site deleted from dmoz

any ideas for what to do next?

[rivi2k]

hi :)

I recently had my site listed in one category in dmoz. after the content of the site changed, it was deleted from that category, but not moved into another category..has anyone had similar experience with this? or any advice on what i can do about it?

thanks!

[rfgdxm1]

Search for the ODP public forum and ask there. If the content of the site changed, it is possible that it wasn't deleted, but moved to unreviewed in another category. If the editor in the category it was listed in didn't also have editing privs in the more appropriate category, then that editor couldn't list it themself in the new cat.

[rivi2k]

thanks for the advice,
I have checked in the public forums. It is not awaiting review in any category. The thing is, i had filled in the "update listing" form to get it switched to another category. On the advice of my previous editor, he suggested i also resubmit to the category i wanted it listed in.

However in the forums i was told my listing was deleted because it was submitted twice, and the editor was probably angered and considered it spam.

So im not really sure what i can do now....any ideas?

[bhartzer]

I would go back to the public forums and ask what to do. They'll most likely tell you that you need to wait. I'm not sure, though, so they're really the best ones to ask.

[rivi2k]

they told me to wait 6 months then reapply...that seems really unfortunate to me though, i dont think you should be penalized for changing content on your site.
I guess I will just have to probably wait then

[hutcheson]

I'd read the notes in the other forum carefully. The impression you describe is not, I believe, what an impartial fluent reader could have gotten by reading them.

[bhartzer]

Yeah, that's just their policy (waiting).

The only other thing you could do is to get a new domain name and put the content on a new domain--but it's probably not worth the effort.

[rivi2k]

im sorry i just find this ordeal to be very frustrating. I'm not out to cause problems or headaches for anyone, it seems sad to me that everyone is skeptical and assumes the worst out of people over the internet..i guess thats just the nature of electronic communication.

[bhartzer]

I agree with you, it is very frustrating. The DMOZ system is broken and has some serious flaws. The concept works, but since it's all volunteer then there's not much that can be done to force editors to review sites quicker.

For what it's worth, I know of some sites that have been waiting for over a year and a half to be reviewed. And the only response is to "wait longer and don't ask us for another 6 months".

On the other hand, I've seen sites submitted and added to the directory within 5 days. Go figure.

[g1smd]

>> However in the forums i was told my listing was deleted because it was submitted twice, and the editor was probably angered and considered it spam. <<

I cannot ever see an editor saying anything that sounds even remotely like that at all.

.

>> On the other hand, I've seen sites submitted and added to the directory within 5 days. Go figure. <<

Ne need to "go figure" as the multiple reasons for that situation have been spelt out ad-nauseum in this and many other forums over the last few years.

[rivi2k]

this is what i was told in the dmoz forum;

"It does not appear to be waiting there. It was rejected multiple times (having been SUBMITTED multiple times) while it was still "coming soon" -- a solecism not likely to be appreciated by hard-working editors.

You can submit again, but I can tell you, if I saw a site submittal with multiple submittals deleted last month for that reason, I might well assume it was another blamed vaporware spam -- and delete unreviewed"

my new content wasnt all up yet, the site was removed due to content change but there are no provisions for webmasters switching over their site to new content? Am i expected to have all the pages for the site up instantly?
I'd rather put this issue to rest than continue to argue with those who feel strongly about the directory. In my opinion we have reached a stage in which we have access enough advanced technology to eliminate problems such as this.

[buckworks]

Am i expected to have all the pages for the site up instantly?

Yep. Other sites manage that all the time.

[g1smd]

Ah. You have mis-represented what the other editor said.

It was not deleted for being submitted multiple times. It was deleted because:

>> while it was still "coming soon" <<

The ODP guidelines expressly state to not submit unfinished or under construction sites. So, reading the post again, it says:

"You have a site that isn't finished or is under construction. You submitted it multiple times. The submissions were all deleted. All future submissions of the site will continue to be deleted until such time as there is a site available to actually review"

Don't submit again until what is on the site is the final content that you want to be reviewed. The editors review the site, not what you promise might be on it at some time in the future. If whatever is there at the time of review does not deem suitable for listing then the submission is deleted. There are too many other people waiting in line for a review to bother keeping hold of partial sites in case something useful appears later on.

You appear to want to have an ODP listing before you have a site online to be reviewed and listed. That is the exact opposite of what the ODP wants to do.

[rivi2k]

thank you kindly for the advice, I'm a little confused on how you would go about updating a listing then.
Is there a way to do it without getting deleted? Becaue if the editor sees a change in content and removes the site, and im not done updating it, will it always be the case that it is dropped?

[hutcheson]

>if the editor sees a change in content and removes the site, and im not done updating it, will it always be the case that it is dropped?

Not always, but we'll try our hardest to do it as often as possible. It's our way of providing quality links to our users.

[rivi2k]

thanks very much for all the help :)

[hutcheson]

What you have to do is make sure the new site is fully functional before you replace the old one.

If all your links are properly coded relative, you can do your testing on the same server but in a different subcategory. Anybody fluent in HMTL can help you set things up that way, and if you avoid FrontPlague altogether, and use Dreamweaver carefully (says the ancient, twice-stung developer) it's not at all hard.

[g1smd]

I can never understand why a fully loaded content-intensive website can suddenly one-day go offline and have just a notice like "new website underdevelopment, call back later" and then have that notice running for weeks or months.

The only sane thing to do is to develop the new site offline, then simply delete the old site, and upload the new site one quiet afternoon or evening, taking an hour or two to do, max.

[rivi2k]

that wasnt really the case here, out of about 100 categories of pages, 5 were incomplete pending addition of content articles. I wasnt aware having pages incomplete was such an issue.