Fraternal Mirror

[frisk]

I have been trying for some time to get a site listed. Finally I was able to get a response as to why I am not being listed. My site has been labeled a fraternal mirror(An site that uses the same ecommerece site that many other sites use). My site is a commercial site I use an off site service to show the products I sell as well as take the order. At that point the order is sent to me. I give the customer pricing information, answer the phone, place the order, and most importantly shell out the capital to buy the product. My site is basically a catalog. I realize that by definition I am a fraternal mirror. How is that different than say a search for Dodge Dealers. Each of them sell the same product and offer no real distinct content from site to site. Yet they are listed. I offer content, my content is my product. If my customer is looking for widgets and I provide them, am I not offering the content that they require.

William

[jeremy goodrich]

Never heard that term before, but that is interesting rational.

I like your analogy, with the car dealer - if DMOZ only listed 1 car dealer of a particular make or model, or only one per locality, then it would be first come, first serve and anybody else would be OUT OF LUCK.

imho, that is entirely unfair - however, I'm sure if you keep trying, and reply to the editor perhaps? you might have better luck.

Also you could try adding some content about the STUFF that you sell, which all or perhaps most of the other sites don't offer - that way, your site would qualify under the whole 'something unique' clause that is in the DMOZ guidelines that they have you read when you submit your site.

Hope that helps!

[cornwall]

that is entirely unfair - however, I'm sure if you keep trying, and reply to the editor perhaps? you might have better luck.

I doubt if you will get anywhere with this site.

[edited by: Laisha at 12:38 am (utc) on Oct. 24, 2002]
[edit reason] Removed URL drop. [/edit]

[hutcheson]

The car dealer analogy is good, and I believe that car dealers are (for the same kind of reasons) not listed in Shopping.

The car dealer, however, is listed in Regional/..../Localities/O/Obscureville, because it has some regional relevance -- people in Obscureville, Oregon and nearby areas can walk into the door and purchase goods and services (whereas they can't conveniently do the same for the dealer offering exactly the same services in Anytown, Alabama). The "uniqueness" is the location...not the product.

If you have a shop where people can walk in and buy your product, you too can be considered for a listing in Regional. If not, you may not have any unique offering, (and in that case the directory would be better for not being cluttered with the site.)

[cornwall]

I doubt if you will get anywhere with this site.

frisk

My edited post was not as rude as the edited version makes it out to be :(

I had (naively) included a link to resourcezone's search page and suggest you might look for previous correspondence on fraternal mirrors.

If you go there and do that, you will find a lot of thoughts from DMOZ editors on fraternal mirrors and their attitudes to them.