DmozSucks.org

[timber]

During the past years I have submitted several websites into DMOZ, some made it, some of them never did. Most of these sites have become popular and useful even without the help of DMOZ. While the criteria behind the inclusion criteria are still a mystery to me, I respect that editors have different opinions about popularity and value in general.

But now I have a web page that is overwhelmingly accepted by the web community. It receives more than 100 backlinks each day, mostly from professional web designer blogs, totalling to more than 30.000 referrals as of today. (I am not misusing this forum for another backlink, so please google for "netrenderer" and you will see what I mean)

I submitted this site to DMOZ several times, but neither the German nor the English page was accepted. May be the DMOZ editors are simply overwhelmed with submissions, but since they find the time to include some websites that are neither popular nor exceptionally valuable by any means, there must be something else going on.

Anyway, this DMOZ project has done a very good job in the past, but in it´s current state it is just a outdated link list with obscure and intransparent inclusion criteria. If it can not even be kept current, this project should be either closed down or renamed to "Internet Museum" or "AOL Directory". At least stop calling it "Open".
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[Joe]

Hello timber,

I totally agree with your post. This is nothing new, there has always been many examples of this and many other abuses and blind/selfish control by editors without any proper checks and balances. Your statement at the end about the "open" part of the name is what I've been saying for years. It is laughable (in a sad way) that they insist on calling it that. I've had many abuses from them that were similar to yours, editors arbitrarily reject websites that are professionally designed and on topic and of value, yet they reject them and when I inquire about it they are self-absorbed with their own self-worth and mean spirit that runs contrary to their often flaunted commitment to being "open" blah blah blah....

The straw that broke the camel back for me was when they removed a website of mine that has been listed for many years in the most appropriate category. When I inquired about it, they refused to give straight answers. When I inquired about the many other sites in the same category that don't even exist any longer. they insisted that it was an internal editorial decision and I can not do anything about it. That is when I realized that I had to move on and do what I can to expose them for what they are. I started this website and have not tried to submit anything else to Dmoz since then.

At any rate, just try to market your website your own way, and since you are getting accepted by the web at large, you should not even give them the time of day nor the satisfaction to play "god" with you on their forums.
There are many new similar projects that are coming online that are not as abusive and mean spirited as Dmoz.

Best of luck,
Joe