ODP - Changing Corporate Site Listings

[rogerd]

Hi, all. I'm working with a corporate site that has three ODP listings - Product Cat A, Product Cat B, and Regional/Geographic Business C. These listings are fine and appropriate. However, the original site has been segmented into three domains:

1 - Corporate Domain (corporate info only)
2 - Product Group A Domain
3 - Product Group B Domain

I might add that Product Groups A and B are in very different industries - this isn't domain spamming, but rather an attempt to keep like information together in each single domain, and to mirror the major organizational breakdown in the company. Content is unique to each site.

I'd like to change the ODP listings to keep the corporate domain in the original Regional category and put the two major groups in the appropriate product categories (where the corporate site is listed now).

Logically, I would just submit the divisional sites to the appropriate categories, but I have a few worries. First, I don't want the category editor to think I'm attempting to spam the category with multiple listings. Second, there is no category editor in either of the relevant categories, so I can't easily e-mail the editor to explain the situation.

My only other thought is to find related product categories for the new division listings (and leave the corporate listings alone). This isn't as precise, but would avoid lengthy explanations and risking the existing listings. Any suggestions?

[bigjohnt]

I would just explain your case, like you did here. The editors are human, and if the current listings are acurate, the new domains will be even better for the ODP.

[rogerd]

Thanks for the quick reply, BigJohnT. To whom should I explain it - there is no editor in either product category where the change needs to be made. Should I just work my way up the ladder, do you think? Should I queue up a submittal in each appropriate category before contacting the higher level editor?

[dwedeking]

I always put notes in brackets at the end of the description like this:

[note to editor: ]

This has worked in the past to clarify any issues that are with the domain such as a major reorganization like you've done.

[bigjohnt]

I'd contact the editor first - moving up the ladder. Then queue up. No worries about doing it in the same few minutes. Seems like a "clean" request, but be patient.

[rogerd]

Thanks for the suggestions. Is DMOZ losing editors? It seems more and more I am running into categories with no editor or ones where the editor hasn't changed anything in months.

[bird]

This situation is exactly what the change request is there for (the "update URL" link in the header of each category). What you want to do is to submit an update for each topical listing of your original domain, changing it to the relevant new product group X domain.

This should make it more than obvious to the resident editors what it going on. And if you're still worried, there is a comment field on that form, where you can provide further explanations.

[brownsmurf]

<<Is DMOZ losing editors? >>

No it sometimes appears that way in certain areas, because editors apply for new categories, moving up the ladder or horizontally, so they lose interest in previously edited areas.

ODP is in a constant state of flux, it loses and gains editors constantly but overall it gains editors and actually it gains more active editors and loses timed-out editors (those that haven't edited for several months).

[goldm]

Not to be concerned, rogerd.

Many of the most active editors are those with the highest permissions.

Since each category where they have been accepted appears on their dashboard, often they resign the "lower" permissions.

When I resigned, I had only three listed categories even though I might edit anywhere in the directory.