DMOZ Editors

Shoud I re-apply

[willtell]

If you are turned down to be an editor at DMOZ, should you re-apply? IF so, how long should you wait?

[jeremy goodrich]

I was turned down a while ago - then I tried again a while later. After getting turned down a 2nd time, I decided not to re apply.

There is only so much time I have to volunteer on the web :) However, if you are really interested in editing there, I would encourage you to apply again.

[Nick_W]

Yes, I was turned down recently too. It was a very small cat. (11 sites, one of which was no longer there) in a very specialist field.

I must admit to being a bit irked. I've not decided weather I'll try again yet...

Nick

[rogerd]

Yes, wait a couple of weeks and reapply, perhaps in a different category. Pick a small one for starters. Note that sometimes a small cat that apparently needs an editor is, in fact, being handled by the editor of a higher level cat. Hence, the "needs an editor" flag isn't always a sure-fire indication of a pressing need. If your first cat request was rejected, try a different one, perhaps in a completely different tree.

Naturally, be sure your titles, descriptions, and spelling/grammar are as perfect as you can make them. Don't rely on a spell-checker. It will catch many mistakes, but won't catch homonyms like "weather" instead of "whether". ;)

Once you are accepted and demonstrate your merit, you can apply for additional cats, including larger ones. Keep trying, and good luck. DMOZ needs good editors who are willing to spend the time to do things well!

[cornwall]

The statistics show that it is somewhat of a lottery when you apply to be a DMOZ editor.

Approvals are made by metas. One gets the impression from various forums that approving new editors is not a popular job among metas.

Part of the problem seems to be the worry that they might be accepting the "wrong" people (paranoia?) who want to be an editor to further their own sites.
Part of the problem seems to be that the overall quality of applicant is not good
Part of the problem seems to be that new editor, in general, do not seem to last the course. "52,306 editors" of whom less than 1000 are really contributing any volume of edits. By a gross slight of hand one could say that of those editors accepted, only 1 in 50 work out.

Basically metas appear to get cheesed off with approving applications, and do not consider it a productive use of their time. From memory I recall a meta saying that less than 1 in 10 applications are accepted.

It seems easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for an applicant to become a DMOZ editor.

[hstyri]

how long should you wait

There's no need to wait. The smart thing to do is read the guideline for writing titles and descriptions carefully, and at least browse through the editor guideline. Think twice about what category you apply to.

Select your example URLs carefully, and make sure they aren't already listed in another category. (You may disagree with the cat a URL is listed in, but it's probably not a god idea to start that argument in your application. ;)) To check whether a URL is listed you can search using the domain name, and leave out that www. prefix.

Check your spelling and cross your fingers.

Good luck.

[quiet_man]

I was turned down twice for a small regional category. Third time lucky for me, so keep at it. It may well be that you haven't read the guidelines closely enough - things like not repeating the category name in your titles, which happens all over ODP so people think its acceptable, but it shouldn't happen.

[choster]

As hstyri noted, there's no need to wait two weeks if you've already received your rejection letter. While meta-editors will often recognize recent applicants, the fact that someone has applied before does not as a rule prejudice against accepting the new application-- what matters most is that the current app in front of the meta's eyes passes muster.

From memory I recall a meta saying that less than 1 in 10 applications are accepted.

It is difficult to generalize across all the branches of the directory. As the directory and the number of categories, editors, and meta-editors has grown, more of us are specialized within languages or subject areas instead of being generalists across all the top-level hierarchies. This does not mean that some areas are "easier" to get into or that standards are more lax in certain categories, simply that some areas attract more bad applications (say, postmodernist literary criticism gets more bad seeds than professional wrestling :) ).

I should also note that when I first became a meta-editor, I'd have considered that figure high-- some days I rejected 24 out of 25. But since that time the ODP has installed some technical restraints to improve the applicant pool. Duplicate applications are filtered out. People are no longer able to apply for very large, high level categories that would never be granted to a new editor. Also, the current application form is longer so a meta is better able to discern where the applicant wants to edit and why. While the number of applications I personally handle has declined significantly in the last 6 months or so (due to personal commitments), I'd estimate my acceptance rate as exceeding 40%-- a tenfold increase over two years ago.

[willtell]

Thanks for all the good suggestions.

I have now printed off the editor guidelines and will study them.
When I am more knowledgeable with the contents, I will re-apply.

Another questions? If ODP wanted more editors but keeps rejecting so many, would it not be in their best interest to obtain more editors and upgrade their skills with training. IF you need to be perfect before you could get the job, that will by default limit the number you accept.

[quiet_man]

Hi Will - actually there is a new mentoring scheme to help inexperienced editors once you're accepted. You shouldn't have to be 'perfect' to get through the door, but I suppose they have to assess whether you show sufficient aptitude or potential before letting you in. If you're studying the guidelines now then you're definitely on the right track.
Good luck.

[rogerd]

Training sounds good, and might be effective if there are some minor stylistic issues, e.g., not deleting superlatives, using a title other than the name of the site, etc. If potential editors demonstrate a lack of spelling or grammar, or can't create a clear, concise, and coherent description, a little coaching probably won't cure the problem.

[stuntdubl]

I am curious as to how long a reply from a meta usually takes. I applied several weeks ago, and from what I've read most people get responses (good or bad) within a week or so.

I re-applied after two weeks of waiting, and still haven't heard anything back. I don't want to sound over-anxious to get a rejection, but it is rather frustrating.

The biggest frustration for me was that the first time I applied, it took me three tries to have the cgi form work properly. Even then, it seemed to act a little funny. If any of the dmoz powers that be are reading this.....may I suggest an auto-reply e-mail to confirm the receipt of an application?

I'm a webdeveloper, and a former english major, so I am really hoping to get an editor position, but the directory seems to be rather tough to get into (even in small categories).

Guess I'll keep tryin' too.:)

[dvduval]

At 9:15 pm EST DMOZ is down,
I was about to do some editing.
It took 3 attempts for me to become an editor. I really like doing it--feel like I'm contributing to the WWW.
I can't emphasize enough that you have to start by appying for a small category with no subcategories. Try a different category in a different genre if the first submission fails.
My Two Cents.

[kctipton]

Apply as often as you like, but only one app pending at a time, please. Some folks don't wait and apply with 2 or 3 different nicknames for various categories. It's highly annoying when that is discovered, to say the least.

[rafalk]

may I suggest an auto-reply e-mail to confirm the receipt of an application?

There is an auto-reply email sent to all applicants. You have to respond to that email for your application to "show up" for meta editors to review. If you didn't receive such an email, that's probably the source of your problems.