The Open Directory Project is a web
directory of Internet resources. A web directory is something akin to a huge
reference library. The directory is hierarchically arranged by subject - from
broad to specific. The ODP is maintained by community editors who evaluate
sites for inclusion in the directory. They are our experts, and all submissions
are subject to editor evaluation.
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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, so please don't take it personally
should your site not be accepted. 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 serve as a promotional tool for
the entities listed.
To keep the ODP running smoothly and
to assist us in exercising our editorial discretion, we have set up policies
for submitting sites for our consideration. We may reject, delete, or edit
submissions that violate these policies or that we otherwise believe, in our
sole discretion, should not be included in the directory. We may also reject,
delete, or block other sites that we believe to be associated with a user who
has violated these policies.
You should take a few moments to
understand these policies and the steps to submit a site before you
begin. Failure to understand and follow these instructions generally will
result in the rejection of a submission.
Step
One
Determine whether a site is
appropriate for submission to the ODP:
- Do not submit mirror sites. Mirror sites are sites that contain identical content, but have altogether different URLs.
- Do not submit URLs that contain only the same or similar content as other sites you may have listed in the directory. Sites with overlapping and repetitive content are not helpful to users of the directory. Multiple submissions of the same or related sites may result in the exclusion and/or deletion of those and all affiliated sites.
- Do not disguise your submission and submit the same URL
more than once.
Example: http://www.dmoz.org and http://www.dmoz.org/index.html - Do not submit any site with an address that redirects to another address.
- The Open Directory has a policy against the inclusion of sites with illegal content. Examples of illegal material include child pornography; libel; material that infringes any intellectual property right; and material that specifically advocates, solicits or abets illegal activity (such as fraud or violence).
- Do not submit sites "under construction." Wait until a site is complete before submitting it. Sites that are incomplete, contain "Under Construction" notices, or contain broken graphics or links aren't good candidates for the directory.
- Submit pornographic sites to the appropriate category under Adult.
- Submit non-English sites to the appropriate category under World.
- Don't submit sites consisting largely of affiliate links.
Step
Two
Do a quick search in the directory
at dmoz.org
(the home of the Open Directory) to be sure your site isn't already listed.
This saves everyone time.
Step
Three
Identify the single best category
for your site. The Open Directory has an enormous array of subjects to choose
from. You should submit a site to the single most relevant category. Sites
submitted to inappropriate or unrelated categories may be rejected or removed.
Note: Some categories do not have
"suggest URL" or "update URL" links. These categories don't
accept submissions, so you should find a more specific category for your site.
Step
Four
Once you've selected the best
category for your site, go directly to that category on dmoz.org and
then click "suggest URL." Follow the instructions on the submission
form carefully. Descriptions of sites should describe the content of the
site concisely and accurately. They should not be promotional in nature. Submitting
a promotional description rather than an objective, well written description
may significantly delay your site from being listed or prevent your site from
being listed at all. Auto-submission software is (and always has been) a
violation of this procedure. Sites submitted automatically are flagged and
deleted after the submission is accepted, without notification to you.
Persistent automatic submission may force us to ban you from the dmoz site, so
we can provide resources to real human beings.
Procedure
After Your Site is Submitted
An ODP editor will review your
submission to determine whether to include it in the directory. Depending on
factors such as the volume of submissions to the particular category, it may
take several weeks or more before your submission is reviewed. Please only
submit a URL to the Open Directory once. Again, multiple submissions of the
same or related sites may result in the exclusion and/or deletion of those and
all affiliated sites. Disguising your submission and submitting the same
URL more than once is not permitted.
Updating
Your Site
If a site has been accepted for
inclusion in the directory but you are dissatisfied with how the site is
described or titled, you may go to the category where it is listed, and fill
out the "update URL" form. If you are dissatisfied with the category
in which your site is listed, you may send an e-mail to an editor for the
category explaining your disagreement. Be polite and civil -- threatening or
abusive behavior will not be tolerated.
If (but only if) you are
dissatisfied with the editor's response, you may then use the
"Feedback" link at the top of the page to "appeal" the
editor's decision. Be specific concerning your disagreement (including why you
believe the editor's response is inadequate). Comments made through the
feedback link are reviewed by the ODP staff, who will make the final decision.
Please do NOT send correspondence to Netscape, as that will only slow down and
complicate the process. We take all feedback seriously and give it our
thoughtful consideration. But please remember that we must exercise our
discretion and make numerous judgment calls as to how to make the ODP as useful
as possible -- no matter what decision we make, we may not always satisfy
everyone.
Getting
Your Site Into Portals and Search Engines Using ODP Data
If your site has been accepted into
the Open Directory, it may take anywhere from 2 weeks to several months for
your site to be listed on partner sites which use the Open Directory data, such
as AOL Search,
Google, Netscape Search,
Yahoo Search,
and hundreds of other sites. We make updates of the
data available weekly, but each partner has their own update schedule.
Editorial
Discretion
Please recognize that making the ODP
a useful resource requires us to exercise broad editorial discretion in
determining the content and structure of the directory. That discretion extends
(but is not limited) to what sites to include, where in the directory sites are
placed, whether and when to include more than one link to a site, when deep
linking is appropriate, and the content of the title and description of the
site. In addition, a site's placement in the directory is subject to change or
deletion at any time at our sole discretion. You should not rely on any aspect
of a site's inclusion in the directory. Please understand that an
editor's exercise of discretion may not always treat all submissions equally.
You may not always agree with our choices, but we hope you recognize that we do
our best to make fair and reasonable decisions.
The Open Directory team welcomes
comments and feedback about the directory generally. Please let us know what
you think, and how we can improve the service. Thanks!
Proceed to the Open Directory home at dmoz.org - Start here to find a category to submit to.