Difference between revisions of "DMOZ.org"

DMOZ - The Open Directory Project

What It Is

The Open Directory Project (ODP) is the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web, with more than 4 million listings in over 590,000 categories. It is constructed and maintained by a vast, global community of volunteer editors.

Instead of fighting the explosive growth of the Internet, the Open Directory provides the means for the Internet to organize itself. As the Internet grows, so do the number of net-citizens. These citizens can each organize a small portion of the web and present it back to the rest of the population, culling out the bad and useless and keeping only the best content.

An Open Source-inspired, volunteer-managed initiative, the ODP is 100% free. Netscape Communication Corporation administers the Open Directory Project as a non-commercial entity, and is committed to keeping it a free and open resource via its social contract with the Web community.

There is no cost to suggest a site or to use the data. Anyone can download and use ODP data at no cost provided they comply with the ODP's free license agreementand attribution.

What It Isn't

The ODP is not a search engine. Although it offers a search query, the purpose of the Open Directory Project is to list and categorize web sites. It does not rank, promote, or optimize sites for search engines. The ODP is simply a data provider. ODP data users, such as AOL, Netscape and Google, install their own search functionality on their site. The ODP has no influence over or knowledge of how these search engines process search queries. Read more. . .

DMOZ

The Open Directory Project is also known as DMOZ, an acronym for Directory Mozilla. This name reflects its loose association with Netscape's Mozilla project, an Open Source browser initiative.

Categories

The Open Directory Project employs a hierarchical structure of categories from broad to specific and covering a virtually unlimited number of topics and regions. All Topical and Regional sites are English-only. Machine-translations are not accepted.

Topical

This type of category contains sites offering unique information about a specific topic, regardless of physical location. Occasionally, if the number of listings is extremely large, further alphabetical or regional subcategories may exist.

The top-level Topical Categories are:

Kids and Teens

This portion of the Open Directory Project was added in November, 2000 to create a completely new directory that would be safe for kids and teens, while containing information especially suited to young people, ages 3 - 18. From the beginning, the Kids and Teens ODP was created as a directory within a directory, with its own set of guidelines, forums, and senior editorial staff. The project has since grown to become the most comprehensive human-selected guide to the Internet for kids and teens across the world.

Regional

As the name implies, Regional Categories contain websites whose information, services, or physical location is specific to that region. Beginning with geographic region, these categories include countries, states / provinces, counties / boroughs / parishes, and cities / towns. Within each city or town, sites are further categorized by topic. See more. . .

World / International

All non-English sites are listed here, under the applicable language, by region and topic. The Open Directory Project currently lists sites in over 75 languages, with many more being developed. See World/. . .

Non-English sites in Kids and Teens are listed in International.

Suggesting A Site

Excerpted from ODP Guidelines: We care a great deal about the quality of the ODP. We aren't a search engine and pride ourselves on being highly selective. We don't accept all sites. Our goal is to make the directory as useful as possible for our users, not to have the directory include all (or even most) of the sites that could possibly be listed or [to] serve as a promotional tool for the entities listed.

First, Read the Guidelines:

• Determine if the site is appropriate for listing (e.g., no mirrors, no excessive affiliate links, no pornography or illegal content);
• Make certain that the site isn't already listed (most listed sites were found by editors, without ever having been suggested);
• Find the one best category for the site (multiple suggestions of the same site, or suggestions to multiple categories, violates the guidelines);
• Go to that category and select the "Suggest URL" link at the top of the page (if there is no link, find a more specific category for the site);
• Wait for an editor to review the suggestion (there is no set timeframe for review and could take 2 weeks to 2 years, or longer).

Some top-level categories of the Directory (e.g., Kids and Teens Regional Travel) have supplemental guidelines, unique to the topic or intended audience. Sites suggested to these categories are expected to comply with the additional guidelines, as well.

No notice is sent, whether the site is listed or rejected.

Editors

What They Do

Editors select, evaluate, describe, and organize Web sites. They are responsible for reviewing suggestions, and finding and listing sites according to prescribed editorial guidelines.In addition, editors are expected to maintain the accuracy and quality of their category, by regularly reviewing and updating the listings and descriptions. Some tech-savvy editors build editing tools and features, senior editors often mentor junior editors, and editors frequently initiate or participate in projects to improve the overall quality of the Directory.

Permission Levels

The different editor levels carry the same responsibilities in both the Kids and Teens ODP and the Classic portion of DMOZ. (A 'k' before the title, indicates permissions are limited to the Kids and Teens portion of the Directory.)

• Meta/kMeta is responsible for reviewing applications, removing abusive editors, forum moderation and leadership, training, and mentoring.
• CatMod/kCatMod combines the duties of a Meta and an Editall, but only for one top-level category (e.g., Health, Reference, etc.)
• Editall/kEditall is responsible for coordinating reorganizations, investigating abuse, mentoring, quality assurance and maintenance, and processing change/move/delete requests.
• Greenbuster (same title in either directory) edits the suggestion pool in broader areas than current permissions would allow, to help reduce the volume of unreviewed and expand editing experience.

How To Join

Editors join the ODP by applying to edit a category that corresponds to their interests. Generally, new editors apply for permissions to edit in small categories and, as they gather experience, apply to edit more or larger areas.

Applicants should: (See example)

• Find a category of interest with, generally, less than 100 listed sites;
• Carefully review the guidelines for the topic or region, as well as the specific category;
• Fill out the application completely
  • Choose an ID carefully, they cannot be changed;
  • Provide 3 URLs, with proper titles and descriptions, that fit into the category;
  • Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation;
  • Disclose all website affiliations;
• Respond to the confirmation email, entering their application into the review system;
• Wait for the application to be reviewed;
  • Applicants are notified by email whether accepted or rejected.

Additional Information

Still have questions? The Open Directory Project offers general information, information for site owners, instructions on using ODP data, and how to become an Editor.

Start by visiting Help and branch out from there.

Languages

While Topical and Regional categories are English-only, the Open Directory Project currently lists sites in over 75 languages, with more areas being developed.

The most recent listing is at DMOZ/World

Social Contract

1. The Open Directory Will Remain 100% Free
2. We Give Back to the Web Community
3. We Don't Hide Our Official Editorial Policies
4. We Provide an Open Invitation to Join
5. We Encourage a Self-Regulating Community
6. Our Priorities are Our Data Users and the Community
7. Users Not Meeting The Free Use License

Influence Us

Souqelarab's Comments on Dmoz.org

• Souqelarab (frustrated) : Hello,

For the past 3 months, I have been trying to add my site to the DMOZ directory. I add it, wait about 2 -3 weeks, and nothing. Contact them, and no reply whatsoever!!! Obviously, every time I visit Alexa, I can not get real numbers, or says you are not added to DMOZ. I had to contact Alexa to add my site manually to their site to monitor. But still my site is not properly listed under a category. I am frustrated, since I got someone else to add my site, a pro, and still no luck. If DMOZ is posting as the world service provider to help and put in order the world wide web, then the least they can do is have their people answer. I even tried to become an editor, and the process takes weeks, and then no reply. Why does it take so long... to enter a site or become an editor...and if they do not want to list a site or an editor, they can have the courtesy to tell you why. I am not applying to the US Immigration services, I am trying to get listed on a simple directory. The site is www.souqelarab.com, an Arab - Middle Eastern Shopping site that sells and markets products from the region to Arab communities abroad.

Thank you

Fadi Dababneh CEO 06:55, 8 February 2008 (PST)

• I've heard of people having problems listing in the correct category with Dmoz in the past. That would never happen with AboutUs! All in all I find Dmoz to be fine and a great reference. Brian Whelan. (see my Irish profile) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Brian_Whelan (talk • contribs) .

• I've been trying for years to get my site listed in DMOZ, with no success. While my site is not perfect, it is much more content rich and aesthetically pleasing than all other sites I checked in my category. I've heard stories that some categories have no editors, while others have up to 100. This may be the source of the problem, but it really isn't an excuse. DMOZ should have an adequate number of editors for each category, even if it has to pay for them (at present editors are volunteers). Also, DMOZ should state an explicit time period within which the review will be completed, and send an accept/reject email afterwards (at present, I just hear nothing from DMOZ). This is very frustrating.

Stewart Engelman, DNI Services

- Interesting, I too have been trying to submit to DMOZ, probably for three or four years, without success. I think they need to overhaul what they're doing. - Nz Webmaster

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