Forum Moderators: Robert Charlton & goodroi
With all of the news about the corrupt editors, is Google still relying on DMOZ for their Directory? Let me rephrase, because the obvious answer to that one is "yes" - Does Google plan on continuing to rely on DMOZ for its Directory? Did I miss some important piece of news or is this one of the few areas where Yahoo's internet operations outshine the great Google?
My site is relatively new, and it was created during the temporary freeze of new DMOZ site listing requests. Now that they are accepting new requests I have been unable to get my site into the appropriate categories which appropriately do not have dedicated editors. And it's not like my site doesn't belong in DMOZ - it is surely a member of my niche's elite sites (content, aesthetics, everything).
In doing competitive analysis on some of the big guys in my niche, they all unfailingly possess links from Google.org and DMOZ.org, having obtained DMOZ directory listings back in the "good old days." And this is brutal b/c it just makes my job that much harder.
Is Google ever going to address the fact that their directory relies on corrupt editors and stale site listings?
Is Google ever going to address the fact that their directory relies on corrupt editors and stale site listings?
Nope. It is a joke anymore. I used to like the idea of it, but you are right...your competitors get set as editors and, of course, you're screwed. I've submitted once a YEAR for four years and not a peep. And yes, the site deserves to be there far more than some of the crap once I've seen there now so it isn't anything like that. I wait one year...try again, never a peep. Won't try again.
The reason I posted about this is because it seems like I'm in the minority on this issue as far as being extremely frustrated that my new-ish site can't get a fair shake. I feel like most people in the webmaster community can't feel my pain here because the overwhelming majority of webmasters probably already have their sites listed among the alleged 4,830,584 sites in DMOZ. And understandably, if you already are in DMOZ and reaping the ranking benefits, this issue doesn't affect you one bit and it would be totally off the radar screen.
In fact, if I already had my site(s) listed in DMOZ, I would probably be against a widespread overhaul of the Google Directory, for plenty of reasons including having less outbound links on a given page.
Correction: Dmoz does rank no 1 for word dmoz, "dmoz", Dmoz.org
[edited by: Kantro at 6:02 pm (utc) on Sep. 25, 2007]
Correction: Dmoz does rank no 1 for word dmoz, "dmoz", Dmoz.org
Not that it really matters but not for me, and I ran through a whole bunch of DC's on McD; I get # 3 behind even some wiki trash.
The reason I posted about this is because it seems like I'm in the minority on this issue as far as being extremely frustrated that my new-ish site can't get a fair shake.
I'd say that many webmasters have long noticed the trouble getting new sites entered into some DMOZ categories (and therefore into the Google Directory) - but many have given up even talking about it. The honest DMOZ editors understandably defend their actions and their directory, but unfortunately everyone's category does not have an honest editor. Some of the ones I apply to have been great and others, well, they respond like a stone.
Perhaps the canonical fix shake-up I linked to above will be the first sign of some total house-cleaning, eh? We can only hope.
Quick question: What happens when you submit your site to a category that doesn't have an editor (aka it says "Volunteer to edit this category)?
Do they load these unedited categories onto some other editor of related categories?
Thanks.
Hear the whip cracking!
The ODP Haters & Cheerleaders, Back to the Directory threads where they try to keep this under control!
;-)
Back to Watching
WW_Watcher
One of the commitments recently made by AOL to the ODP Editing Community (along with the provision of several additional AOL staff, some hardware upgrades, and various ongoing software changes) was to provide a better way to get more information about the ODP out to the wider public.So today, the ODP Blog has gone live. This blog is written by AOL Staff.
[webmasterworld.com...]
I know that past history has been enough to depress many of us beyond all hope. But with AOL stepping up their involvement, maybe there IS some hope. Certainly the ODP could be a shining beacon again.
Yes. AOL techs are aware of the technical issues that are happening with parts of the site.
It's just a simple domain canonicalisation issue, one that will now take Google a few weeks to catch up with what is going on.
With all of the news about the corrupt editors, is Google still relying on DMOZ for their Directory?Have you actually been able to find one bit of evidence behind all those claims of corruption that do the round of SEO forums? Have you ever wondered why those who make the claims NEVER produce any evidence to back them up? Whenever someone makes a corrpution claim, the pack mentality takes over and it gets repeated so many times as people want to beleive its true (otherwise, why is MY site not listed?). Ever stop and take a deep breath and ask the hard question - where is the evidence? Whenever the question does get asked, the evidence is never produced and the "pack" mentaility goes after the person asking the question for the evidence ... I can never figure this out.
In this day in age, one must approach each and every random blog entry or forum post with a heavy dose of skepticism and suspicion. That is one of the only absolute certainties I know of in this industry. Clearly the flow of information and disinformation on the internet can be (and is) manipulated by many.
That said - with the overwhelming supply of *rumors* out there regarding corrupt DMOZ editors, we can draw one of two conclusions.
1) There is an inkling of truth to some of these rumors. It doesn't seem to difficult to imagine an editor or two abusing their editorial powers. Human nature.
or...
2) The people starting these rumors (and I could site 3 or 4 public internet figures/organizations who have done so) are trying to smear the good name of the ODP. I don't doubt that perhaps some of the rumors fall into this category.
But if it looks like a rat, and smells like a rat...it might be a bit naive to maintain that corruption doesn't exist in the DMOZ editorship elite just to remain faithful to skepticism for its own sake.
But point taken. I should have substituted "rumors" in place of "news" in the original post.
Have you actually been able to find one bit of evidence behind all those claims of corruption that do the round of SEO forums?
And when I provided the written evidence in the form of bulk emails sent to members of a particular industry by the editor implying certain abilities to influence search engine rankings I was told that I was inferring too much from a simple email.
The editor subsequently completely redid the category and all sub-cats, moving, no, burying, any number of sites into the nether regions of the directory. I mean, we are talking 12-15 clicks deep.
When I brought this up on res0urcez0ne I was basically told to mind my own business, that it is up to the editors (with meta approval of course0 to manage their category.
THis was a few yaers ago. Interestingly, the cat doesn't have an editor anymore. I suppose he was satisfied with the changes and then moved on?
It shows up as waiting in that category, and is flagged in all categories in that branch all the way to the top/root of the tree.
The reason I posted about this is because it seems like I'm in the minority on this issue as far as being extremely frustrated that my new-ish site can't get a fair shake.
I don't think you should be frustrated - at all. One of my sites had six listings in dmoz for years, then an editor delisted me around a year ago, and you know what happened? Nothing.
I didn't lose traffic or ranking in any search engine, I didn't even know that it happened for several months. And that was for 6 links that were years old and to 1 site.
I like dmoz, it's a cool idea and I use the site, but there's nothing special about "getting in" except that you might be lucky.
I think there might be a small difference though for a newer, younger site like mine. I would imagine that your site had (has) a pretty highly developed backlink profile where the loss of one link (and a directory link, at that) wouldn't do any serious damage to rankings or traffic, like you mentioned.
My site, on the other hand, is still in its growth phase as I continue aggressive link-building, and the frustration arises because I am missing what I would consider to be a "bedrock" link from the ODP. Since your site had the rankings and traffic already, losing the DMOZ link was probably equivalent in scope to scooping out a bucket of water from a swimming pool. No big deal - plenty more where that came from.
For me, I am still filling up my pool one bucket of water at a time, so the importance of each bucket (aka link) is that much more important. At least that's the way I see it.
proboscis - that is good news, makes me feel a little bit better at least.
Me too, I was delisted by comp as well and gave up after months of correspondence on the forum. Its nice to hear its not always the big pr boost everyone expects.
Well said Wisewebdude. DMOZ IS A JOKE. I cant believe any significant search engine would rely on the DMOZ directory to influence any ranking as a viable and trusted source. Its completely biased and every topic is run by your corrupt & motivated competitors.
Like someone would volunteers in your category just to see better results in todays age? That makes no sense.
IMO, What they need to do is:
1. Remove Any Biases:
Have all paid employees run this who have no websites and no affiliations. If AOL & Goog throwing money why not here?
2. Quality Control:
Review performance of each category editor at least 1x per quarter and preferably every month. Review suspect additions or aNY OTHER NON quality. approvals
Maybe even have vote process by non category editors for final submission and majority rules.
I would like to see you explain how 7000 active editors run the site like that, when there are almost 700 000 categories, 90% of which have no listed editor name in the footer.
DMOZ IS A JOKE. I cant believe any significant search engine would rely on the DMOZ directory to influence any ranking as a viable and trusted source.
I really don't think DMOZ listings do influence the rankings much.
Like I said, I lost six listings to my main site and nothing happened, and the editor who delisted my main business site also delisted my personal site which wasn't nearly as strong but was receiving a respectable amount of traffic for what it was, that site didn't suffer at all either...
