes to determine if they reference reliable sources accurately summarized - and if the reliable sources are truly representative, or if they were 'cherry-picked' to shade the view - which means you're back to Google to find what might be missing. All this for just the most current version on Wikipedia. Click on the history and discussion tabs and see how often the article has been changed and if there are 'edit wars' going on. Wikipedia is useful, but it doesn't fill every need and it certainly isn't the only source one should rely on, particularly on controversial topics.

Or, you can go to DMOZ's Somalia category. Start with Guides and Directories to find background information. Perhaps you're interested in Government sites. If you're curious about local and foreign efforts to help the country, you can view Aid and Development and Economic Development. Perhaps you want to check out the local News or look at some Maps and Views. Some Travel Guides have useful information about a country. You can also move your search up to West Africa and Africa, or down to the regions within Somalia such as Somaliland.

You'll notice some Somalia categories from the DMOZ Topical directory, such as Colleges and Universities and Soccer, are 'linked in' to Regional. 'Sharing' these categories helps people searching for the same information, but starting from a different point or point of view. There are also links to the associated categories in the World directories (such as French) and the Kids and Teens directory.

There's all sorts of relevant information to be found on the web, and the broader the topic the more useful DMOZ is. Use it as one of your search vehicles and you may be surprised how much more efficient and productive your searches become. Just don't expect it to be the perfect combination Mars rover-car-plane-scooter-train-bicycle. There's no such thing as a silver bullet in search - not even Google.

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Ask DMOZ: Questions from Webmasters & General Users Answered

Emily Kayser — 2009-04-09T13:28:00+00:00

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

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"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.

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A Day in the Editing Life

Emily Kayser — 2009-03-25T13:08:00+00:00

Ever wonder what editors do behind the scenes? What tasks they complete, how edits are made, etc? Editor mollybdenum has provided a great overview of a day in the editing life to help shed some light on the inner workings of DMOZ.
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I have been an editor for about four years.

I started out with one small category, and I was approved for more categories, as time went on, and my experience grew.

There is much more to being an editor than approving sites that have been submitted, and I would like to share a typical day in the life of this editor with readers.

This morning I logged in and went to the editor forums first. I greeted some new editors, and then made a comment in a discussion about the re-naming of a category. A rename is occasionally decided upon, for better organization of the directory, and for easier browsing by our site visitors.

After that, I looked over the categories where I edit.

There were some "reds" - these are former listings that have been removed from the directory by our link-checker Robozilla because they have been inaccessible for a few weeks.

I checked the first, and found that it returned a '404 - not found' error message. I used a search engine to learn if the site had perhaps moved to a new domain. There were no results. I left the link in the 'unreviewed' area.
I will search for it again in a few weeks. Perhaps by then, it will again be available. If not, it will
be deleted or sent into 'Test' for further investigation later.

The next site was also '404 - not found'. There were no results in the search engines. I visited the archive.org website, and saw that this site had not changed since 2006. Suspecting that it may no longer be available at anytime, I left it in 'unreviewed' for a check again later. If it is still unavailable in a few weeks, it too
will either be deleted or sent to 'Test'.

The next red site I checked was working again. I was able to return the listing back into the category.

There were a couple of 'purple' sites. The color purple indicates that a request has been made for an 'update' to the listed site.

In the first case, I went to the site, and found that the company named had changed, which the submitter
had posted. I was able to change the title and update the listing in the directory.

The second purple site was a request for a change to the description. The submitter for the 'Widget Inc." site wished to have the description read, "Widget Inc. based in Widgetville, State, Country, at 555-555-5555, sells Wonderful, Exceptional Amazing Widgets in the Widgetville, State, Country area". I had a look at the site, and decided that the current description, "Provides widgets and components. Features company history, newsletter and FAQ." was more appropriate, and left the description without any changes.

Next, I went to one of the smaller categories, and noticed a typo in the description. I fixed that, and then noticed that another site had capital letters in the description. I changed that as well.

I wondered if this category could be improved. Perhaps I could find a few more sites to add. I remembered seeing an ad in yesterday's newspaper for a site that would fit there. I got the paper, and typed in the url. I spent some time looking over the site, and then wrote a description of what the business does, and what can be found on the site. I added this new listing to the directory.

I then went off to the search engines, hunting for more sites to add. I was able to find three, out of about 5 that
I visited, that were unique and useful.

By then it was lunchtime. My daughter-in-law and granddaughter were coming to visit for the afternoon.
I logged off, glad to have made a contribution to the directory.

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What Makes a Good Title and Description?

Emily Kayser — 2009-03-09T13:16:00+00:00

Editors often receive a high volume of site suggestions for their categories, so ensuring that suggested sites have clear, concise titles and descriptions can aid greatly in the review process. Editor lisagirl has provided an excellent tutorial in how to make titles and descriptions that stand out in the crowd.

Emily
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What makes a good title and description? If you ask me personally, all good things involve chocolate. I guess we're talking about other things here, but forgive me if you have uncontrollable chocolate cravings after reading this.

Here's some general help on writing good titles and descriptions. Also, before you suggest a site, look for the description link in that category. The descriptions often have additional information specific to that category. For more help, visit
http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/Searching/Directories/Open_Directory_Project/Policies_and_Procedures/

TITLES:

If the site is about a business, it's simple! Titles are the business name, and nothing more.
If the site is topical in nature, the title should be the site's official name.
Titles shouldn't be a string of keywords, should be properly capitalized, and shouldn't have unnecessary punctuation marks or symbols.

Good (fictional) title examples:
- Lisagirl Chocoholics Bakery
- Theo Broma Transportation and Trucking
- Fudge Factor Accountants
- A Review of Chocolate Consumption in 2009
- Chocoholics Anonymous

Bad title examples:
- LISAGIRL CHOCOHOLICS BAKERY (all capital letters)
- Welcome to Theo Broma Trucking (uses phrases such as "Welcome to" or "Homepage of")
- The fudgiest numbers on the web, from Fudge Factor Accountants (uses advertising)
- ThEo bROmA TRaNsPoRtAtiOn aNd tRuCkInG (incorrect capitalization)
- Lisagirl Chocoholics Bakery, in Smallville (uses location or phone number)
- Chocolate Consumption, 2009, Why People Eat Chocolate, Review (a string of keywords)
- All About Chocoholics Anonymous (not the official site or organization name)

DESCRIPTIONS:
Describe the business or website, and describe the website's contents. Don't use hyperbole, advertising language, or a string of search engine keywords. Keep it simple!

Here, I've placed a good and bad (fictional) example together, for comparison. Each person's writing style is different, and descriptions may vary depending on the category. What you see here are only examples and are written in my style. If you really don't know what to write, look at listings in the category where you're suggesting the site for ideas.

***
Good:
Photo gallery displaying a personal collection of chocolate candy bar wrappers acquired between 1964 and 1979.

Bad:
These are my pics which are of the wrappers I got from eating choclit cand bars
***

Good:
Bakery and restaurant, both exclusively offering chocolate foods. Includes menus with photographs, and recipes of their most-ordered dishes.

Bad:
LisaGirl Chocholics is on 123 Main Street, Smallville, open 6am to 5 pm, and we only sell chocolate foods. This website has tantalizing meneues with mouth-watering photos, and recippes for the favoritest dishes.

***
Good:
Offers accounting services for small business owners and classes about creative financing. Includes profiles of the firm members, class details and schedules, and links to bail bond agents.

Bad:
The ultimate source for all accounting services. We have been in business since 2008. Free education! Learn all about Fudge Factor's people. Learn where to go when you need help.
***

Good:
Sales of Perugina Baci, a chocolate candy with hazelnuts, and shortbread cookies. Provides a map to the store and options for monthly shipment subscriptions.

Bad:
High quality merchandise, chocolate, candy, Perugina, Baci, and much more!

You may ask "Why should I bother writing good titles and descriptions anyway? Aren't the editors responsible for that? And besides, I don't even like chocolate". Ultimately, the editors must write decent titles/descriptions. However, the Open Directory Project editors are all volunteers, working on the project in their spare time. When you write a proper title/description, you allow us to work faster and more efficiently. By helping us, you're helping yourself. We look for good suggestions. In the sea of submissions, those with good titles/descriptions will stand out like a lighthouse beacon.

As for disliking chocolate, well, you look a little peaked...are you feverish? (I'm kidding of course! Some of my best friends prefer vanilla.)

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Where In the World Is ODP? Everywhere!

Emily Kayser — 2009-03-04T11:15:00+00:00

Hi Everyone,

DMOZ can sometimes be tough to navigate because of the many designations used to categorize the site. In this post, editor glippit has prepared an explanation to help clear up the confusion about when and where each is used. Enjoy!

Emily

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Although we're one Directory in name, we're multiple directories in fact. Thanks to our large volunteer base from all over the world, we can organize sites by age group, language, location and topic - and we do. Our goal is to ensure that anyone, wherever they are and whatever languages they know, can find good sites selected by human editors.

On the downside, all these directories can sometimes confuse submitters and users.

Let's start with the names of these directories. World is our directory by language. Regional is our directory by location. Kids_and_Teens is our directory by age group. Arts, Business, Computers, Games, Health, Home, News, Recreation, Reference, Science, Shopping, Society and Sports comprise our directory by topic.

So how do you know where to begin looking? Or submitting a site for review?

The first division is age group, and the second is language. If the intended audience is young people (not their parents and educators, but young people themselves), start with Kids_and_Teens. If the site is in a language other than English, move to Kids_and_Teens/International and select the appropriate language. If the intended audience is adults, start with the root directory for English sites, otherwise move to World and select a language.

The next division is by geographic location (place) or by topic (subject). Sites connected with a particular location are found in Regional. Sites connected with a particular topic are found in the remaining top-level categories. Remember: these divisions are within World for non-English language sites.

As you can see, these multiple directories can intersect and overlap. Sites related to mathematics and science generally have no connection with any specific location but belong only in a topic category. Sites of a village's local library or movie theater will have a strong connection with a specific location but aren't likely to be of interest to those looking for information about the topics of libraries or movie theaters. Some sites, such as major companies or sports teams, may be of interest in both the location and topic areas. And don't forget - any of these sites might be in multiple languages.

Let's use the example of a site written in the Italian language about a major publishing company in Italy. It might be listed within both World/Italiano/Affari/Editoria_e_Stampa/Editori and World/Italiano/Regionale/Europa/Italia/Lazio/Provincia_di_Roma/Localit à/Roma/Affari_e_Economia (topic and location for the Italian language directory).

If the site were also in English, add Business/Publishing_and_Printing/Publishing and Regional/Europe/Italy/Regions/Lazio/Localities/Rome/Business_and_Econo my (topic and location for the English language directory).

If they also offer a French version of their site: World/Français/Commerce_et_économie/Imprimerie_et_édition/Editeurs and World/Français/Régional/Europe/Italie/Commerce_et_économie/Imprimer ie_et_édition or perhaps World/Français/Régional/Europe/Italie/Emilie-Romagne/Commerce_et_éc onomie (still topic and location, this time for the French language directory).

It's not difficult as long as you keep in mind the different ways people might look for sites.

Are you wondering about the size of each of these directories relative to each other? We're growing all the time, but we currently have over 2.5 million English-language sites listed and close to 2 million sites in other languages. How many other languages? 80 non-English languages in World, with many more in the Test/World incubator. The ratio is about the same within the Kids_and_Teens directory, with 34 non-English languages represented. Within the English-language directory, roughly half are listed by location and half by topic. Each of the World directories vary, but that seems to be the general ratio.

We all live in an increasingly globalized world, and ODP is here to help.

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Have Questions About DMOZ? Let us know!

Emily Kayser — 2009-02-27T14:00:00+00:00

Hi Everyone,

One of the things we want to accomplish with this blog is to improve transparency and open the lines of communications to all of the groups who care about and support DMOZ.

With that in mind, we asked editors to submit questions to us and then posted a selection of questions (with our responses) in our Ask AOL post last October. Now we'd like to provide similar opportunities to both the webmaster community and to the general public. What do you want from the ODP as a user? As a webmaster? What would make the directory easier to use? A resource that better suits your needs? Easier to navigate? What are we currently doing well that you'd like to see us do more of in the future?

While we can't address every question that we receive, your input gives us valuable insights on what our stakeholders view as interesting, frustrating, valuable, etc. We'll pick a sample of questions from each group and answer these on the blog in a couple of weeks.

Do you have something you'd like to ask? If you are a webmaster, you can email us here. If you are a member of the public, you can email us here. Please keep in mind that we can't respond to individual questions (for example, status requests for URL suggestions) and that we can only consider questions for the post that are submitted via the above email links.

We'll be accepting your questions through next Friday, March 6. We look forward to hearing from you!

***The submission period is now closed and we are no longer accepting new questions. Thanks to everyone who participated! Responses will be shared in a future post.***

Emily

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Become a fan of DMOZ/ODP on Facebook!

Emily Kayser — 2009-02-17T13:45:00+00:00

Hi Everyone!

If you're on Facebook, you can now become a fan of DMOZ/ODP! We've just created the official fan page to share links, updates and (of course) the blog feed with the Facebook community. We want to make this resource useful, so please let us know if there are additional features you'd like to see included on the page. :)

Emily

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Suggesting Sites: Finding the Correct Category

Emily Kayser — 2009-02-13T17:31:00+00:00

One of the most confusing steps in the site suggestion process is often the very first one: selecting the category to which you will suggest your site. Editor hiraeth has provided an excellent overview of how to decide.

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This post attempts to provide some help to anyone intending to suggest their website to the Open Directory for possible inclusion. To give your site a good chance of prompt attention by an editor, you should do your best to find the correct category to which to propose it. Many editors have permission to review sites in strictly limited areas of the directory. This means that incorrectly suggested sites may get passed from one editor to another, encountering delay on each occasion. Editors may also be inclined to review correctly submitted sites more speedily, in preference to those where the person submitting the site has not bothered to make an effort, though these will be sent somewhere more appropriate in due course. Here are some tips:

What language is your site in?
The English language part of the directory only includes sites in English or with an English version. For sites in other languages try World. Or look for the "This category in other languages" facility below the main headings.

Is your site of interest only to people living in one area or country?
The Open Directory has extensive cover of local and national sites under Regional. You can navigate in Regional to find the most appropriate geographic region for your site before looking for topical sub-categories. Do not worry if your locality doesn't have the perfect topical sub-category, it will still be the correct place for your site. You can try putting the name of your town or locality into the search box.

Is your site a business site?
Many categories in the Open Directory are for informational sites only. Most categories will have descriptions providing details of the kind of sites accepted. If business sites are not allowed, there is usually a list of related categories that may help, under the heading "See also". Shopping sites should be listed in the correct category in Regional if there is a physical outlet. Online retailers should be listed in the topical category for the area they cover.

Does your site resemble those already listed in the category?
When you think you have found the correct category, check the sites already listed. If they are quite dis-similar to yours, you may be in the wrong place. Read the "Description" of the category. Look at the list of related categories under the heading "See also". These may guide you to a better location.

Can your site be listed in more than one category?
In general, the answer is "No" but there are some exceptions to this rule. Some sites may be included in the main topical category as well as in the Regional category for the locality served. A site with versions in more than one language may be listed in several appropriate categories in World. Please do not suggest your site to multiple categories just because you have difficulty finding the right one.

Stumped?
It's not too surprising, the Open Directory has such a vast array of categories that finding your way around it is difficult, even for editors. Try the excellent DMOZ search facility, entering one or two key words. If you are sure the category you are looking for will be in a particular branch of the Directory, you can search while in that category, restricting the results to its subcategories.

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2008 Year-End Mozzie Award Winners

Emily Kayser — 2009-02-10T18:06:00+00:00

Last Fall, we introduced you to Mozzie, the little green monster you see at the bottom of category pages. But did you know that Mozzie has an award named in his honor? For this post, editor hiraeth has provided an overview of the awards process.

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The beginning of the year traditionally marks the awards season as well, when we recognize the most outstanding achievements of the previous year. For the ODP community, this means it's time for the annual Mozzie Awards which recognize editor achievements and commitment to the project in a light-hearted way.

Nominations happen in the forums, and as voting gets under way, campaigning takes place in the editor forums as well.

This year, winners from around the globe were recognized in over 100 categories. These include awards for a wide range of topics ranging from the most dedicated and the laziest editors to the best quality control specialist, as well as the best topical editors in the many branches of the directory. New editors who have joined the project in the last year have their own separate awards. There is also recognition for the best categories of various sizes and awards for editors from around the world in the many languages in which the directory exists.

Many editors have permission to edit in only a limited area of the directory and being nominated for an award is an honor in itself and demonstrates that their efforts have been noticed by other editors.

In the recent Mozzies, the most hotly contested award was for the most "evil" senior editor! Success in this and other awards means that a banner can be added to the editor's profile. Some awards are for the best categories rather than individual editors. Here the winner is the Open Directory itself and the wider Internet community.

Congratulations to everyone involved!

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Focus on: Kids & Teens Directory

Emily Kayser — 2009-01-30T15:45:00+00:00

This week, we're presenting the first in an occasional series of posts that highlight a different section of the directory. Today, we're focusing on Kids and Teens, and editor artisands has provided a great overview of this fantastic family resource.
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Kids and Teens was developed as a standalone section of the Open Directory Project (ODP) in November of 2000. The goal of this "directory within a directory" was to provide a kid-safe area that would cater to the specific needs of the under 18 age group. Kids and Teens has its own set of guidelines, forums, and senior editorial staff.

This top level section of the directory lists sites for kids, not about kids. Some highlights include the School Time section which offers a wide range of sites providing help with homework questions in a variety of subject areas. Internet Safety offers valuable tips to kids and teens on staying safe while surfing the Web. The Health category provides information about physical and emotional health, including safety, fitness, and healthy lifestyles. These are just a few examples and all of the categories are worth a look!

In October of 2007, the listings in Kids and Teens surpassed 45,000! This milestone was reached thanks to the combined efforts of the dedicated editors who work very hard to build and maintain this special directory. Much of the growth can also be attributed to the expansion of the International branch, which boasts over 16,000 sites in 34 languages.

Another unique aspect of Kids and Teens is the use of "age tags". Sites are evaluated based on the appropriateness of content for three age groups:

Kids (12 years and younger)
Teens (13-15 years)
Mature Teens (16-18 years)

These tags appear right after the title in the directory listing, which is helpful to users in selecting age appropriate sites to visit. The ODP also provides a selection of search engines geared towards kids which can be found linked at the bottom of the category pages.

Since this is regarded as a separate directory, it is often possible to find sites listed in both the Classic directory and in Kids and Teens. This will happen when a useful, content-rich informational site is found that would provide value to both directories. So, when suggesting sites for the Kids and Teens directory, keep in mind that there may also be a comparable "Classic" category. A second suggestion in this case may be appropriate. Another point to remember is that commercial and/or shopping sites are not listed in Kids and Teens.

If you have ever given thought to becoming a ODP volunteer editor, consider applying for a small category in Kids and Teens. All you need is a little spare time and the desire and ability to find, describe, and list great "Kid Safe" websites.

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ODP Help Resources

Emily Kayser — 2009-01-21T15:10:00+00:00

A lot of the feedback we see on the blog actually has to do more with house keeping questions about DMOZ than with the topics we're covering. This week, we hope to clear up some of the confusion by highlighting the great resources that already exist to answer the most common questions.

I know of a great site! How do I suggest it for inclusion in the directory?
The short answer is that you find the appropriate category for your site and click on the "Suggest URL" link in the page header. This will take you to the suggestion form specifically for this category where you can submit your site. The suggestion form also contains helpful information about the type of sites that belong in this category.

Please note that you have to be within a category in order to get to the suggestion form via this link. If you click this link from the main page, you'll get instructions for suggestion rather than the suggestion form itself.

You may also notice that some high-level categories are lacking "Suggest URL" links. This is intentional, and it occurs in categories that are too broad to accept suggestions. If you encounter this situation while attempting to suggest a site, please select an appropriate sub-category and use the suggestion form available there instead.

Complete details on how to submit a site (along with some tips to help make your suggestion easier for editors to review) can be found in our help section.

Ok, I suggested my site. Why can't I see it in the directory?
Back in October, we covered this topic in a blog post explaining the review process.

Please keep in mind that all of our editors are volunteers they have a variety of sources from which they select sites for inclusion in the directory. It may take time to review sites in the suggestion pool so we are unable to provide an estimate for review time or any other status updates for any particular site. We cannot respond to individual requests for review or status received via blog comments.

Hey, I'm an editor, but I can't log in! What's up with that?
If you've forgotten your password, you can request that it be reset.

If you know your password, but you haven't logged in for a while, chances are that your account simply timed out. If you'd like to get started again, you can apply for reinstatement.

If you're still having problems logging in, you can also try the public forums at Resource Zone where current editors should be able to help you out.

Uh-oh, something is wrong. How do I tell someone so it can be fixed?
If you find a broken link in the directory, please let us know! The process for doing this is similar to the site suggestion process. When you find the broken link, use the "Update Listing" link in the category header to access that category's reporting form.

While the vast majority of our editors are committed to bettering the directory, there are unfortunate occasions on which the directory's integrity is threatened by an editor acting in his or her own best interest rather than in the best interest of the ODP community. If you see something that you feel is suspicious, you can report it by using our abuse reporting system.

If you encounter a bug while using DMOZ (for example, if you get an error message while attempting to submit a site), please tell us! We have a public forum for Quality Control issues at Resource Zone.

But Emily, you still didn't answer my question!
Sorry about that! There are a number of other helpful resources that you can try. If you're an editor, you can check in the editor forums. Public forums are available through Resource Zone. And, of course, there is the DMOZ help site which provides an overview of the directory and its policies and procedures.

(Updated 5 Feb 2009 to clarify status update & site review request rules)

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Meet AOL's DMOZ Staff Team

Emily Kayser — 2009-01-08T12:54:00+00:00

Happy New Year! You probably see some of us in the forums, but behind the scenes, there are a lot of people working hard on this project, so we thought we'd kick off 2009 with an introduction to our core team.

Bob Keating, DMOZ Editor-in-Chief (rdkeating25)
A search nerd with a deep love and appreciation for opinionated masses, Bob Keating is the ODP's Editor in Chief, and has been involved with the ODP since joining AOL in 1999. He oversees the community and editorial policies, and regales his colleagues with anecdotes from annals of ODP history.

Grant Belaire, Director - Audience Growth (bbqgrant)
"I've had the pleasure of supporting the ODP/DMOZ community for more than a year and a half. Initially, I acted as a conduit from the forums back to the AOL management. As time went on I also helped in the creation of the DMOZ Blog, collaborated with AOL Corporate Communications to work on the various topics that come up with DMOZ in the headline, aided in the evangelism of DMOZ to all parts of AOL and led the release Beta Release of DMOZ. I care about the community and the experience we provide because I think that authoritative, subject matter experts CAN provide an experience on par and in certain circumstances far superior to the algorithmic search. And DMOZ is by far the single best example of that on this planet...or any other that I am aware of : ) If you ever have a question about DMOZ or an idea that could be improved by the resources we have, I'd love to hear from you. "

Emily Kayser, Senior Program Manager - Audience Growth (emi1y)
"If you read this blog or spend any time in the editors' forums, you probably know me as the DMOZ blog manager. Since I joined this team about 6 months ago, I've worked primarily on setting up a posting process and editorial calendar. I've really enjoyed the opportunity to work collaboratively with editors from around the world and to work towards making the official blog more representative of the entire community. Behind the scenes, I've also been involved in the DMOZ 2.0 project. I am looking forward to continuing to build on our success in 2009."

Dave Shebat, Technical Project Manager (dmozpjm)
"I joined the AOL Search organization in early 2008 and one of my many new assignments was to help manage the in-flight ODP/DMOZ 2.0 platform upgrade - huh? What on earth is "ODP/DMOZ" and who is Mozzie? So, to better understand what exactly I was getting myself into I started studying the corporate wiki's and documentation, surfed the net for additional information, became an editor and asked Grant way too many questions. To my delight, I felt like I was opening a treasure chest. After working at AOL for almost 10 years and spending time in every corner of the company, I thought I had seen it all; however, one of the crown jewels of the net had been hiding right under my nose all along. I find DMOZ to be incredibly fascinating and hope to contribute more to its bright future. Now, with all its renewed interest and recent improvements, I predict 2009 will be the year of the Mozzie!"

Zhuo Zhang, Developer (aptor)
"My name is Zhuo Zhang. In DMOZ 2.0, my main responsibility is developing code for this project, writing documentation and installation guidelines, and other necessary tasks. I also cooperate with our QA team, helping them to execute the test cases. Additionally, in order to ensure the quality of our project, I communicate a lot with the editor community via the DMOZ forum. Being a part of DMOZ 2.0 is really exciting and challenging. I receive various kinds of help and support from all around the globe. The history and the future of DMOZ make me very proud of my work."

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DMOZ Community & Editor Achievements of 2008

Emily Kayser — 2008-12-22T14:57:00+00:00

For our final post of 2008, we're highlighting the accomplishments that the editor community has made over the course of the year. Thanks again to everyone who has contributed his or her time and effort to this project this year! We look forward to a great 2009.

International Expansion & Improvements
Update to the Vietnamese Category
In our ongoing efforts to internationalize the directory, we changed 'Vietnamese' to 'Ti?ng Vi?t' for the category in Vietnamese: World/Ti?ng_Vi?t.

Improvements throughout the Serbian Category
Lot of positive things happened in World/Srpski this year.

The new unofficial blog for Serbian-speaking editors explains the ODP concept to the public and helps to motivate more people to join this project so they can have as much fun as we have. We did a reorganization of the whole of the Regional node in World/Srpski branch.

The Serbian editors have also enhanced their categories by improving quality control and creating our newest category World/Srpski/Zdravlje which contains relevant links of medicine and health.

Cicka started a Serbian language Editor School project following merlin1's model. This has been very successful among Serbian editors. Cicka has also mentored a few new editors and followed their work for some time to be sure that they are ready to contribute to this directory by already written guidelines.

Rapid Growth in Russian Category
The Russian editors' team started out the year on a great foot when they were recognized as the best World Team in the 2007 Year-end Mozzie Awards.

During 2008, the ODP World/Russian category added 12000+ sites and accepted more than 300 new editors in 2008. The Russian category, World/Russian, is now included on the front page of the directory, and the Russian editors' forum underwent a complete reorganization.

A large group of Russian editors collaborated to start the unofficial "Russian Dmoz" blog (http://www.RussianDmoz.com) where users and editors have written 36 articles and 2100+ comments since it launched.

Improved Communication for French Category
In 2008, the French speaking editors worked to build and maintain World/Français. For the first time, a French speaking editor became an ODP Administrator. Congratulations and thank you to tuisp!

Each month, the French-speaking editors publish activity data on their Dmoz Blog in French. Aef-dmoz (Association des éditeurs francophones de Dmoz) is planning some new projects for 2009. Please follow dmozeditor on Twitter to keep informed of the latest news and visit the public forum if you have questions.

Personal Milestones
Ottodv pushed his flagship category to a new record level in terms of percentage growth. The category Regional/Europe/Estonia reached more than 1000% growth. It was the first (and is still the only) country category to reach that milestone. Besides the growth, nearly every sub cat now has a description, a mozzie, and an adapted exosearch string. There is also an overall FAQ for this category.

Johndouglas increased the number of sites in Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/West_Sussex / from 2000 to 3000 despite several real-life disruptions and robozilla.

Mollybdenum added some new localities in Regional/North_America/Canada/Alberta/ this year. She finds that it is always gratifying to find an area that isn't yet complete and work towards improvement.

Hekula2002 was granted permissions in Regional/North_America/United_States/Wyoming on 20 Oct 08 and has already pushed unique adds from 2394 sites to 3376 sites with over 1000 sites expected by the time this blog post is live. These edits also include updated Category Descriptions and Submission Notices.

Laigh reached 40,000 edits in his first year as an ODP editor. This was an incredible achievement and is probably even an all time record for a first-year editor not using power tools.

A Decade in ODP
In June, DMOZ celebrated its 10th birthday, and we'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate the three editors who have been with the project without timing out or taking a break since the very beginning back in 1998. Aislinn, orlady and sthenbelle, great job on a decade of service to this community!

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