DMOZ no URL Suggestion

[tetrapak]

It is getting very strange now. I have been trying to submit a few of my sites that have unique content to Dmoz, but since 2 month, i get the very same page (http://www.dmoz.org/unavailable.html), saying "We apologize for the inconvenience while we resolve technical problems. Please check back in a day or two". Well, those two days we can multiply by 30 now, still nothing. Opinions?

 

[ekal]

http://www.alledia.com/blog/search_...seo)/signs_of_life_from_the__open_directory?/

It basically shut down for 2 months last year and is still having problems.

 

[gpmgroup]

http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_sites?ts_mode=global&lang=none&page=3
DMOZ the 206th most visited site on the web? Alexa is too skewed.

DMOZ has had problems since 20th October 2006 when they had a major hardware crash and didn't have full backups.

As a temporary measure they restored the public part of the site, but most damage was done in the editor database / user areas.

Editors were given access on the 18th of December 2006.

Dmoz still haven't restored the public submission / suggest a site queue which means editors can only add new sites they find themselves.

 

[selbourne]

is the value of dmoz going down....or are they preparing to offer better services ?

 

[ekal]

I'd say its in big, big trouble.

And I'm an editor there...

 

[RogueWriter]

I'd heard they were having trouble, jeeese, you wouldn't think a site like that could fail for lack of backups!

I've been trying to get a merchant site in for some time now, kind of frustrating given that you want your clients to grow as quickly as possible, and dmoz, whether you like it or not, is a big part of any merchant's growth process.

 

[TestCase]

Lack of backups!?!?!?! What boneheads... But this could be a very good thing!

Now, maybe they'll have to add my sites if they've lost a sufficient number of listings.

Have been waiting for almost 2 years for my primary site to be accepted/"validated as worthy" by DMOZ (3 others have also been submitted since and are still MIA). On the last day they still allowed you to ask about site submission status, I was told my primary was still in queue, but that was all they would tell me.

Its the only site of its kind in its niche (a specific industry niche with limited # of listings) and has great information that would take forever to find using search engines (I know because that's what I used for most of my research putting it together), yet for some reason I've been neglected.

I submitted applications twice to become an editor for my main category of interest, but was rejected both times. Once because they didn't seem to be too fond of my writing skills, the next was because I seemed to have too many other related sites (hmmm, shouldn't an editor have experience in and knowledge about their particular category?!?!? Guess they thought I might "stack the deck"... )

During these past 2 years I've seen duplicate sites added to the category (the "new" sites either had different URL's and "descriptions" that redirected to sites already listed or were sites with different templates but same info as ones already listed). Hmmm, I'd say the fix was in, at least in my category...

2 years ago it seemed to be the mantra that you had to be in DMOZ if you wanted great rankings. Glad I was able to learn enough about SEO to get them ranked well without inclusion.

I for one am not terribly upset to see them stuck in the muck.

Aaahhh, thanks for giving me a chance to vent.... I feel MUCH better now!

 

[shockie]

Now, maybe they'll have to add my sites if they've lost a sufficient number of listings.

i hope that's true, because i have another site i want to add

i feel like a noob asking this, but what exactly is the big deal about dmoz? there are other directories out there, and i get the impression that no one outside of the webmasters' circle has even heard of dmoz. everyone i know uses search engines etc, but it doesnt seem like consumers/general public really use dmoz...

correct me if im wrong

 

[ekal]

It used to give you considerable link juice. No longer.

 

[tetrapak]

Thanks for the information guys, REP left. I hope that DMOZ is going get "cured", i find it important to be listed there, as it is the biggest hand-selected directory, and the most respected as well.

 

[TestCase]

i feel like a noob asking this, but what exactly is the big deal about dmoz?

Back in the day, DMOZ was considered an "authority" site by the search engines, Google in particular. Since it is an egalitarian, "human edited" based directory, being listed in DMOZ was pretty much automatic validation that your site was a "quality" site and G's algorithm would give you "bonus points" for being listed which could translate in to improved positioning in the SE rankings.

As Ekal said:

It used to give you considerable link juice. No longer.

Though its goal is a positive one, it seems over the years that the exponential growth of the internet, and the number of submissions (including the HUGE # of spammy ones), combined with the limited number (and quality) of the volunteer "editors" (yes, it's all being done by volunteers) seems to have pretty much overwhelmed/outstripped DMOZ's ability to stay current and relevant.

On top of this, there have been wide spread rumors that some editors had become capitalists and listings were available at a price. Other rumors were that some editors had a vested interest in their category and became editors in order to keep their major competition out. (Hey now,I'm just reporting what I've read on other boards, though what I've seen happen in my category would seem to indicate something fishy is/was going on...)

 

[shockie]

thanks for the info testcase... sounds like dmoz can take a chapter out of wiki's book.

rep added

 

[gpmgroup]

Just a quick heads up - Seems you can now submit sites again.
(Though you still can't apply to be an editor yet)

 

[YesBrilliant]

Just a quick heads up - Seems you can now submit sites again.
(Though you still can't apply to be an editor yet)

That is great!

Now we just have to confirm if any site will be Accepted...

 

[shockie]

submitted my site fine... now im just waiting for approval...

 

[Wesley]

I'm confused - does getting listed in DMOZ help with search engine rankings today? Or just back in the day? I mean, I've never even heard of anyone using a site like DMOZ to find stuff, just people at sites like this talking about trying to get their sites listed :P

 

[tetrapak]

Ah nice, till now i was quite successfull getting listed at DMOZ, lets see what happens with my new submissions.

 

[DomainBELL]

It is getting very strange now. I have been trying to submit a few of my sites that have unique content to Dmoz, but since 2 month, i get the very same page (http://www.dmoz.org/unavailable.html), saying "We apologize for the inconvenience while we resolve technical problems. Please check back in a day or two". Well, those two days we can multiply by 30 now, still nothing. Opinions?

here's some information for you:

http://www.reggingdrunk.com/WhatsNew/open-directory-project-dmoz-coming-back-from-the-dead.html

~DomainBell (Patricia)