Interested in becoming a DMOZ volunteer?

Here is another great testimonial from one of our editors in the UK about how they joined and what they've accomplished since. If you have domain expertise, passion for a particular subject and happy to volunteer your time to help create the best directory for that subject...apply!

We have more than 590,000 categories in 80 languages and still more than enough room to grow.

Here is hiraeth's contribution to the DMOZ Blog. Another example to show the passion our volunteers have and how easy it is to join.

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A year ago I had never even heard of the Open Directory Project. My introduction came about by chance because I happened to pick up a couple of books on computers from a box of free books at my local Oxfam shop. Broadband had just come to our area and I had decided to upgrade my computer and join the modern age. I had hardly used the internet previously, having just mucked around with digital photographs, emails and games.

One of these books was the year 2000 edition of the Rough Guide to the Internet, and it helped me to get started. The other was even older and called HTML Publishing on the Internet. I had no idea what this meant but on inspection found there were some quite simple concepts involved with the objective being the creation of a website. I liked the idea and thought I would have a go. The Rough Guide pointed me to an on-line source to assist me and it did not prove too difficult to create a rudimentary site, and use the free webspace my internet service provider supplied.

Proud of my achievement I invited all my family to have a look at the new site, but how was anyone else ever to know it was there? Back to the Rough Guide. An entry in a directory was what was required. Most of these charged for their services but I could try the Open Directory which was free. I had a look at this, tried to find a suitable category and submitted my site for inclusion.

Meanwhile my notice had been caught by the statement at the bottom of most pages, "This category needs an editor". With my site finished I needed something to do, so I thought I would investigate becoming an editor. I read some instructions, found a category that interested me and three sites to submit and put in my application. I was promptly turned down, being politely told that the category was too big for a beginner, and two of my suggested sites were already in the directory.

I had got quite keen by now, so when I had got over my initial disappointment I went back and had another look at the guidelines. This time I chose Animal Behavior (45) in the Science section. I searched for a few sutable sites not already listed, and dusted off my long forgotten qualifications which I had not even bothered to mention the first time round. And this time, success!

My first sight of my dashboard was a bit intimidating, and the actual rudiments of editing took a little time to acquire. My first task was to add the sites I had submitted with my application to the category, and with some trepidation I did so. Now my dashboard showed Animal Behavior (48). Then I got out a book from the library on the subject and started putting suitable words and phrases into my search engine to find new sites. I found the only computer skills I needed were the ability to copy and paste. Meanwhile I had introduced myself on the science forum and been welcomed by other editors.

One day I was surprised to find someone had submitted a new site to my category. There it was on my dashboard in green (1 new). I had a look at the site and decided it was not really about animal behavior at all, but about pets and their whimsical habits. What was I to do? Fortunately help was at hand in the forum, and a kind mentor explained the seemingly complex steps needed to first find a suitable category in the directory for it and then how to send it there. After a couple of days I plucked up courage and followed these instructions and off it went. Whether it got there I don't know but it was a relief to have said goodbye.

By now I had got more used to the procedures involved in listing sites and found quite a few to add to my category. It was time to submit it for a quality check. The same mentor went through it with a toothcomb. I must use American spelling, must not use personal pronouns, and where was the charter? 'What is a charter ?' was my response to this and I learned it was a description of the kind of sites that would be found in the category. Creating a charter was another thing I could do from my dashboard, and after consultation, I did so.

So that was how I started with the ODP. Soon I was applying to edit more categories and widen my experience, and ten months later I am quite addicted to editing and spend much of my spare time at the computer. Not much time to potter with my website any more, and my new grandson may wait indefinitely for his photograph to appear there. And, in case you are wondering, my site never did get listed in the ODP.

As a follow up to our last post and as a chance to continue allowing our editors the chance to share their experiences with the world at large, here is a post that came to us from a fairly new member of the editorial community.

Unlike the previous post about why folks join, this speaks to a perception of DMOZ/ODP as a group of elitist few or a tribe of warring editors. A popular mis-conception that seems to pop up when whenever DMOZ pops up.

In fact, what the DMOZ community is...is a team. A collaborative group that partners to produce the data and results that so many people around the planet rely on.

Read away and let us know what you think.

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Team that is ODP

I am now three months into my ODP "career" and enjoying it even more than when I started.

My eyes are still being opened daily about the enormity and complexity of the directory but one thing that has struck me most of all is the fellowship and the "team" nature of it all. The team spirit is obvious in many things that we do and very apparent from all people involved from those in staff to editors.

I have chosen my words in my last sentence very carefully and for a reason. You will notice that I did not say something like "...very apparent from all people involved from those in staff down to editors" or "very apparent from all people involved from those in all levels".

The overriding feelings that I get is that we are all in this because we care about the directory. Yes there are different people doing slightly different jobs but the overwhelming care is about the directory and I have met no one that seems only out for their own agenda. Of course there are disagreements about how things should be done, that will happen in any organization which is made up of people from the whole planet, but things are discussed, usually at length, and resolutions are come to.

Over the last few months I have been seeing things from a slightly different perspective than before I was an editor. I can see that many of the accusations made against the ODP are unfounded and sometimes downright wrong.

I do feel that some of the accusations come from people who think that the ODP is a "mutually exclusive club for the few" that no ordinary person can join and that the directory is a place that you would not be allowed access to unless you are part of that exclusive club. I must start off by saying that I am just an ordinary person who liked the look of the directory and applied to become an editor. I did not know any editors and I did not have any sites in the directory.

Anybody can apply to become an editor and as long as you have the skills to do the job then you will be welcomed. I have seen posts from people that have been rejected and are quite upset by this. We are very proud of this directory that we are all helping to build so it is without reservation that I say, the integrity of the directory has to be protected or it would just end up in chaos and would not be an entity worth doing. Some people are better at some things than others. Some people have the right skills for editing, some do not. That is no reflection on them as a person, which is how it is seems to be taken.

I would be willing to wager a lot of money that they will be capable of doing things that I am not. For instance, I am totally inept and drawing and artwork. Where would we be today without all the wonderful artists in the world. If I applied for a job as an artist, no matter how much I wanted it, I would be rejected. There are also many places within the directory that I could not edit in. The many parts of the directory that are not in the English language are out of bounds for me personally as I cannot speak any languages fluently enough to edit in them. If I applied to edit in these parts of the directory I would be rejected quite obviously.

There are some people out in Internet land that are vehement ODP haters and no matter what anybody says that will be their attitude. That is their business. I have also seen many folk slagging off the ODP and using unsubstantiated claims to forward their point of view. The ODP team has an official way of dealing with any claims of wrong doing and if substantiated these instances are dealt with both severely and unequivocally.

I would like to say that if you see anything that does not look right, DO NOT HESITATE to report it and the matter will be investigated. No one person is above ODP.

I have really enjoyed being part of this team and I would cordially invite all those who would like to be part of it as well to become editors. It is a really rewarding hobby and I would recommend it to anyone. I would also say to those that do not want to become editors but want to participate that your help is also most welcome. Please feel free to submit sites that you find on the Internet and are not listed and as discussed above please do not hesitate to let us know of problems that you find. Together we can make a great directory and the Internet a better place.

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While this editor has remained nameless, feel free to ping me directly from this site :)

BBQGrant

Back in our initial post, we mentioned that this site would serve as a forum for editors to share their stories. Why they joined. What they get out of the experience and why it matters to them.

Below is the first of many posts from our editors talking about why they joined the community.

Everyone say "hi" to ODP Editor Laigh : )

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As a person who has recently been accepted as an editor in the ODP community I would like to share my perspective.

The background to me applying was simple. I have written a few websites over the last two or three years and of course during this time I had come across the ODP. The actual idea of many people from around the world coming together in a huge community really intrigued me and over time I decided that I wanted to become part of that community and try to be involved in making the Internet a better place.

I would like to point out at this time that NONE of my websites are listed in DMOZ and I declared ALL of them on my applications and I have declared ALL of them on the internal system, so believe me my motives weren't and aren't to do with my own sites, they are genuinely and honestly to do with being part of the project. I would also like to say that as a person new to the community I am not being influenced by any other editors in any way and I am writing this as a reflection of my own true feelings and experiences. I do not wish to make any political points or otherwise but just to pass on my experiences as somebody who has just started to edit.

I first applied to join the ODP as an editor about a year ago and at that time I was rejected. The rejection notice did not have any specific comments on it and I assumed this was because the reason was contained within the list that the e-mail already provided. I decided to leave my application for a while and as usual, life took over and I didn't re-apply until mid August 2007.

I received a rejection e-mail within about two days but this time I had a comment on it. It basically said that I had not filled in a certain part of the form correctly. I had a look and could have kicked myself. The form said in black and white what I needed to do but I hadn't done it right.

I had read the form religiously several times but this showed me that I had been looking at the form but not really reading it. I applied again with the parts fixed and within two days I received my joining e-mail to my complete surprise.

I immediately signed in and it was then that light began to dawn on me about the enormity of the actual community and the work that they do. It also dawned on me very quickly the reasons that you can only apply for a small category. There is so much to learn on how the system works and how to get started. I actually read for two days before I started to actually edit anything.

I quickly became enthralled with the community and now after two months or so have completed about 3000 edits. I really enjoy being part of this community and hope to be part of it for a long while.

To those reading this that are thinking of or have applied, there is a HUGE amount of help to be had. I have had nothing but encouragement from many folk in the ODP. Everybody from Metas to newbies like me have been eager and willing to help. The rules and regulations within the ODP are to make it run smoothly and in my honest opinion they are not hard to follow. They are just there to make it work. As I have been told before in the community, "The only daft question is the one you didn't ask"

All that is left for me to say is that if you are thinking of applying to be an editor, please do. It is a great experience, definitely worthwhile and brings a great deal of personal satisfaction.