Ever since I started editing I have been vocal about my reasonings and intentions .  I have edited , maybe not hugely in numbers some random 2500 or so edits , but I believe i also have participated in various discussions and verbal to and fro’s. In all this time, I have felt the need for quality editing as opposed to quantity – part of which is due to my involvement in my business and also my laziness , but a major part also to adhere to the Guidelines we always speak about. I like reading through old forum discussions, newsletters and instructions and formed some ideas of my own  from those.

But seemingly not all of them are to be followed – as determined by the current powers that be . With the modernization trend going on , the ODP is slanting towards a more “customer centric entity” which will supposedly need to look and cater to the vocal traffic on the web . Quality Check , although bookwise is the good thing to do , is less of a concern . In my time period I have seen the rise of need for grooming up smaller editors to larger zones without proper checking , from Metas ,  Editalls, Admins even when notified about it .  And in the recent past , I have also come across incidents where we are told that in written communications, we should think of catering more towards the vocal population on the web as opposed to the Editor community and layman visitors – which we used to be told as our Primary Interest Group .

I know what I am speaking off can easily be considered as blasphemous . But hey , this is MY blog .

Well , I do work also as a volunteer editor on the Open Directory Project . Almost an year ago i joined under a small category and I have been learning the ropes . It’s been a informative ride mostly , save few incidents which has confused me recently in Regional/ . I like working in regional , as it helps me build up the categories with sites of local business and organizations, events and public / government utilities or important ones such as Education.

But in order to diversify my interests , I have also applied for a topical category recently . And in most occasions I have been accepted by my superiors ( Metas ) as being ready for handling more sites and categories and thus encouraged . The last category I applied for was interestingly accepted by the Dmoz Editor -in-Chief ( rdkeating25 ) – thus the Boss :p . To be frank , I was of the opinion ( from forum threads ) , that he is usually dormant / inactive in day to day operations of the directory . But maybe that is not true for all days .

You will however find him more in the new and Official Dmoz Blog – which is currently being regularly updated .

1. I visit many a webmaster forum and even though I am a web developer myself, it often pains me to see quite a few webmasters constantly cribbing about how ODP editors do not wish to hear their requests, DMOZ does not give attention to its customers and Dmoz is no longer valuable. Such posts does not do you much good ( i for sure do not enjoy seeing it, nor does it make help your cause.) Your time is more valuable than ranting about it.
2. I would have liked to write ” don’t be the problem, be the solution” . But i know the smartass answer to that . That being, ‘DMOZ meta editors are a secretive and scheming bastards and they do not approve XYZ’s application, so if my attempt at being a solution is blocked, i would rather be a problem‘.
   Wrong again – DMOZ meta editors who have the extremely difficult task of handling multiple responsibilities, along with checking your submitted applications are bound by even more difficult set of protocols and norms to maintain while review yours. Make sure you comply with all the requested tasks in the application form. if you have complied with it , you have already done your bit. Do not dilute that good deed.
3. During my not so illustrious career as DMOZ editor, my first few days was filled up by studying the guidelines , which drives my editing operations every day. As an editor I am supposed to find and select links, websites and resources to fill up my category. A librarian’s bookmarks, a link list created by an obsessive surfer cum webmaster of a particular genre / interest, were the origin of web directories . As an editor, I will take more time in locating such over user submitted websites . Deal with it . And even better – become the resource I have a probability to find.
4. The next part of the guidelines also explained how to write titles for a website. When you create a website, you already have a true name for it – it is helpful if you keep that in mind while submitting . If you are Bill’s Plumbing, i will name you as Bill’s Plumbing only and not Plumbing, Pipes, Cheapest plumber, Best Customer Support etc etc. Sounds good ?
5. Coming to descriptions – I know what would irritate me . If i see an Ad on the local yellow pages of a carpenter , and visited his shop only to see that he currently only sells hammers and nails . Or again, How would you really feel if you decided to order a 5 tier birthday cake and went to the bakery, only to see it is a single guy standing outside a shop with a basket with a few muffins ? I am hoping you understand what I am getting at here .
6. Describing a site, I feel requires knowing it’s content , and also gaining some knowledge about the owner / organization of the site and his/ her intent. If you have ever purchased an SSL Certificate before , you will understand this scenario – just like the certifying authority ( such as GoDaddy , Verisign etc ) , I am certifying , in a way , that your site is what I am saying it is . So please , make it obvious on your website what you really do and even better – have examples of what you have done / can do, and identify yourself / your organization .
7. You have made a product , or you are offering a service – very few times there would be someone better than you who can best categorize you or your website . So make sure when your submit your url, do it in the exactly right category. It could so be that where you have submitted may not have a exact category editor , and it may be reviewed by someone with relatively less knowledge on the topic . If that happens, your submission may cause the passing reviewer more trouble in choosing the right category for you, and if it does not get sent to the proper category , it may remain in the loop – thus extending the delay of your approval.
8. Do not submit your site in the DMOZ if all you need is a link from a PRX page . There are hundreds of other ways to get that . Inside the directory , if you are submitting for the first time and if you have a physical business, it is of utmost importance that you submit it first in your local regional category, even if that means submitting to a page with Zero Pagerank . There is a high probability that such a low level category might have lesser submission reviewing workload for the editor. It might also quite possibly happen that the editor who is reviewing your site may already know of your business.
9. Do not offer bribes , donations, congratulations letters masked as submission status requests, endorsements of any kinds. If you really want to do good , save the world from corrupt dmoz editors, there is a button for that . ( Push the button ) :p
10. Do not create duplicate , triplicate clone websites just for submission to the ODP . I can not possibly recommend business strategies for you , so you can easily have multiple websites for gaming, seo , traffic , profit and all important reason, but do not make it your intent to submit all of them to us – we can by rule only accept and review any one of them.

The above list is not exhaustive, neither endorsed in any way by DMOZ , Netscape, and any one else but me in my personal capacity as a adviser of you – my web visitor . . I do not take responsibility of any good as well as bad effects which may or may not occur to you and your website in its endeavor in getting listed in the ODP. However , if you do get a kick out of it , and also benefit from these points, feel free to share this article to your friend and social circle .

Wishing you all the best .

Disclaimer : All the statements above are comments made by me as an individual , and not endorsed by the DMOZ or AOL.