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Submit a Site – Open Directory Project – Become an Editor

The first step in applying to become an editor with The Open Directory Project / DMOZ is to select a category that interests you. The most important part of being and editor is making this an enjoyable hobby for you. You cannot enjoy it, if you aren’t interested in what you are editing. Choose something that you are interested in and may know a little about. A good choice for a newbie might be something to do with their own home town. Large cities may necessitate applying for a smaller sub-category at first, but generally they are good places to begin in. Note: It is a myth that being accepted to a Regional category is easier than a Topical Category.

How Do You Select A Good Starting Category?

Once you know what you are interested in, its time to find a good starting category. Some general advice that may make it a bit easier. First, don’t shoot for the moon straight out of the gate. New editors are not going to be accepted to categories that are large or too broad in scope. The general advice given is to shoot for a category with at least a few listed sites, but no more than 100.You want a category that has the ability to expand, otherwise you are never going to enjoy editing when there are no sites to include. You don’t want more than 100 listed sites to start out, because frankly most of us are a bit overwhelmed at first trying to learn the ropes. Its best to start off small and expand as you learn new things.

On To Completing the Application

Once you have figured out the topic and category you want to start out in, the application process begins. Rule number one on the application is be honest. If you purposefully attempt to hide affiliations or intentions, chances are the reviewer will pick up on it. Many editors join to list or monitor their own sites. As long as the Guidelines are always adhered to this isn’t a problem. So failing to be truthful will likely result in a denied application. More tips can be found in the official guidelines beneath the heading Becoming An Editor.The application will be reviewed by one of our Meta or CatMod editors. There is no time window for how long an application will await review, but in general most applications are dealt with , in a few weeks. Important things to remember about the application:

• Honesty and trustworthiness are being evaluated. Be as honest as you possible can, especially in regards to affiliations. Read the Guidelines On Affiliation Disclosure for more information, but if in doubt you probably should declare it.
• The application asks for 2-3 sample URL’s, which you would consider for the category. 3 is preferred and these should not be your own sites or sites you are affiliated with. You can use one of your own sites, but the other two should be unaffiliated with you. Make sure these sites are a) a good fit in the category and b) not already listed in the Directory (either the category or one of its sub-categories).
• Your comprehension of the language to which you are applying is being evaluated. This means if the category is in English, you should have good grasp of spelling, grammar, and sentence structure of the English language.
• Pay some attention to the Titles and Description Guidelines. A well written application that appears to have made an attempt at following the Guidelines is much more likely to be accepted, than one hurriedly thrown together with disregard of the Guidelines.
• Save a copy of your application. The editors cannot retrieve applications that are eaten by the submission bug, so to protect your work save a copy just in case.
• Once you press the “Submit” button and you see the confirmation page, you should watch your email in-box. Shortly after you submit an application, the system sends out an automatic message. This message MUST BE REPLIED TO for the application process to be completed. Failure to reply as instructed render the application unrecoverable. Note: If you get an error ‘Your Open Directory editor application could not be confirmed. The error received was: Can’t find your authentication ticket’ the most likely reason is somehow you have replied twice to the confirmation email. Nothing to worry about usually, most applications that receive this message were confirmed and ok.
• If you get the above error or want to check the status of your application please wait 14 days from the time you submitted your application and then visit the forums at Resource-Zone where you will find a thread dedicated to Becoming an Editor. Follow the Posting Guidelines there and request a status check to confirm the application was received and is awaiting review.

If you have further questions about an application you should wait the 14 days required by Resource-Zone and inquire in the Becoming an Editor thread there.