ODP index time

how long does it take?

[metaman]

Does anyone know about how long it takes for an editor to add your site to the directory (on average)?

[JamesR]

Could be years at the rate they're going lately. Have had about 1 in 10 indexed in the last month. The time frame is all up to the editor and when they feel like it. It is really inconvenient because you don't know if the site has been declined or is sitting in the editor's "unreviewed" bin. Bugging them doesn't really help either unless it is done politely and several weeks from your submission. ODP needs to get their act together and standardize a few things, it is way too subjective and they want it that way (or can't do anything about it based on the structure). Speaking as a former editor myself, they are a messed up system....oh, you just wanted indexing time didn't you?

[jaz]

I have had some luck in sending an email using their general contact form. I mention the exact date I submitted as well as all of the information I used when I submitted the site.

Thats why it can be important to keep logs of your submissions and the information you used when submitting.

You might also try to email the editor of the category.

[metaman]

That's alright JamesR, we all need to vent... but you would think since they are a downhome, volunteer driven directory they would be more personal and objective in dealing with submissions. Oh well.

I did try contacting the category editor and got no reply. I guess I'll try the general form next. I wish I knew an editor...

Thanx guys =)

[Geniac]

metaman, what URL did you submit, to what category, and when?
I'll have a look at the logs for you.

Venting is good; it leads to critisism, which is good because that leads to future improvement. Usually. *shrug* :)

[Greg]

Geniac, could you check a-zrentalcars.com, it seems that someone from the editors' part of the site visited me, however, I have not been indexed, and don't know if it has been rejected. Thanks you!

[Geniac]

Greg... Yes, an ODP editor rejected your site for the reason of "just affiliate links". I looked around that site, and I think I can see how that editor may have gained that impression; the Book Now buttons lead off-site. Many editors have to wade through so many sites all the time that anything even slightly odd like that might be rejected for being "just affiliate links".

[Greg]

Geniac,
Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately that's what I had thought. Most editors of Go, and Dmoz, think that it is just an affiliates site, and don't realize what the site has to offer. Could you please help me and give me an e-mail at [e-mail], I need a better description for my main page, because as is, many people believe it is just an "affiliate site."

[sundown]

Geniac,

If it's not too much bother, could you check on my submission as well? Been a month or so and haven't heard from a soul. Thnks.

[professionalphotography.com...]

JJ

[2_much]

Hi Geniac...

I've had the same problem with DMOZ. The editor incorrectly determined that my site is an affiliate site.

Do you have any suggestions on how I should go about correcting this? The editor has not replied to any emails that I have sent.

Any input on what I can do to remedy this problem would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[cyberbear]

Hi Geniac

Dont mean to give you more work as I see you've already had a few requests. Whenever you have time could you please check on a site of mine which I submitted to ODP. The site is [globalnetmerchant.com...] and was submitted to bus-ecommerce-services-hosting on July 30. Any info on status of this submission is appreciated. Thanks.

[johncotton]

The time to be listed is determined by the number of waiting submissions and the number of editors active in a particular part of the directory. The time taken could be anywhere from a few hours to several weeks. A month would be unusual but it does happen.

Generally staff and senior editors keep track of where submissions are building up and will try and respond by either reviewing them themselves or encouraging more junior editors to edit that part of the directory.

sundown
The url is either waiting to be reviewed or it was never received. If it is over a month you since you submitted it you could probably resubmit it without prejudice.

2_much
What was the URL?

cyberbear
Your site is listed in
Business/Financial_Services/Merchant_Services/Other_Payment_Systems/
And you should of received email from the editor concerned.

[oldtimer]

johncotton - re:Your site is listed in
Business/Financial_Services/.....
And you should of received email from the editor concerned.

I have numerous ODP listings and have never once received an email from an editor - or do you mean only if a submission/listing has been queried?

[johncotton]

oldtimer

Some editors send out emails when acepting a site. Many, including myself, do not.

Occasionally the editor has a query about the site and will contact the webmaster. That is the case in this particular instance.

[Geniac]

Hi, johncotton. *waves*

Greg:
> Most editors of Go, and Dmoz, think that it is just an affiliates site, and don't realize what the site has to offer.

Send feedback to the editors of the category in question and explain what your site has to offer other than affiliate links.

2_much:
what was the URL?
If all the editors of a category do not reply to email within two weeks, move up the food-chain. Ie, go to the next upper category with an editor and email them about getting your site listed. Also, you might try asking them to prod the non-responsive editor(s) into action.

cyberbear:
yes, your URL was added as johncotton has just said, on August 20.

[jilla]

Hi Geniac or John,

I submitted my website a few months ago to open directory and though I initially submitted it under the quotations-reference section when I wasn't listed I then tried it under ebooks I believe. In any case, it's been a few months and I can't find it anywhere. If either of you would know what I could do next I'd appreciate it. It was accepted by looksmart under inspirational quotations. Here's the url and thank you for looking into it (if you have time):

[outside-the-box.net...]

Debbie

[robball]

Hello Geniac or Johncotton

I also submitted my url about 2 months ago and again about a month ago and have not heard anything. I would really appreciate one of you checking on my submission.

[banneradsforfree.com...]

Thank You
Charles Ball

[johncotton]

robball

I am afraid that your submission 2 months ago was not accepted. Your more recent one is probably still in the queue to be reviewed. I can't help you any further I'm sorry.

jilla

[outside-the-box.net...] has not been reviewed by an editor at this stage. If has been two months you should probably resubmit it.

[lizzie]

Is ODP really worth all this hassle?
These editors of each catagory just keep their own
URL's and keep out the competition.

[Geniac]

>These editors of each catagory

To which "these" editors do you refer?
There are thousands and thousands of ODP editors. Very few are there purely to promote their own site above the competition, and those that do are very often found out and have their editing priveledges reduced or revoked.

If you suspect that a particular editor is not giving fair review and placement to competitor's listings, you should send feedback to that editor, and the editor of the next high-up category. Wait at least two weeks for reply.

[johncotton]

Hi lizzie

An editor promoting his or her site(s) at the expense of others is regarded as serious abuse and is usually dealt with swiftly and decisively by management.

If you have specific details of such abuse please feel free to email it to me privately on the address shown on my profile. If it is apparent that abuse is taking place I will ensure that the appropriate people are made aware of it if.

Even though the ODP has mainly volunteer editors the vast majority of these people show a high level of professionalism. This includes recognising the need for impartiality.

[Greg]

I don't know whether or not the editor of the category
Top: Recreation: Travel: Reservations: Vehicles: Car Rentals
is biased, but they marked me down for being an affiliate site. This made me mad because I am a car rental comparison rate site. No other site on the internet searches travel agents. And there reasoning was I'm an affiliate site. Ha. I link to the travel booking agents so that the user can book the lowest car rental on the internet, not just one site, and the user does no work. I wrote 4,000 links of perl so that the user can make any search and find a car rental on all of the major travel sites. Plus there are MANY other blatant Affiliate sites in the category that simply link to affiliates. This is not fair (now I'm whinning and I hate whinning).

for example:
All Car Rentals Worldwide
Links to cities which link to travelnow affiliate code. No customized searches. 1 travel site.
[allcarrentalsworldwide.com...]

A-thru-Z Discount Car Rentals
Links to cities which links to travelnow search page. No customized searches. 1 travel site.
[car-rental.from-a-z.com...]

Rent a deal
Links to cities which links to travelnow search page. No customized searches. 1 travel site. Same as All Car Rentals WorldWide.
[rentadeal.com...]

Car Rentals Now
Links to cities which links to travelnow search page. No customized searches. 1 travel site.
[carrentalsnow.com...]

Worldwide Transportation Network
Uhmmmm.... under construction.
[airportpickup.com...]

Rent-1.com
Links to cities which links to travelnow search page. No customized searches. 1 travel site.
[rent-1.com...]

Car Rentals 4u
SAME AS [car-rental.from-a-z.com...] Links to cities which links to travelnow search page. No customized searches. 1 travel site.
[car-rentals4u.com...]

RentanAuto.com
Simply links to travelnow.
[rentanauto.com...]

That's 8 sites that are affiliate sites. I'm insulted. They point to cities, whereas the user gets to customize their search on mine and have the lowest rate results of 4 travel agents appear on one page, and 2 on another!

Could someone clean up this category?

BTW, I'm not trying to promote my site, that's why I didn't mention it, I'm just stating the quality their rejecting compared to the quality their accepting.

[lizzie]

Everyone wants their own site to be listed at the top.
Why should a volunteer aditor be any different?
How do you prove an editor is putting
their own sites on and bumping off the competition?
I don't know the answer, but the benefits of being an
editor seem obvious.

[Mike_Mackin]

[dmoz.org...]

The issue here was that the site [may have been] crashing NS browser.

Have a nice day :)

[added later]

Edited by: Mike_Mackin

[lizzie]

Hi Mike and John!
Are you both editors at ODP?

[Greg]

What version of ns? I haven't had it crash yet.

[Mike_Mackin]

I'm in NS 4.7 and it didn't crash me.
On 9/2 I did get cgi errors.
Worked just fine today.

You are in.

As John said
"Even though the ODP has mainly volunteer editors the vast majority of these people show a high level of
professionalism. This includes recognising the need for impartiality."

When there is not impartiality, then the system will find it and correct it. It just takes time.

[NFFC]

Greg,

I have 4.5 and it hangs at findairport.cgi

[Greg]

It hangs for about 60 secs while it gets the rates from all of the sites, it goes to each page and retrieves the info. That's why i said it should tak e 60 secs, i'll make that bigger

[Mike_Mackin]

Greg:

As I said on 9/2, I got this error
"CGI Error The specified CGI application misbehaved by not returning a complete set of HTTP headers. The headers it did return are: "

Then NOTHING